5 Clear-Cut Signs Your Email Marketing Strategy Needs Updating

Your email marketing campaigns are chugging along. Subscribers are engaged, open rates are satisfactory and conversions are strong. You’ve reached a state of marketing bliss – that cozy, unfamiliar and often fleeting feeling marketing professionals enjoy when the stars align and everything is optimized for success. You might as well kick back and relax for once, right?

Not so fast. Just because your email marketing strategy seems perfect doesn’t mean there isn’t potential for evenbetter campaign performance.

Here are a few signs it’s time to take a fresh look.

1. You see nearly identical open and click rates after every campaign.

When your opens and clicks grow, it can feel euphoric – a sign you’re doing something right. And when they finally reach a consistent, healthy rate, it’s easy to simply assume all is well.

But if your KPIs look the same after each send, it could also be a sign that the same portion of your list is engaging every time. The best way to cure KPI déjà vu? Check out your email activity metrics and launch a re-engagement campaign to those who have dropped off.

2. Your email list growth is stunted.

A healthy email list is a growing email list. If yours has leveled off, then it’s time to explore new avenues. Here are a few suggestions:

• Consider promoting a special offer, such as extending a discount for subscribing.
• Place “subscribe” CTAs in more prominent locations throughout your website.
• Promote your email program via paid and organic social efforts.

3. You haven’t aligned your email marketing to efforts on other platforms.

If your email marketing strategy isn’t part of larger, multi-channel campaigns, then you’re missing a significant opportunity to keep current and prospective customers engaged. When contacts see the same consistent messaging within your app, in-store, on direct mail and via email, your brand is more likely to remain top-of-mind.

4. You can’t remember the last time you A/B tested something.

If a top salesperson’s motto is “ABC” (always be closing), a successful marketer’s motto is “ABT” – always be testing. It’s in the tests that you discover those magical little kernels that help you drive droves of new leads, fill the sales pipeline and earn yourself a big ol’ raise. From images to subject lines, preheader text to send times, you should test everything. And then test it again.

5. You aren’t using customer data to personalize your efforts.

As a marketer, you know there’s no such thing as too much data. The more information you can obtain, the stronger your email marketing strategy – and the more effective your campaigns. By creating complete profiles of your contacts, you can power a more sophisticated email program that delights recipients and transforms subscribers into loyal customers. (And here area few ways you can use personalization to drive a significant return.)

Sure, it’s tempting to take a step back when your campaigns seem to be running themselves. But this is no time to rest on your laurels. If you’ve noticed any of the above signs, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get back to work. We promise the results will be well worthwhile.

Interested in using data to fuel your campaigns and drive up engagement? Try InstantData for free and fill in your missing customer information fast.