Email Marketing 101: The Do’s and Don’ts in 2022

Want to know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to email marketing? Read on for an in-depth look at today’s email marketing do’s and don’ts!

What is Email Marketing?

Email marketing is the process of using email to send promotional messages to potential and current customers through an email marketing list. In other words, it’s a form of direct marketing that uses electronic mail as a means of communication.

The purpose of email marketing is to build relationships with customers and prospects, promote customer loyalty, and increase sales. Email marketing can be used to achieve a variety of marketing objectives, such as:

• Increasing brand awareness
• Generating leads
• Nurturing prospects
• Building customer loyalty
• Boosting sales

In 2022, Emails are Here to Stay

While some people may think that emails are outdated, given the various modes of online communication now available to everyman, the truth is that email remains to be a powerful platform for digital marketing. It is a strategy still widely used by businesses of all sizes across the globe.

And there are plenty of reasons email is remains relevant and continues to be an excellent marketing tool, even in the midst of newer and shinier digital marketing channels.

First and foremost, email has a high ROI. In fact, according to Hubspot, email boasts of an ROI of 4,200 percent — effectively generating 42 USD for every dollar spent! That’s a staggering figure and is hard to ignore.

Another reason email is still effective in 2022 is that it has a wide reach. There are 4 billion email users in a day all around the world. And this number is only going to grow, especially with developing countries coming online. In fact, four in five marketers still prefer to use email marketing over social media, which means a lot, given how much social media platforms have become globally ubiquitous.

Email is also a personal form of communication. Unlike other digital marketing channels such as social media and display advertising, email allows you to send highly targeted messages to specific individuals. This makes it easy to build relationships with your customers and prospects without looking too intrusive like marketing via text or direct messaging platforms.

Finally, emails are easy to track. With the right email marketing software, you can track things like open rates, click-through rates, unsubscribe rates, and more. This allows you to gauge the performance of your campaigns and make necessary adjustments.

All these factors point to one thing — email is here to stay and will continue to be an essential part of any digital marketing strategy in the years to come.

Now that we’ve established that email marketing is still relevant and important, let’s take a look at some dos and donts of email marketing in 2022.

How to Make Your Email Marketing Campaign a Success: The Do’s and Don’ts of Email Marketing

DOs

1. Determine the audience you want to reach

One of the first things you need to do when planning an email marketing campaign is to determine your target audience. This will make it easier for you to create content that resonates with them and helps you achieve your marketing objectives.

Remember that it’s important to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to your email list. It’s better to have a smaller list of engaged subscribers than a large list of unengaged ones.

2. Set goals for the campaign

What are you trying to achieve with your email marketing campaign? Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or boost sales? Once you’ve decided on your objectives, you can create content that is aligned with these goals.

Here are some of the more popular objectives for an email marketing campaign:

• Building your email subscription list – An email marketing campaign is only as good as the email list you have. Make sure to build your list organically and with permission from potential subscribers. This also allows your business to eventually generate more leads and build brand loyalty.
• Boosting engagement –Apart from focusing on conversions, keeping your subscribers in the loop allows your potential customers to see your brand as authentic, which can transform them into your strongest brand advocates.
• Bringing value to existing subscribers – It’s important to focus on providing value to your existing subscribers. This can be in the form of exclusive content, early access to new products or services, or discounts and promotions.
• Bearing rewarding experiences for inactive subscribers – And don’t forget about your inactive subscribers! You can win them back with targeted content and special offers, which can also be a goal for an email marketing campaign.

By setting goals for your campaign, you can determine whether your email marketing efforts are successful or not.

3. Leverage available technologies

There are many email marketing platforms and software available that can help you automate and personalize your campaigns. Make sure to leverage these tools to make your life easier and improve the effectiveness of your campaigns.

By utilizing marketing automation, your business won’t have to spend bandwidth on repetitive tasks, such as sending out welcome emails or birthday messages. This way, you can focus on other aspects of your campaign.

4. Segment your email list

Segmentation is key to increasing engagement. By segmenting your email list, you can send targeted content to different groups of people, which is more likely to result in higher open and click-through rates.

• Based on your audience’s interests – One way to segment your list is by your audience’s interests. This could be based on their purchase history, the content they’ve engaged with in the past, or their location.
• Based on your audience’s stage in the buyer’s journey – Another way to segment your list is by your audience’s stage in the buyer’s journey. This means sending different content to people who are at the top, middle, or bottom of the funnel.

5. Craft compelling subject headlines

A good subject headline is key to getting your email opened. Make sure to craft headlines that are interesting and make use of emojis, personalization, and power words.

Here are some other quick tips to help you do it right:

• Keep it short – Ideally, your subject line should be less than 50 characters.
• Be straight to the point – Avoid being too clever with your subject headline. Be straight to the point and make it clear what the email is about.
• Avoid clickbaity headlines – Clickbait headlines are those that are designed to get people to click, without giving them any information about what they’re going to get. Avoid these at all costs!
• Personalize – Personalization can go a long way in increasing engagement. Try to include the recipient’s name or other personal information in the subject headline.

6. Craft succinct body text for the email content

Just like with the subject headline, the body text of your email should be concise and to the point. No one wants to read a long email, so make sure to get your point across quickly.

Here are some pointers to help you create email marketing content that works:

• Capture your audience’s attention – The first few sentences of your email should be designed to capture your audience’s attention. Use strong language and make sure to include a call to action or CTA.
• Make it easy for your audience to read – Use short paragraphs and bullet points to make your email easy to read. No one wants to wade through a long, dense email.
• Make it engaging for the reader – In addition to being easy to read, your email should also be engaging. Use images, videos, and GIFs to break up the text and keep your audience’s attention.
• Personalize – As mentioned, personalization can go a long way in increasing engagement. When your readers feel like your business is directly reaching out and talking to them, it makes them feel cared for, which helps nurture them as leads.

7. Gather data, analyze, and adjust

Always be sure to gather data on your email campaigns and analyze the results. This will help you understand what’s working and what’s not, so you can adjust your strategy accordingly. This means that you’ll need to know the right email campaign metrics to track, measure, and analyze.

8. A/B Test

A/B testing is a great way to improve the effectiveness of your email campaigns. Try changing up things like the subject headline, body text, or call-to-action to see what works best.

Here are the other elements of email marketing that you can test for:

• Time – Time your email to be sent when your audience is most active. This could be first thing in the morning, during their lunch break, or in the evening. According to Optinmonster, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the best day to send an email, while 8 AM, 1 PM, 4 PM, and 6 PM are the most common hours in a day for audiences to feel ready for your email. But naturally, it can be different for every type of business.
• Subject line – Try different subject lines to see which ones result in the highest open rates.
• Copy – Try different types of copy to see what resonates best with your audience.
• Images – Try using different images or no images at all to see what works best.
• CTA – Try different call-to-actions to see which ones result in the most clicks.

DONTs

1. Spam your subscribers

This should go without saying, but do not spam your subscribers. This will only lead to them unsubscribing from your list or marking your emails as spam.

2. Be generic and send the same email to all your subscribers

Sending the same email to all your subscribers is a surefire way to get them to unsubscribe. Be sure to segment your list and send targeted emails for better open and click-through rates.

3. Reuse images over and over

Using the same images in consecutive emails is another surefire way to make your emails look boring and can lead to higher unsubscribe rates. Be sure to switch things up and use new, fresh images.

4. Forget to add a CTA

A call-to-action is essential in any email, so be sure to include one. Without a CTA, your email will likely be ignored. After all, what do you want your reader to do? The CTA points them towards the right direction of your campaign.

5. Forget to add your business’ contact info

Be sure to include your business’ contact information, such as your website, email, and phone number. This will make it easy for your subscribers to get in touch with you if they have any questions. Having your physical business address or PO box (if any) in the email also adds legitimacy to your marketing campaign and makes it compliant with any existing laws.

6. Send your emails without reviewing it

Always be sure to review your email before sending it. This will help you catch any typos or errors that could result in your email being ignored, or worse, driving people to unsubscribe or complain.

7. Ignore analytics

Be sure to check the analytics for your email campaigns. This will help you understand what’s working and what’s not, so you can adjust your strategy accordingly. Remember that when setting your marketing objectives, you’ll need to set benchmarks for your email campaign metrics. This is where analytics becomes most useful for your business. Data is key that unlocks the door to the results you desire.

8. Sell your subscribers’ email addresses

Do not sell your subscribers’ email addresses. While there is a likelihood that they may not know your business sold them out, but it is unethical and goes against the principles espoused in data privacy laws.

The Benefits of Email Marketing in 2022

Even though email marketing has been around for a while, it’s still one of the most effective digital marketing strategies. Listed below are some of the benefits you can enjoy by using email marketing in 2022:

• Reach a large audience – With email marketing, you can reach a large audience with just a few clicks. All you need is an email marketing list of subscribers and you’re good to go.
• Cost-effective – Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective digital marketing strategies. It doesn’t cost much to send emails, and you can even do it for free if you have a small list of subscribers.
• Personalized messages – With email marketing, you can send personalized messages to your subscribers. This helps to increase engagement and conversion rates.
• Increased ROI – With email marketing, you can enjoy a higher ROI than with other digital marketing strategies. This is because you can track the performance of your campaigns and make necessary adjustments to improve results.
• Increased brand awareness – With email marketing, you can increase brand awareness and reach new customers. By including your business name and logo in your emails, you can make sure that your brand is seen by more people.

Email marketing remains to be a powerful platform for digital marketing in 2022, despite the various modes of online communication now available. By following email marketing do’s and don’ts mentioned above, you can successfully craft a performing email marketing campaign that engages your audience and helps you achieve your business goals.

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