Email Marketing Guide – The Make Good

Email List Building

Building an email list is an essential step in any email marketing campaign. An email list allows you to communicate directly with your potential customers, who can be targeted with custom offers and promotions.

Building an email list requires a strategy in place, including tactics like outreach, content promotions, and more. In this guide, we’ll discuss the different approaches that you can use to build an effective email list:

Create a Sign-up Form

Creating a compelling sign-up form for your email list is critical to increasing subscribers. To increase opt-ins, consider the following steps when designing your sign-up form:

Utilize incentives: Offering customers or potential subscribers an incentive for signing up can often increase opt-ins. Unique, personalized incentives will draw more interested parties than generic, impersonal offers.
Keep it simple: The less complicated and time-consuming your email sign-up process is, the higher the chance you’ll see opt-ins. Aim for quick and easy forms that collect minimal information—name and email address are often enough to start building your list.
Leverage high-traffic areas: Placing your sign-up form in high-traffic areas can help create more visibility and attract more interest. It could include your website’s homepage, individual blog posts, and other popular pages on the site.
Include visuals: While its actual content is king for grabbing attention, visuals should not be overlooked when creating a sign-up form. Visitors are more likely to be drawn to forms accompanied by imagery or design elements that enhance user experience, making them visually appealing and clickable (buttons are best).
Summarize benefits: Highlight what visitors will receive if they join your list so that visitors understand what they’ll benefit from becoming an email subscriber upfront rather than having to explore further into the website archives or additional pages/posts – this way, you’re providing customers with value right away!

Leverage Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool that can be used to build your email list. Every platform has its unique advantages and challenges. Still, if you are strategic and consistent, you can use each to reach potential customers interested in your brand. Here are some tips for leveraging social media to build your email list:

Ensure all your social profiles have links or calls-to-action that drive viewers back to your website, where they can opt-in for email list updates.
Create relationships with influencers in the industry by sending them complimentary samples and asking them to share the link with their followers.
Run regular promotional campaigns that incentivize users to sign up. It could include offering discounts, giveaways, or unique content only by signing up for emails.
Cross-promote content between accounts on different platforms so you have multiple opportunities for followers to click through and subscribe; make sure these link directly to a landing page or sign-up form on your website.

With these tactics, you can get more clients engaged with your brand and grow an active mailing list so you can actively engage with new audiences regularly!

Offer Incentives for Subscribers

Creating incentives to drive subscribers to your email list is a great way to get started and keep the momentum going with your email marketing efforts. From discounts and coupons to poll results, special offers for new products, event invitations, membership access, or content subscriptions – there is no such thing as too much incentive for email list building.

One of the most popular and successful enticement strategies is offering subscribers perks for being on the list. It could include a special “welcome” discount code or coupon that encourages new customers and loyal subscribers, but it could also include free shipping, early access, or exclusive updates. Depending on your business model and goals, you will have various options for in-list incentives to help get the ball rolling with subscribers.

Another popular tactic many businesses use is offering polls, surveys, or quizzes that are only available via members of the mailing list. What better way to engage customers than with an exclusive fun activity? And relevant survey questions not only help you gain actionable insights into customer preferences but also offer customers an opportunity to give meaningful feedback that improves their experience and those of future members.

When done correctly, these incentives serve two critical purposes:

They provide value-added rewards for consumers who become part of your email list; and
They reward consumers down the line for their ongoing loyalty – meaning those members will be more likely to stay engaged than those who joined without any enticement at all.

Email Content

The email content is one of the essential elements of a successful email marketing campaign. Writing compelling and engaging content is key to building relationships with your readers, so carefully craft your messages.

Let’s explore the basics of email content and discuss how to craft a great message for your email audience:

Write Compelling Subject Lines

Subject lines are the essential elements of any email since they are the first thing recipients see when scrolling through their inboxes. Compelling subject lines can help differentiate your emails from all other emails a person receives, increasing open and click-through rates.

To write effective subject lines, you should use concise language while emphasizing benefits or providing value. It will entice people to read your message and take action. Writing clear and concise subject lines can be difficult because you don’t want them too long, yet you still need to draw attention and provide relevance in a limited amount of space. To add an extra level of detail, adding emojis or special characters after a slug line can present interest without being overbearing with content.

The type of subjects also depends on the audience; however, some general practices apply as a good rule-of-thumb for all audience types, such as personalization, specificity, immediacy, playfulness/humor, and mystery:

Personalization – such as adding personalized elements like the first name
Specificity – use information like details about a product or time-sensitive discounts
Immediacy – emphasize urgency with words such as limited time offer or a one-time opportunity
Playfulness/Humor – having an element of fun and lightheartedness in the subject line
Mystery – providing just enough information for the recipient to be curious about what your email is about

Using the techniques listed above combined with concisely written language that conveys value, your email campaigns will become incredibly successful at getting recipients to open your messages and take action!

Use a Conversational Tone

The tone of your message in an email campaign dramatically impacts how your customers respond to it. Start by establishing a connection with your audience as you would if you were having a real-life conversation; this means using a personable, conversational tone throughout your email content.

This informal and friendly tone – rather than stern and business-like – will help your subscribers feel comfortable when reading your emails and more likely to trust their message. Try avoiding complex language and jargon; keep things simple and direct while also providing valuable, helpful insight into the topic at hand through crisp content that is easy to read.

Additionally, try not to sound like a robot but rather like an individual speaking directly to your reader with empathy and understanding for their situation or needs. Use salutations like ‘Hi‘ or ‘Hello‘ instead of ‘Dear [Name]’ to give it an even more casual feel. It can help build relationships with readers over time, allowing them to connect with you through email content that is friendly, respectful, helpful, and real!

Include Visuals to Grab Attention

Visuals are essential for catching the attention of potential customers, so try to include them in your emails – whether it’s an image, GIF, or video. You want something that will stand out in the customer’s inbox and grab their attention.

The visuals should complement the message of your email. It doesn’t have to be complicated; a simple headline and accompanying graphic can do the trick. Pictures may be as powerful as words when done right because they add a layer of emotion to your text-only emails and can break up long blocks of text. In addition, a visually engaging email campaign can do wonders for increasing click-through rates on an email.

Not every email has to contain graphics; sometimes, peppering a few into your emails is all it takes to draw customers in and make them listen. There are many ways that visuals can be used in an email – from custom screenshots and videos to using emoji symbols and emoticons. Experiment with different types of visuals until you find one that works best for you!

Email Automation

Email automation is a great way to target specific customer groups with tailored messages that can lead to better engagement and higher conversion rates. Automating your email marketing campaigns also helps save time and increase efficiency.

In this guide, we will look at the various elements of email automation and how it can be used to your advantage:

Set up Welcome Emails

Setting up automated welcome emails to new contacts is a great way to make an excellent first impression. When you send a welcome email, you can leverage the opportunity to inform customers about what they should expect from your service or product. Plus, it’s easy to establish trust with potential customers by presenting valuable and meaningful information.

Welcome emails are essential in establishing a foothold in relationships with new customers and setting the stage for future interaction. They should be both an introduction and an opportunity for further engagement since most email platforms allow you to connect your automation sequences with other touchpoints, such as chatbot functionality, social media channels, and more.

When crafting your automated welcome messages, consider covering topics such as:

An explanation of your product or service
Links to related resource pages
Information about any promotional discounts or opportunities
Introductory videos or other helpful media content
Details on future updates and communications
Incentives for opting into additional emails or notifications in the future.

By taking advantage of email automation’s vast capabilities of personalization, segmentation, and timing customization -you can ensure your message delivery aligns with business goals while creating a valuable experience that resonates with your target audience.

Set up Triggered Emails

Triggered emails are automated messages sent in response to a customer action, such as opening an email, clicking a link, or making a purchase. These emails can nurture leads, increase customer loyalty and drive sales.

Triggered emails can be divided into two main categories:

On-site triggered emails. These occur after the recipient interacts with a website or an online store. Examples include abandoned cart reminders and post-purchase follow-ups.
Off-site triggered emails. These occur after the recipient interacts with email marketing campaigns (opens, clicks). Examples include welcome messages and win-back campaigns.

Regardless of their type, all triggered emails have one goal: providing value or helpful information to the recipient based on their recent activities and preferences. This strategy has proven to be very successful in email marketing as it helps build customer relationships, thus increasing revenue over time.

When setting up triggered emails, marketers should focus on the following aspects:

Timing – You need to define when an automated email should trigger – immediately or sometime later in the future.
Target Audience – Identify which groups of people should receive your message based on their previous actions and behavior;
Personalization – While setting up triggered emails, you need to make sure each message is tailored according to the recipient’s data, such as name, location, or interests;
Clear Goal – Define your goals for every automated email (what action do you want recipients to take?)

By following these simple steps, you can create a solid foundation for effective email automation strategies that will positively impact your business’s bottom line.

Personalize Emails

Personalizing emails allows you to send messages tailored to your subscribers’ needs. Email automation allows personalization by leveraging customer data and analytics to send highly targeted messages. As a result, you can increase customer engagement, open rates, and conversions for your campaigns by providing each subscriber with unique news.

Examples of personalization techniques can be found in subject lines, mail content, and personalized images. Adding a subscriber’s first name in the subject line effectively grabs their attention. You can also personalize content by using specific keywords that relate to the interests of the audience segment or providing them with relevant offers based on their past purchases. Personalized images are visuals created especially for your subscribers (cartoons, caricatures) that make emails more attractive and stand out from generic emails sent out en masse.

Finally, email automation automates creating user-centric messages by segmenting your audience into dynamic templates generated in real time based on information collected about them, such as purchase intent or user behaviors. It enables you to create several versions of an email so that each subscriber receives independently tailored content optimized for their experience while ensuring faster delivery times and more efficient follow-up processes across email campaigns.

Email Testing

Email testing is a critical component of successful email marketing campaigns. It ensures that emails are being delivered correctly and to the right people. In addition, testing allows marketers to identify issues with their emails before they go out to subscribers.

Several different types of email tests should be conducted regularly to ensure the best results. Let’s explore the various types of email testing that are available:

Test Subject Lines

Testing subject lines is one of the best ways to ensure the success of your email campaigns. The key to creating a compelling subject line lies in understanding what resonates with your target audience and crafting a message that will grab their attention.

A/B testing is a great way to maximize the impact and effectiveness of your subject lines. It involves comparing two versions of a subject line with subtle differences, such as wording, punctuation, or length. You can also consider varying the greeting, offer, or vocal style used in each version. Testing multiple combinations can help you determine which words, phrases, and styles are likely to be most successful in engaging with your contacts.

When crafting different versions of subject lines for A/B testing, it’s essential to go beyond minor variations and test different lengths, phrasing, tone, and intent. Subject line length should be tested because, on mobile devices, long titles can be cut off; so if your goal is better to open rates, shorten or lengthen your subject line accordingly for testing. Similarly, specific phrases may yield better results for particular audiences, so try various phrasings until you find the one that works best for each contact segment you are targeting. Different test tones, like urgent versus friendly, depend on what works well with each user micro-moment you want to reach out for. Different email intents should also be tested, as keywords like ‘free’ and ‘limited time’ corresponding with timeline pressure will more likely entice your reader – another topic may do nothing!

Running tests over a series of email campaigns allows you to track what works best when communicating with contacts from specific segments; or individuals who’ve engaged differently during each campaign cycle. If you devote some time perfecting your email content, testing it on even small groups within your contact list will yield valuable insights into how further recipients will respond before launching any alert-wide global campaigns!

Test Different Email Formats

Testing different email formats is essential in your email marketing process: it helps determine which format generates the highest open and engagement rates. With testing, you can modify elements like colors, fonts, images, CTA copy, and button design – to name a few. In addition to email format tests, consider A/B testing the subject lines of your emails to determine what will draw recipients’ attention.

When creating a test framework, determine which elements should be tested simultaneously. Keep in mind that testing should always be focused on one element, as single-unit testing allows for a better understanding of each element and its impact on performance.

Once you decide what variations need to be tested, start allocating budget or resources for the test setup – such as skill sets needed or services that require extra cost (like template design). Furthermore, plan the timeline for implementation and delivery of results while considering any technical requirements or other restrictions. Then start building the control versus variant groups that are part of the testing scheme based on customer segments or particular goals you want to reach with certain subjects or content blocks.

Finally, decide on how long you would like each test variation to run before making a final decision based on conversion metrics; tracking results over extended periods gives you more reliable data about how well an email performs versus running a shorter-term test that doesn’t provide enough data points for meaningful insights. Proper planning and constant iteration based on findings from multiple tests over time will help ensure that your emails are more successful campaigns and guarantee an increase in ROI from email marketing activity.

Test Different Call-to-action Buttons

One of the most critical steps in creating and optimizing successful email campaigns is understanding which call-to-action buttons work best. You must test different controls to determine which ones get the most conversions.

Different types of buttons should be tried to test their effectiveness. Examples include radio buttons, checkboxes, secondary CTA buttons, and A/B testing. Additionally, you must experiment with colors, shapes, and text variations on each button to measure how users interact with each variation. It’s also wise to run AB tests for different audiences so you can see how responses may vary across segments of people.

Radio Buttons: These are usually used for surveys or filling forms where you only want one answer from a list of answers displayed on the form panel or page. Test what placement and text work best for conversion rate increases from the users who click them.
CheckBoxes: Similar to radio buttons offering more freedom, users can select multiple options at once, such as selecting topics they are interested in when subscribing to newsletters. Test these by changing their position on the page or adding helpful tip texts close by that encourages users to click them more often and quickly.
Secondary CTA Buttons: Also referred to as Smart Button CTAs, which can be used if you’re offering additional products/services after purchase or something different than items inside an email campaign (if any). Test what function works better among these; either request an additional offer after the purchase or scroll down when they have finished browsing through items in an email campaign etc.
A/B Testing: This is one of the most popular marketing tactics used worldwide as it helps marketers figure out what works best for different customers across various platforms (email campaigns). A/B testing involves trying two versions simultaneously with minor variations like a/b titles, image sizes, etc. It lets you observe which variation does better than others in various aspects such as click rate, conversation rate, etc.

Analyzing Results

Analyzing your email marketing results is key to developing a successful email strategy. Knowing how to choose the right metrics to measure and how to interpret them can help you identify which campaigns are most successful and provide insights into what’s working and what needs improvement.

In this guide, let’s discuss the best ways to analyze your email marketing results:

Track Open and Click-through Rates

Opening and click-through rates are two important metrics to consider when analyzing the success of a campaign. While open rates measure the efficacy of getting recipients to open your emails and view their contents, click-through rates show whether your email content is interesting enough to encourage the reader to take action.

The open rate measures how many people opened your email out of the total number sent. It is sometimes referred to as engagement since it shows how interested and involved people are in a particular email message. It’s essential to keep track of this data over time to see trends, changes, or differences in subject lines or other aspects that could improve or decrease performance.

Marketers use click-through rate (CTR) for two purposes:

To determine how effective their content is at leading readers from headlines and opening paragraphs down an ever-deepening path within their emails
To measure if the recipient moved from their inbox and acted on the offer contained in their communication (clicked through).

It’s important not to include both opens and clicks when measuring this metric to get an accurate CTR reading – clicks alone reflect more closely what type of content was successfully engaged with by actual readers versus those who just glanced at them.

Some suggested practices for tracking open and click-through rates include:

Segmenting lists according to different criteria
Testing variations of the same campaign across different segments
A/B testing subject lines (short vs. extended versions), CTAs (links vs. buttons), headlines, images, etc.
Keeping track of critical results like conversions, too, so that you can review against these benchmarks over time.

Analyze Unsubscribe Rates

Analyzing unsubscribe rates is an essential part of evaluating the performance of your email marketing activities. Knowing what percentage of subscribers have opted out and why is vital to building successful email campaigns in the future. In addition, the unsubscribe rate can help you identify common subscriber concerns and improve your campaign processes accordingly.

To track your unsubscribe rate, take the following steps:

Measure how many people opted out of receiving emails from each campaign. Calculate this rate by dividing the total subscriptions per campaign by the number of people who unsubscribed from that campaign.
Find out when recipients are most likely to opt out of receiving emails by analyzing your timing data. For example, if more subscribers dropped off at a specific time during a particular day or week, you might need to consider changing send times or frequency.
Analyze trends in unsubscription activity over time to discover changes in engagement with different parts of your marketing strategy, such as content and format updates or subject line changes.
Investigate why subscribers opt out by utilizing tools like survey feedback and Net Promoter Scores (NPS). Ask why they decided to unsubscribe and what could have been done differently so that you can apply these lessons to upcoming campaigns.

Monitor Email Deliverability

Monitoring your email delivery performance is one of the most critical steps in maintaining a successful email marketing program. It helps ensure that your messages reach your subscribers’ inboxes and help you understand how effective your campaigns are.

When analyzing your email deliverability, there are several key factors to consider:

Email bounce rate: The percentage of emails that can’t be delivered due to permanent (hard bounces) or temporary (soft bounces) reasons.
Open rates: How many customers viewed or opened the sent emails.
Click-through rates: The number of customers clicked on links inside the email.
Spam complaints: The number of users who complained/reported your emails as Spam.

These metrics give you an insight into how successful your campaigns are and can be used to make adjustments if necessary, such as rethinking content, optimizing subject lines, testing sending times, and improving list hygiene practices. By actively tracking and analyzing their results, marketers can identify what works best for their company’s campaigns and take action accordingly to maximize results.