Top Need-to-Know Email Marketing Definitions, Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, we introduced 10 of the most commonly used terms in email marketing. Here, we expand upon that list, bringing you 10 more need-to-know email marketing definitions.

IP Address: The unique identifier for a computer. An IP address can be static, which are configured manually by editing a computer’s network settings, or dynamic, which are issued using a leasing system and only active for a limited amount of time.

Open Rate: The percentage of emails opened of the total number of emails delivered in an email marketing campaign. The success of a campaign relies heavily on the amount of emails opened, so email marketers are constantly searching for tips to increase open rates.

Opt-in (or Subscribe): When individuals opt-in to an email list, they provide their email addresses and choose to receive email communications from a particular company, website or individual. The person (or subscriber) can often indicate what types of email he or she wishes to receive and how often. Email marketers are constantly generating new and innovative ways to gain more opt-ins to increase their overall reach.

Opt-out (or Unsubscribe): When a subscriber no longer wishes to receive your email communications, he or she requests removal from your list. The CAN-SPAM Act requires email marketers include an unsubscribe/opt-out link and/or instructions to unsubscribe in communications.

Personalization: Personalizing your email communications means adding unique elements to individuals’ messages based on information you already know about them. In its most basic form, personalizing an email means to address a recipient by name. Personalization can also refer to referencing past purchases or webpage visits or tailoring content unique to each recipient. With email intelligence, email marketers can gain valuable data about their subscribers to improve personalization efforts.

Segmentation: To segment an email list is to divide subscribers based on interest categories, purchasing behavior and demographics to target specific email campaigns to the audience most likely to respond to the offer. Enhancing your marketing database by appending demographic data is a powerful way to segment your best customers and target retention and acquisition efforts more effectively.

Sender Score: A free service from Return Path, a sender score is a reputation rating from 0-100 for every outgoing mail server IP address. Think of sender score as your Klout for email marketing: Before you decide to follow someone new on social media, you often check his or her Klout. Similarly, before deciding what to do with a domain’s emails, mail servers will check the sender score.

Shared IP: The opposite of a dedicated IP, a shared IP is an address from which many email marketers send emails. Though it is the less costly option, it is generally recommended to only use dedicated IPs. Some email marketers, like Yesmail’s Melissa Goss, even say you should have separate dedicated IPs for each mail stream based on offer type and engagement.

Spam: Also known as unsolicited commercial email, spam is email sent to a person who has not opted in or given permission to a sender. One of the main things that can affect your email deliverability is when your recipients mark your messages as spam. Take the right steps to not look like a spammer by following these tips.

Spam Trap: A spam trap is an email address used by ISPs and anti-spam organizations to identify the senders of unsolicited messages. If these addresses get on your email list, it can cause you to be flagged as a spammer, negatively affecting your sender reputation.

WIIFM (or “What’s in it for me?”): “What’s in it for me?” is the question every mail recipient subconsciously asks when making a decision to open, read and take action on an email. From subject line to CTA, email marketers have the difficult job of convincing subscribers their communications are worth their time.

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photo credit: alexbrn