Basics – Getting started with email marketing
As an account manager, I had the opportunity to work with hundreds of companies getting started with email marketing during the year. I’ve found that those who are willing to invest some upfront time to learn and apply basic best practices tend to enjoy better deliverability and more success with their email campaigns. There is always a lot to learn about email marketing, and it should be an ongoing process, but when starting out, there are a few basic principles email marketers should heed to for best results.
The following is my “Getting Started Checklist” that I share with new email marketers to get their campaigns off to a good start. It doesn’t take long, and if you pay attention to these early on, you’ll have fewer problems and enjoy more success with your email marketing campaigns.
SPF Record: An Optional Must-Have Feature
A few years ago, SPF records were only somewhat useful for improving delivery. These days, however, they’ve been adopted by most major Internet Service Providers (ISPs), making them a vital email marketing component for businesses that are serious about reaching their subscribers. .
ISPs can detect that your messages, although sent from your domain, are actually coming from your email service provider (ESP). This raises a flag on your part, because it is also a common practice among spammers. The SPF record will separate you from those who send spam. It acts as a confirmation that even though messages are not sent directly from your mail server, they are still coming from you.
Setting up an SPF record fixes about 90 percent of initial email delivery problems. Your ESP should be able to help you set up your SPF record.
Build your list the right way
It’s not always easy to build and maintain a good list of subscribers, especially if you’re a young business looking to reach new customers. It can be tempting to buy or acquire a mailing list in an effort to spread the word quickly, but it’s extremely important to only send to people who have contacted you directly (and opted in). The reason for this is simple: so much email sent is spam that recipients complain or mark unknown messages as spam. When you send out a list of people who don’t really know who they are, you can bet these complaints will come through. This usually results in a bad reputation with ISPs and your emails can be diverted to spam folders or blocked (blacklisted) all together. The threshold for complaints, before being labeled a dubious sender, is approximately 1 complaint per 1,000 emails sent. To stay up to date, send only to subscribers who are waiting for your messages.
On a related note, signup forms linked to your database are very helpful in growing your list. For best results, add an email list signup link to every page of your website. While it may seem like they’re only popping up little by little, over time they’ll start to build up a list of subscribers who are very likely to open your posts and click on your links.
Create content that will be delivered and read
The unsubscribe link is one of the most important parts of your email. Some companies choose to downplay the unsubscribe link by hiding it in small text, usually at the bottom of the message. I always advise against this, which sometimes worries users worried that their subscribers will unsubscribe in waves. The fact is, if people want to stop receiving your emails, they’ll find a way, and that often means hitting the Report Spam button provided by many email clients. It’s in your best interest to make unsubscribing easier than complaining, because the more complaints you get, the more likely you’ll be blocked by major ISPs. Believe it or not, placing your unsubscribe link at the top of your message can reduce complaints by up to 75 percent and can turn an average sender into a good sender, and a good sender into a great one.
Leaving out a text version of your email is another oversight. Obviously, HTML emails allow for more enjoyable and effective messages, but you can’t forget about those subscribers with basic or overly secure email clients who won’t see HTML, not to mention the growing number of people who check email on mobile devices. What’s more, ISPs now look for text versions and often filter messages into junk or spam folders if emails are sent without them. Even if you only provide a link to where the HTML version of the message can be viewed online, a text version is important. Also, even within an HTML email, it’s worth making sure your message is primarily text, supported by graphics, and not just one big graphic. Graphics are often removed by email clients or flagged by ISPs. The optimal mix is about 60 percent text and 40 percent graphics.
Another easy way to maximize your effectiveness is to send your most recent subscribers first. Your new subscribers will be the ones most likely to see your message and click on the links. They will also surely remember to sign up for your email list, making them less likely to complain. Sending these types of subscribers first is a great way to establish a good reputation with ISPs.
Before you hit Send – How’s your subject line?
A simple misstep that businesses often make when venturing into email marketing is to underestimate the importance of a good subject line. It’s hard to guess what will entice your subscribers to open your message, but with a little common sense and testing, you can figure out the most effective format to use. Try several subject line variations for each of your first few sends, then keep an eye on your open rates. Find out which one is the most effective and stick to the format for future mailings.
Some tips to keep in mind for subject lines include: 1) Keep them short, 35 – 45 characters is ideal so they can be easily read in most email clients and on mobile devices, 2) Put the important part of your message close to the front of the subject line so it gets across, 3) Convey courage and urgency to encourage openness.
…and the results are here
To make sure your emails are working well, you should check the reports regularly. Delivery rate is a key metric, you want to make sure your subscribers are getting your content, and obviously views are important too. But something to keep in mind: emails with good deliverability rates (89 – 90% is average), but low view rates (10-15% view rate is average). This indicates that your email messages are being delivered, but are likely going to a spam or spam folder and not being seen. This can easily go unnoticed by email marketers, who will continue to devote resources to an email newsletter or other campaign that doesn’t even reach all of their customers. You may need to contact your ISP to resolve this filtering issue, but fine-tuning your content and applying email design best practices (or consider having a professional design a template for you) is a good way to start. And you should see that jump in open rate.
In my experience, those who are willing to apply these basic principles to their email marketing efforts are guaranteed to have smooth and successful email marketing experiences.