Introduction

Email marketing best practices are critical for success with this important marketing channel. With 4.3 billion email users worldwide, email marketing offers an unmatched opportunity to connect with customers. However, effective email marketing depends on following proven best practices. This article outlines 12 key best practices for email marketing excellence.

Overview of Email Marketing

• Email marketing refers to sending commercial messages via email to subscribers or prospects. It promotes products, services, events and more.
• The goal is building relationships to drive actions like purchases, registrations, downloads.
• Done right, email marketing generates substantial ROI, with $42 for every $1 spent.

12 Email Marketing Best Practices

1. Grow your email list
   • The foundation of successful email marketing is a substantial engaged list. Tactics include:
     • Incentives like discounts for emails
     • Ubiquitous signup forms
     • Social promotion
     • Allowing interest-based signups
2. Obtain explicit consent
   • Per regulations, subscribers must opt-in and consent. Avoid automated sign-up.
     • Use double opt-in with a confirmation email
     • Don’t auto-add customers or contacts
     • Include unsubscribes in every email
3. Segment your list
   • Avoid irrelevant messages. Segment based on:
     • Demographics
     • Behaviors
     • Interests and preferences
     • Engagement
   • Create targeted campaigns per segment
4. Craft relevant subject lines
   • The subject line makes a first impression. Ensure it:
     • Grabs attention
     • Reflects content/offer
     • Sparks curiosity
     • Conveys urgency or benefit
   • Test different versions for optimal results
5. Personalize content
   • Personalized emails deliver 6x higher transaction rates. Include:
     • Name, location, history, recommendations
     • Dynamic fields displaying details
6. Focus on subscriber value
   • Avoid heavy promotions. Provide value via:
     • Relevant education
     • Exclusive deals
     • Industry insights
     • User generated content
7. Mobile optimization
   • With 69% opened on mobile, emails must be mobile-friendly:
     • Responsive templates
     • Copy and design for small screens
     • Large, tappable links
8. Leverage email design
   • Well designed emails perform better. Use:
     • White space
     • Complementary colors
     • Scannable content
     • Relevant images
9. Integrate email with other channels
   • Coordinate emails with broader content across channels.
     • Promote emails in other channels
     • Maintain brand consistency
     • Repurpose content where applicable
10. Automate campaigns
    • Marketing automation enables timely, targeted email marketing at scale via:
      • Welcome and onboarding
      • Abandoned cart
      • Re-engagement
      • Workflows based on behaviors
      • Event-triggered campaigns
11. Optimize deliverability
    • Follow best practices to land in the inbox:
      • Proper SPF, DKIM and DMARC records
      • Removing inactive subscribers
      • Avoiding spam trigger words
      • Sending from good IP addresses
12. Measure results and optimize
    • Track email analytics identifying successes and improvements:
      • Open, clickthrough and unsubscribe rates
      • Conversion rates
      • Engagement over time
      • Best performing segments and campaigns
    • Refine approach based on insights. Test and iterate.

Key Takeaways

• Build your list by exchanging value for emails
• Craft valuable messaging focused on needs
• Make emails seamlessly mobile-accessible
• Automate based on behaviors for timelier, targeted emails
• Analyze data to refine your approach and boost email marketing results

By following these email marketing best practices, you can fully leverage this high-impact channel to engage audiences and drive real business results.

References included in the article:

• The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing
• 11 Outstanding Email Marketing Statistics for 2022
• Email Deliverability Guide
• 4 Ways to Increase Email Engagement And Boost ROI
• Email Marketing Benchmarks
• 8 Strategies to Increase Your Email Open Rates
• Learn How to Write Email Subject Lines That Get Opened