- By Diana Tavares
4 Email Marketing Best Practices For 2021
Learn how to create effective campaigns with these email marketing tips.
Is email marketing still effective? Yes! Email is still one of the most effective digital marketing channels. 59% of consumers prefer email as a marketing channel ahead of any other. Moreover, email ROI (return on investment) has increased from £32 in 2018 to £42 in 2019. Email marketing return on investment is undeniable, £42 for every pound spent. (Marketer Email Tracker 2019, DMA).
In this article, we will talk you through the three key components of an email. As well as email marketing best practices to help ensure your campaigns are a success.
Jump Ahead:
Email Marketing Best Practices
When creating an email marketing campaign, these are three key components:
The 'from' or email sender.
The subject line.
The creativity or message.
Keep reading to learn email marketing best practices to get all components right.
1. Follow From / Email Sender Best Practices
First of all, make sure you are only sending solicited emails.
Send consistently from the same address for each email category. For example, send promotional emails from your 'newsletter@' address and transactional emails from your 'info@' address.
Email Sender Name Best Practices:
Avoid punctuation marks.
Avoid the use of all caps.
Use a clear trustworthy name, such as 'newsletter@', 'emails@', 'contact@'.
Stick to a few verified and recognisable 'from' names and work on building a good reputation for those email addresses by sending engaging emails.
2. Write a Good Email Subject Line & Pre-Header
The email subject line is one is the most important components of email marketing. Make sure you always send emails with a subject line that is appealing enough so your subscribers will open your email.
Write a Good Email Subject Line
Avoid the use of all caps.
Avoid the excessive use of punctuation marks, such as exclamation points (!) and currency symbols (£).
Keep it short. Ideally, no more than 5 words (approximately 40 characters).
Personalised, include the user’s name. As more and more brands are personalising their subject lines, it is recommended to perform an A/B test, comparing personalised vs non-personalised subjects, analyse its results and make conclusions.
Use actionable language but avoid aggressive expressions, such as 'buy now', 'offer', 'free'.
Use emojis carefully.
Find The Best Email Subject Lines
The best way to find out what works better for your target audience is through A/B testing campaigns.
Create several versions of your campaign that are equal in every way except the subject line, and send them to a sample of your subscribed audience.
After sending these campaigns, check the click-through-rate (CTR) for all email subject line variations. The best email subject lines for your audience would be the ones with the highest CTR.
Don't Forget to Add an Email Preheader
Think of the email preheader as an extension of the subject line. Use it to add additional information and give your audience a glimpse of what is inside.
3. Follow Design Best Practices For Email Body
Start by introducing yourself. The brand logo should appear at the top.
Include a clear USP (unique selling proposition) and avoid several offers in the same email. Don't forget to include a CTA (call to action) above the fold.
Less is more! Try to have a clean design (ensure it is mobile friendly) and avoid including to much text: keep it short, simple and easy to read.
Compress all your images to reduce loading speeds and decrease the likelihood of your email getting blocked by a spam filter. You can use tools such as TinyPNG or Compress JPEG to compress your images. These tools are easy to use and free!
Make sure all your images are linked and have alt text. Image alt text should describe the image, as it will be displayed when images don't display properly or are disabled.
4. Don't Forget The Email Footer
Include in the email footer all legal information, unsubscribe option and contact channels: email, phone number, social media, address.
Download Our Free Email Marketing Template
We created this one-page template to guide you with the anatomy and layout of an email.
Conclusion
When used well, email marketing is a very effective channel.
Follow email marketing best practices, run as many tests as you can to check what drives you the best results, avoid spam at any cost and never buy an email list.
Now, don't forget to get your copy of our free email template.
Did you find this article helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments!