The reign of email marketing for entrepreneurs is far from over! As a matter of fact, it continues to provide some of the best ROI in comparison to the gluttony of other marketing investments a business can make. That is, of course, if it is done correctly.
That’s why we’ve compiled 27 of the best email marketing tips specifically designed for entrepreneurs. So get ready to learn how to use email to your advantage and ensure you get the most out of your marketing campaigns.
As I always say, wherever you are going to play in marketing, play full out, or play somewhere else!
Let’s dig in.
How To Create an Effective Email Campaign
Email Marketing Best Practices – Creating an Effective Email Campaign1. Keep your email list clean and up-to-date.
Scrub your email list regularly to keep it clean and up to date. This will ensure that you’re only sending emails to people who actually want to receive them, which will help improve your open and click-through rates. Here are a few tips for scrubbing your email list:
- Remove any dead weight: If someone hasn’t opened one of your emails in 6 months, they’re probably not interested in hearing from you anymore. Remove them from your list so you’re not wasting time and resources sending promotional emails to people who will never read them.
- Update your contact information: Ensure you have the most up-to-date contact information for everyone on your list. This includes email addresses, physical addresses, and phone numbers. You risk losing touch with valuable customers and prospects if you don’t have current contact information.
- Weed out duplicates: Duplicate entries can make your email list look messy and unprofessional. Take the time to remove duplicate entries so your list is clean and organized.
- Make it easy to unsubscribe: Include an unsubscribe link or button in every email you send so people can opt out if they’re no longer interested in receiving your messages. Making it easy to unsubscribe may seem counterintuitive, but it’s a good practice. If someone doesn’t want to receive your emails, it’s better to let them unsubscribe than to keep sending them marketing emails they’ll never read.
2. Segment your email list to send targeted messages.
Segmenting your email list is one of the best ways to ensure that your email marketing is effective. Email segmentation is a process of dividing email subscribers into groups based on specific shared characteristics.
By segmenting an email list, businesses can send more targeted and relevant messages to each group, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.
There are several ways to segment an email list, but some common methods include targeting subscribers based on location, age, gender, or interests.
For example, a clothing retailer could segment its email list by sending special offers to subscribers who live in warmer climates, while a toy store could segment its list by age, sending age-appropriate offers to young children and their parents.
By segmenting your email list, you can ensure your messages are always relevant and engaging.
3. Use email templates and automation to save time and ensure consistency.
Email templates can be a lifesaver for busy professionals who need to send many emails. Using email templates saves time and ensures that your email communications are always consistent in style and content.
Additionally, email templates can help you take your email communications to another level by leveraging marketing automation. For example, you can set up email templates for different types of email communications, such as customer onboarding emails, order confirmation emails, shipping notification emails, and more.
By using email automation, you can send these types of email messages without having to compose them each time manually. As a result, email automation can save you a significant amount of time and ensure that your email communications are always on point.
3 Big Benefits of Using Email Templates4. Write compelling email subject lines.
Email subject lines are important because they play a significant role in whether or not your email will be opened. A good subject line should be clear, concise, and to the point. It should also be interesting and compelling enough to make the recipient want to learn more.
However, crafting the perfect subject line can be a challenge. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Keep it short and sweet: The shorter your email subject line, the better. Long, rambling subject lines are often ignored or deleted without being read.
- Get to the point: Your email subject line should clearly state what your email is about. Ambiguous or vague subject lines are often unappealing to recipients.
- Be creative: Sometimes, the best way to stand out from the clutter of your recipient’s inbox is to be creative with your email subject line. Think outside the box and come up with something that will grab attention.
- Use keywords judiciously: You want your email subject line to be keyword-rich, but you don’t want to go overboard. On the other hand, a few well-chosen keywords can go a long way toward making your email more visible and searchable.
Email subject lines are important because they can make or break whether or not your email gets opened. So take some time to craft a subject line that will entice your subscribers to open your email.
5. Create engaging email content.
As any savvy internet user knows, email is a necessary evil.
Unfortunately, inbox clutter is real, and it’s only getting worse. Whether trying to keep up with work correspondence or sifting through spam from that one company you accidentally subscribed to, it can be tough to find the good stuff.
But with a little effort, your emails can stand out from the rest. Here are some tips for creating engaging email content:
- Use an attention-grabbing headline. Your subject line is the first thing recipients will see, so make it count. Write something punchy and engaging that will make them want to open your email.
- Make that first paragraph count. Your compelling email subject line did its job and got the recipient to click and open your email—now what? Make that first paragraph count! Draw your reader in with something compelling that will make them want to read more.
- Keep it brief. No one wants to read a novel in their inbox. So get to the point quickly and use short, concise sentences.
- Use strong visuals. A well-chosen image can say a thousand words, so don’t be afraid to use pictures or videos to break up your text and add interest.
- Be personal. Addresses, names, and even small details like local landmarks can all help to make your email feel more like a conversation than a marketing pitch.
- Leverage CTAs. Always lead your reader. Help them clearly understand what their next action should be.
6. Personalize your email campaigns.
You’re probably sick of getting impersonal emails from companies. You know the ones—they start with “Dear valued customer” and end with a generic call to action. They might as well be addressed to “Current Occupant.”
Well, it’s time to personalize your email campaigns, so your subscribers want to open them. Here are a few ways to do it:
- Use the subscriber’s first name in the subject line. This seemingly minor personalization can make a big difference in whether or not your email gets opened.
- Write like a human. Ditch the formal, stuffy language and write as you would talk to a friend. Your readers will appreciate it and will be more likely to engage with your message.
- Make it personal. In addition to using the subscriber’s name, you can add other personal details, like their city or state. This will help them feel like you’re speaking to them and not just blasting out a generic email to everyone on your list.
- Segment your list. The more you know about your subscribers, the better you can personalize your emails for them. So, segment your list into smaller groups based on shared interests or characteristics. Then you can send them more targeted, relevant emails.
7. Use images and videos in your email campaigns wisely.
Using images and videos in your email campaigns can significantly help you capture recipient attention, stand out from other emails, and increase engagement. However, it is essential to use these elements wisely to ensure that you don’t detract from your message or overwhelm readers with too much visual content.
Here are some tips for using images and videos strategically in your email campaigns:
- Always consider the context of the message you’re sending, and choose suitable imagery that reflects the tone of the message.
- Ensure the images or videos you use have good quality, clear resolution, and correct orientation so they look professional when arriving in a recipient’s inbox.
- If you include a video link, ensure it works by testing it before sending out your campaign.
- Keep image sizes small and optimize them for mobile devices so that emails load quickly for recipients.
8. Use calls-to-action (CTAs) to encourage email recipients to take action.
A CTA, or call-to-action, is a phrase or sentence that encourages email recipients to take action. For example, CTAs can encourage customers to buy a product, sign up for a service, or take any other desired action.
For example, a CTA might say, “Click here to learn more,” “Buy now and get free shipping,” or “Sign up today and get 10% off your first purchase.”
CTAs are essential for driving conversions and should be used judiciously to maximize effectiveness.
When writing a CTA, use strong language that compels the reader to take action. Also, keep the CTA short and sweet—too much text will only confuse the reader and dilute the impact of the CTA.
9. Optimize your email campaigns for mobile devices.
More and more people read emails on their smartphones and other mobile devices. Numerous studies all estimate that over 60% of email is now opened on mobile devices—that’s pretty substantial.
Unfortunately, this means that if your emails are not optimized for mobile, there’s a good chance that a large portion of your audience is not seeing them.
There are a few things you can do to make sure your campaigns are mobile-friendly:
- Keep your email content short and sweet. Mobile users tend to have shorter attention spans than desktop users, so keeping your email content concise and to the point is important.
- Use large, easy-to-tap buttons. Ensure your email CTAs are large and easy to tap on a small screen.
- Use responsive design. Responsive design is an approach that makes your email look good on any device, regardless of size or resolution.
10. Test, test, test!
It’s imperative to thoroughly test your campaigns before you send them to your entire list. This will help you identify any problems with your email content or design and fix them before they cause any damage.
There are a few different things you should test:
- Subject lines. Test different subject lines to see which ones are most effective at getting your email opened.
- Email content. Test different email content to see which version is more successful at engaging your subscribers.
- Design. Test different email designs to see which ones are more effective at getting your email noticed.
Targeting Your Email Campaign
Email Marketing Best Practices – Targeting Your Email Campaign11. Define your target audience.
Any good email campaign starts with a target audience in mind. Who are you trying to reach? What are their needs and wants? How can you solve their problems? These are all critical questions to ask when defining your audience.
Once you understand your target audience, you can target your email campaign specifically to them.
Targeting your emails means creating relevant content that resonates with them and providing value that addresses their needs. It also means ensuring your email list includes people who fit your target audience.
12. Research your target audience.
Before you can target your email campaign, you must hone in on your target audience. Research is the key to finding out about your audience and their wants. Only then can you create an email campaign that will hit the bullseye.
To start your research, ask yourself questions about who your ideal customer is. Consider their demographics, their interests, and their needs. Once you have a good idea of who you’re targeting, you can collect data. Look at your website analytics to see who’s already interested in what you have to offer.
Social media is another excellent place to look for insights into your target audience. Use surveys and customer interviews to get even more specific information.
The more you know about your target audience, the better equipped you’ll be to create an email campaign that hits the mark. So don’t skimp on the research—it’ll pay off in the end.
13. Create buyer personas.
As any marketer knows, email campaigns are a great way to reach potential customers. But to maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns, you need to ensure you’re targeting the right people. That’s where buyer personas come in.
A buyer persona is a fictional character that represents your ideal customer. When creating buyer personas, you’ll want to consider age, gender, occupation, interests, and pain points. Creating this buyer persona will help you better understand who you’re trying to reach with your email campaigns.
Once you’ve created your buyer personas, you can target your email campaigns specifically to them. This will help improve your open and click-through rates and ultimately boost sales. So if you’re not already using buyer personas to target your emails, now’s the time to start!
14. Develop an email marketing strategy that resonates with your target audience.
Before you start emailing your list, developing an email marketing strategy that will resonate with your target audience is essential.
Consider what kind of emails you want to send to which target audience and how often you want to email them. It’s also essential to consider what content will resonate with your target audience.
For example, if you’re selling a new product, you’ll want to email your list about the product launch and include a link to buy the product.
If you’re promoting a sale or special offer, email your list in advance so they have time to take advantage of the deal.
And if you’re staying in touch with your customers, ensure your emails are informative and exciting.
Developing a well-thought-out email marketing strategy will help ensure your messages are well-received by your target audience. In addition, by developing a strategy up front, you can avoid the headache of having to redo your email campaigns later.
15. Know where your email list subscribers came from.
If you’re like most email marketers, you probably put much thought into growing your email list. But have you ever stopped to think about where your email subscribers came from in the first place? What were they looking for when they signed up for your list?
Here are some examples:
- Maybe they saw a pop-up on your website asking them to sign up for your weekly email newsletter.
- Maybe they were offered a free ebook or other downloadable content in exchange for their email address.
- Maybe they were already your customers and signed up for your email list when they made a purchase.
Knowing where your email subscribers came from can be helpful in two ways.
First, it can help you to determine which methods are most effective at growing your email list.
Second, it can give you insight into what type of content your subscribers are most interested in.
So if you’re not sure where to start, why not ask your subscribers how they got on your email list in the first place?
Measuring the Success of Your Email Campaign
Email Marketing Best Practices – Measuring the Success of Your Email Campaign16. Set email marketing goals.
Before emailing your subscribers, you need to set some email marketing goals.
What do you want to achieve with email marketing?
Do you want to increase sales, drive traffic to your website, or create brand awareness?
Once you know what you want to achieve, you can start setting email marketing goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
For example, if your goal is to increase sales, you might set a goal to increase your email conversion rate by 5% over the next three months.
Or if your goal is to drive traffic to your website, you might set a goal to get 500 new visitors from your email list within the next month.
Whatever goals you set, make sure they align with your overall business goals and are realistic. Then, once you’ve set your goals, it’s time to start planning and executing your best email marketing campaigns!
17. Choose the right email metrics to track.
There are a lot of email metrics out there, and it can be tough to know which ones to track. But don’t worry; we’re here to help!
To choose the right ones, determine which email marketing activities are most important to your business.
For example, if your goal is to increase sales, you’ll want to focus on metrics like conversion rate and revenue generated.
If your goal is to drive traffic to your website, you’ll want to focus on metrics like click-through rate and unique visitors.
By identifying your email marketing goals, you can ensure that you’re tracking the right email metrics—and achieving the best results for your business.
Monitor your email deliverability rate.
Email deliverability rate, a critical metric that should be monitored, is the percentage of email messages successfully delivered to the intended recipient.
A high email deliverability rate is essential for any email marketing campaign, ensuring your messages reach their intended audience.
Several factors can impact your email deliverability rate, including the quality of your email list, the frequency of your email blasts, and the content of your messages.
Monitor your campaign closely and adjust as needed to ensure a high email deliverability rate. Additionally, there is certainly no shortage of email delivery services that can help improve your email deliverability rate. Keap is our preferred provider.
Want To Dive Deeper Into Email Deliverability?
Check out the following video, where I interview fellow email deliverability expert Scott Hartley on this subject and much more!
Keep track of email bounces and unsubscribes.
If you’re like most email marketers, you’re probably meticulous about keeping track of your open and click-through rates. But there’s one important metric that’s often overlooked: email bounces.
Email Bounces
A bounce occurs when an email is sent to an invalid address, which can have several causes. For example, maybe a subscriber mistyped their email address when signing up for your list. Or maybe they’ve changed jobs, and their old email address is no longer active.
Whatever the reason, it’s essential to keep track of bounces so you can remove invalid addresses from your list. Otherwise, you risk damaging your sender’s reputation and end up in the spam folder more often.
Unsubscribes
Unsubscribes are another critical metric to track. These are people who have explicitly chosen to stop receiving your emails.
While losing a subscriber is never fun, it’s still better than having them mark your email as spam. By tracking unsubscribes, you can better understand what content people are no longer interested in and adjust accordingly.
Bottom line: email bounces and unsubscribes are essential metrics to track, so you can clean up your email list and avoid damaging your sender’s reputation.
18. A/B test your email campaigns.
A/B testing your email campaigns is a simple and effective way to improve your results. You can determine what works best for your audience by testing different elements of your email.
To A/B test your campaigns, create two versions of your email and send each to a different group of subscribers. Then, after a period of time, compare the results of both groups and choose the email that performed better.
A/B testing is essential to any successful email marketing strategy, so start testing today!
19. Make changes based on your email analytics.
What does your email analytics say about your email marketing campaigns? If you’re unsure, now’s the time to look closely.
Your email analytics can provide valuable insights into what’s working and what’s not, so you can make necessary changes to improve your email marketing strategy. This could involve adding new email subscribers, emailing new content, or testing different email strategies.
By making changes based on your email analytics, you can keep your email marketing campaigns effective and improve your chances of achieving your email marketing goals.
So look closely at your email analytics today and see what changes you need to make for more successful email marketing tomorrow.
BONUS: 8 More Email Marketing Best Practices
Email Marketing Best Practices – BONUS Email Marketing Best Practices20. Keep your email marketing campaigns fresh.
To keep your email marketing campaigns effective, it’s essential to keep them fresh. This means regularly adding new subscribers, emailing new content, and testing different email strategies. So let’s explore each further.
Continually add new subscribers.
Regularly adding new subscribers is one way to keep your email marketing campaigns fresh. This ensures your email list constantly grows and you reach new potential customers.
You can add new subscribers by running ads, sending out sign-up forms, or offering incentives for people to join your list.
Creating and emailing new (and timely) content.
Another way to keep your email marketing campaigns fresh is by emailing new content. This could include a new blog post, announcements about upcoming sales or events, or even just short updates about what’s going on with your company.
You should also mix up the format of your emails from time to time so that your subscribers don’t get bored. For example, try sending out videos, infographics, or even plain text emails occasionally.
Test different email strategies.
Finally, you should test different email strategies to see what works best for your business. This could include testing different subject lines, Sending emails at different times of day, or even A/B testing your email content.
By regularly testing new email strategies, you’ll be able to find the perfect formula for your business—and keep your email marketing campaigns fresh.
21. Get creative with your email marketing campaigns.
One of the best ways to ensure your email marketing campaigns are successful is to get creative with them. This means thinking outside the box and developing new and innovative ideas for your email campaigns.
By getting creative, you’ll be able to stand out from the competition and make sure your email campaigns are successful.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Use email personalization
- Send interactive email content
- Create email courses or tutorials
- Write catchy subject lines
- Use engaging visuals in your email
These are just a few ways to get creative with your email marketing. So, start brainstorming today and see what you can come up with!
22. Use an email marketing platform that meets your needs.
When it comes to email marketing platforms, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
The best platform for your business depends on several factors, including your budget, email list size, and the features you need. However, one email marketing platform that is worth considering is Keap.
Keap offers a wide range of features to meet the needs of businesses doing less than $10M in sales annually.
For example, their drag-and-drop email builder makes it easy to create beautiful newsletters, and their automated email series can help you nurture your leads and close more sales.
Plus, Keap integrates with various other software platforms, making it easy to keep your email marketing efforts in sync with the rest of your marketing strategy.
23. Automate, Automate, Automate Your Email Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing can be time-consuming, especially if you manage an extensive list of subscribers. Luckily, several ways to automate your email marketing campaigns make staying in touch with your customers easier without spending hours carefully crafting individual messages daily.
Here are a few tips for automating your email marketing:
- Use an email marketing service. Email marketing services like Keap offer a variety of features that can automate various aspects of your email marketing, from sending messages to segmenting your list.
- Create automated sequences. Automated sequences allow you to send a series of emails automatically based on triggers such as subscribing to your list or opening an email. This can be a great way to nurture leads or provide follow-up information after someone purchases a product from you.
- Leverage-triggered emails. Triggered emails are emails sent automatically based on a specific event or action, such as abandoned cart emails or welcome emails. By using triggered emails, you can ensure that your customers always receive timely and relevant information.
An automatically triggered ‘Welcome’ email sequence is a great way to build stronger connections with new subscribers.24. Focus on Growing Your Email Subscriber List
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to connect with your target audience. Not only does it allow you to send timely updates and special offers directly to your customers, but it also helps build loyalty and keep your brand top of mind.
However, email marketing is only effective if you have a substantial list of subscribers. Here are a few tips for growing your email subscriber list:
- First, make it easy for people to sign up. Include an email sign-up form on your website, and make sure it’s visible and easily accessible. You can also promote joining your mailing list on social media and other marketing materials—be sure to provide an adequate reason for them to do so.
- Offer something valuable in return for signing up. This could be a discount, exclusive content, or early access to new products or services.
- Keep your emails relevant and engaging. No one wants to receive a barrage of irrelevant emails. So make sure every message you send has value for your subscribers.
Web forms and landing pages facilitate triggering emails based on a prospect’s conditions or actions—such as seeking a consultation.25. Use A Checklist To Ensure Email Quality
If you’re like most people, you probably send many emails. And if you’re like most people, you probably don’t give much thought to the quality of those emails. But what if your emails were being graded? Would you still get an A?
Fortunately, there’s no need to worry about Email Quality Assurance (EQA) just yet. But your emails must be up to par. After all, first impressions count! So how can you ensure your emails are the best they can be?
The answer is simple: use a checklist. Before hitting “send,” run through this Email Quality Checklist to make sure you’ve covered all your bases:
- Is the subject line concise and clear?
- Have you proofread the email for typos and grammar mistakes?
- Is the email free of confidential information?
- Does the email contain any attachments? If so, have they been scanned for viruses?
- Are all the recipients’ addresses correct?
- Have you included a signature with your contact information?
- Is the tone of the email respectful and professional?
- Etc.
26. Keep Emails Consistent With Your Brand
It’s imperative to keep your brand consistent across all channels, and that includes email. There are a few simple best practices you can follow to make sure your emails stay on brand:
- Use the same logo and brand colors in your email signature as on your website and other marketing materials.
- Write in the same voice and tone in your emails as in other communications. For example, if you’re known for being funny or personable, ensure that it also comes across in your emails.
- Use branded email templates that match the look and feel of your website and other marketing materials. You can easily find templates online that will support your brand identity.
27. Be Conscious Of Email Frequency
Email frequency can be a tricky thing to navigate. Send too many emails, and you risk overwhelming your subscribers. But send too few emails, and you may fall off their radar. So what’s the best way to strike the right balance?
There are a few email best practices to keep in mind.
- First, consider the needs of your subscribers. If they’re only interested in occasional updates, you don’t need to email them every day.
- Second, take advantage of email list segmentation. This allows you to send more targeted emails to different groups of people, which can help to avoid email fatigue.
- And finally, don’t forget about email automation. Automation can be a great way to send timely messages without thinking about it too much.
Final Thoughts: Email Marketing Best Practices
That was a lot of a lot about email marketing—agree?
As I said earlier, if you are going to do email marketing, do it great! And yes, if you are a small business or an entrepreneur, you likely should be tapping into the power of email marketing to grow and scale your business.
Following these email marketing best practices is a great start. Just remember to keep your goals in mind, get creative, and always test different strategies to see what works best for you.
Want Some Help?
We understand there’s a lot to know here. Rest assured, though. You don’t have to go it alone—We’re only a phone call away.
Online Marketing Muscle is a Keap Certified Partner, meaning we can confidently say we know our stuff regarding email marketing.
Don’t currently use Keap? No problem. We can help you get set you with the platform.
Use a platform other than Keap? No problem. We know email marketing, regardless of the platform. Better yet, if we’re not a great fit for you, we can likely refer you to an email expert who is.
So contact us today for a free consultation, and we’ll get you started on the right path.
