Back to School: 11 Essential Email Marketing Basics

Starting a new email campaign is a little like going back to school. And just as students spend their first few days of class brushing up on the basics, so too should marketers. With fall right around the corner and students across the country getting ready to go back to school, it’s a great opportunity to pause for a few moments and review the basics.

• Introduce yourself.Your ‘from’ name should be consistent, whether you’re using your own name or your business’. Not only will it be easier for your recipients to recognize you, but over time, your emails will build a brand expectation. If you diverge from that expectation by switching between names, your audience might fail to recognize your email and delete it.
• Show up on time. Along with your name, be consistent with your layout, tonality and frequency. If you tend to send emails once a week and you miss a week, people might get the impression that you’re too cool for school.
• Be yourself. Showing your personality is the best way to engage your audience. Don’t be another dry email in someone’s inbox; stand out from the crowd by embracing your unique voice and humor. If you’re authentically you, people will take notice and your popularity will naturally build.
• Write well, not good. Grammar still matters. Treat your readers with respect by keeping it old school. That means proper spelling, punctuation and capitalization.
• Play nice. Your emails should not be self-serving plugs. Make sure your message has value by getting to know your readers and writing about subjects relevant to them. The content of your email is the most important element, so make it concise, engaging and memorable.
• Wash up. Keep your database clean by using an email validation service. Once you’re confident of the quality of your data, take it a step further and segment your list by customer type and location to increase your open rates.
• Make new friends. It’s important to welcome new subscribers. Triggered email campaigns make this routine easy. With simple automated messages, you’re showing your recipients you care without being obtrusive.
• Focus on important subjects. Subjects can make or break an open rate; don’t ruin your GPA with thoughtless subject lines. Many studies suggest simple, straightforward subject lines are more effective than those that shout at readers with ALL CAPS or excessive exclamation points (!!).
• Study for tests. Set up A/B testing procedures and figure out which email marketing methods work best for you. Study the metrics you gain and adapt your strategy accordingly.
• Use visual aids carefully. Adding images to your emails should enhance the message, not replace it. Don’t overdo it. Keep it personal by including relevant, original photos; hackneyed stock images will not serve you best. If appropriate, add a link to the image so readers can click and learn more. Or consider including a video.
• Do your homework. School doesn’t end after the bell rings, and email campaigns don’t end after you hit “send.” Be prepared for your readers to respond to your call to action and don’t procrastinate on following-up with leads.

By taking the time to make sure you have the fundamentals covered, you’ll not only build your confidence, you’ll enhance your potential for success. Need help moving beyond the basics? Our eBook “Using Customer Data for Email Marketing Success” can show you how!