In a world where the average person’s inbox is flooded with over 100 emails daily, cutting through the noise can feel like an uphill battle. To make matters even more challenging, your brand must navigate an increasing number of spam filters just to reach your audience. Effective this year, Google now requires bulk emails to be authenticated, stay under a strict reported spam threshold, and contain an easy option to unsubscribe. But don’t worry—we’ve gathered the most powerful strategies to ensure your emails not only reach their destination, but also resonate with your audience. Here’s how to make every email you send truly count.
Curate Your Audience
The best way to protect your campaign from unsubscriptions and spam reports is to frequently update your audience. While purchasing subscriber lists may seem like an easy way to boost your list size, it is not a best practice due to data privacy concerns and a high potential of being marked as spam. Subscribers who have voluntarily joined your email list are much more likely to open your emails and far less likely to flag them as spam. To cultivate a high-quality list, prioritize organic growth by inviting new and existing customers to opt in. This strategy not only increases engagement, but also reinforces your brand’s trustworthiness. If you have an aging list of email subscribers or a very large database, segmenting your list may also be warranted, to remove subscribers that are no longer engaging with your content.
Be Relevant & Consistent
Ensure your messaging is relevant and maintain a consistent deployment that your recipients can digest. For instance, a non-profit might send monthly newsletters to keep supporters engaged, reinforce the purpose of their mission, and share important information with contributors. Alternatively, a retail company might share promotional updates to incentivize sales. Historically, a consistent cadence of messaging is received better, performs better, and results in fewer spam reports. However, it’s important not to overwhelm your audience with too many emails, as this can lead to unsubscribes and damage your brand’s reputation. Another beneficial option is allowing for subscribers to choose their preferred cadence of emails (i.e. weekly, monthly, etc.). This could help keep some subscribers on your list who may have unsubscribed otherwise if they felt they were receiving too many emails at first. Striking the right balance by delivering valuable, timely content helps build stronger relationships without risking being interpreted as spam.
Finesse Subject Lines
The subject line is arguably the most precious piece of real estate in your email campaign — and it can make or break your success. Create engaging subject lines and preview text that pique curiosity and make readers want to see what’s inside. If you collect names along with contact information (which is best practice!), personalize your subject lines to help grab subscribers’ attention right away. Be mindful to avoid spammy words that could trigger spam filters, block your emails, or send them to the promotions folder. Words associated with urgency, like “now,” or sales-driven terms such as “buy” or “sale,” are common red flags to steer clear of. Not sure what style or tone your audience prefers? Try testing out a variety of options to find the most effective ones.
Use Segmentation
Make sure that your messaging is serving the right recipients by segmenting your contact list. Effective segmentation helps tailor your content to match the interests and needs of each subscriber, driving higher engagement rates. You can organize your contacts based on various criteria, such as the products or services they’ve purchased or where they signed up—whether it was at a tradeshow, in-store, or online. This targeted approach keeps your messaging relevant and resonates more with your audience.
Perform A/B Testing
Not sure what will work best for your audience? Test out some options! Most email platforms allow senders to test out various parts of the email like the subject line, content, or send time with an A/B test. By testing one variable at a time, you can accurately determine what your audience responds to best. Once you’ve identified the winning formula, you can apply those insights to future emails for even greater impact.
Start Automating
Like many other areas of marketing, email marketing can be automated, too! Automation not only saves time, but also helps your audience receive timely, relevant messaging. Drip campaigns are a valuable automated marketing tool that allow you to personalize email content based on a user’s customer journey. For example, a functional drip campaign could include an email when they sign up, an abandoned cart email, a customer service feedback email, or all of the above! Instantaneous confirmation emails also improve the likelihood that subscribers will open your email content in the future. Using engagement and performance data, you can customize emails based on a timeframe or action they’ve taken on your website. With automation, you can be sure to meet your audience where they’re at.
How Can We Help?
Need assistance with your email marketing efforts or overall digital marketing strategy? Contact our team at RobMark today! With over 30 years of experience, our team excels at email marketing, as well as a full-service spectrum of marketing solutions designed to meet your unique needs. We’ll work with you to develop and execute strategies that achieve your business goals.