10 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR EMAIL MARKETING PLAN

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Email Marketing Inspired by These Concepts

In a rapidly evolving field like email marketing, where trends come and go, you often feel like you've missed out because you haven't taken the necessary steps to maximize the potential of your email list.

The truth is, you don't have to jump on every trend or follow every fashion. You just need to follow your own plan.

If you have no idea where to start, we're here to give you a quick boost of inspiration.

Create a Lead Magnet to Expand Your Contact List

Think again if you believe lead magnets are a bit outdated.

We visit about 80% of websites that request our email address in exchange for a free gift. How often do you sign up? I do it about two out of every five times, especially if it's related to email marketing and offers a cheat sheet or a live webcast that piques my interest.

Spend some time creating original content that your audience desires. You can write an eBook or design an infographic. While it requires work, the results are worth it, and your email list will benefit immediately.

But be cautious about the email addresses you add to your list. Gift seekers often use disposable addresses and have little interest in remaining loyal to your brand in the long run.

So, to avoid email list hygiene issues, let an email validation service filter out those disposable addresses. It's the first step you can take to improve your email marketing results.

Interview Industry Professionals

Offer to interview industry leaders you respect the most. You can use these interviews in your newsletters because many of your readers will value the unique content.

Also, interview team members. It's a fantastic way to talk about your company's culture and establish an immediate connection with your readers.

People are more interested in other people than in companies, products, or services. Take advantage of this.

Improve Your Subject Lines

It's a well-known fact that 47% of your subscribers base their decision to open an email on the subject line. It's important to polish it before sending it because it's the first thing they see when they open the email.

Writing several iterations of the subject line is a helpful practice that can help improve your open rates. Some of them will undoubtedly be terrible, but that's okay. One of them will end up being the best.

Running some A/B tests is another technique to figure out which type of subject line works best. The statistics are reliable, and you'll know the secret of success shortly after sending your email.

Testing and regular adjustments are essential for email marketing.

Personalize Your Emails More

This can be a challenge because some business owners feel uncomfortable using their personal information in email marketing. This is a great way to connect with your audience overall, especially if you run a small or medium-sized company.

You'll be surprised at the response when you start sharing some of your personal experiences.

If the CEO of a company you admire sent a genuine newsletter, wouldn't you feel compelled to read it? They can share personal stories, life lessons, and relevant advice for your business and yourself. Additionally, involving the rest of your staff in your email marketing efforts could be beneficial.

The key to effective email interaction is nurturing connections.

Remove Bad Contacts from Your List

Are you thrilled every time a new subscriber joins? Obviously, yes.

Every person who signs up for your email list validates your company and shows that you're on the right track. However, you also need to confirm the legitimacy of the new subscriber by ensuring they are a real person and not a bot or someone using a dubious email address.

We've written a lot on this blog about cleaning up contact lists.

Consider email detractors: they mark your email as spam and harm your sender reputation.

"Trap" emails are tricky because you can't know which ones are truly authentic. You decide to send them anyway, but when they bounce, your sender score suffers because your bounce rate is higher.

As temporary emails self-destruct and bounce, they also pose a risk. Therefore, always validate the emails you receive from lead magnets.

Improve Your Text

The bulk of your email is made up of text. Copy. Yes, graphics are important unless you're sending a plain text message. In that case, your text will be much more memorable.

If you have experience in marketing, you probably trust your skills. But if you're unsure about your writing, consider enrolling in a copywriting course. They can really make a difference.

Use GIFs in Your Emails

GIFs have humor, and humor is often the attribute we value most in others. People also love brands with a sense of humor, and GIFs are a great way to use images to convey jokes.

GIFs were used in emails by over 56% of email marketing experts in 2019. Some of your subscribers may not be able to see the entire animation because some email clients do not support GIFs. However, the first frame will be visible to them, so place your call to action there to ensure everyone sees it.

Follow a Posting Schedule

I know several excellent marketers who send engaging emails. I'm glad to find them in my inbox. The problem is, I don't always see them. After sending an email today, they completely ignore their list for an entire month.

This is a destructive habit for the following reasons:

• The deliverability of your email largely depends on how you send it. Internet service providers (ISPs) appreciate it when you send emails frequently, as you can see. They help you get your emails into the inbox because they see you as an honest and reliable sender. Additionally, by sending on the same day and at the same time, you maintain the warmth of your IP, which again helps build a positive reputation with ISPs.
• Your subscribers receive many other emails every day (an average of 121!). Regardless of how wonderful yours are, they will forget about you if they don't hear from you for a while. Some may even mark you as spam because they forgot they subscribed to your newsletters. Think about the impact this would have on your sender reputation.

Choose a day and time, and make sure to reach people's inboxes at that exact moment. Your open rates will also increase. If you do that, your subscribers will interact with you more frequently.

Create a Community Using Email Marketing

Speaking of engaging your subscribers, this is the (excellent) ultimate goal of email marketing. If you don't start by building an honest relationship with your audience, you won't see any growth in your email list, open and click-through rates, and therefore, no increase in sales.

Have genuine curiosity about your subscribers, about who they are, what they like, and what you can offer them that no one else can. Even if your CRM system is effective, there's always something more you can learn about your neighborhood.

Send them a question first and ask them to respond. Make sure you or a team member responds in writing.

Ask for their input on potential improvements to your products or services and share ideas and stories.

People love to feel like they're part of a company, and you have the opportunity to give them that impression.

A Wonderful Moment!

Have you ever noticed how skilled we become in activities we enjoy?

I enjoyed writing this post, and here you are reading its 1,500 words. If it had been otherwise, you would have realized it was a tedious task after the first paragraph.

The same goes for email marketing. Whenever you delve into it with a sense of curiosity and adventure, all the best cards are already prepared for you. How well you play them depends 100% on you.

So, maintain a positive attitude toward it, be delighted with each new subscriber (and confirm their email address!), and practice consistency, generosity, and honesty.

Conclusion

In the dynamic world of email marketing, the key to success lies in adaptability and strategy. These 10 tips provide a solid roadmap to enhance your email marketing strategy. From creating lead magnets to building a loyal community, personalizing content, and managing contact lists, these steps can help increase the effectiveness of your strategy and keep you relevant in an ever-changing environment. Maintaining a positive attitude and consistent commitment is essential to reap the rewards of email marketing and achieve a successful year in this field. Go ahead and turn your strategy into a success!