Email marketing is still going strong, and very much worthwhile.
Email marketing isn’t dead, or dying. In fact, it is still one of the best online tools for converting fans into paying customers. But are we getting all we can out of each blast? With just a few simple tweaks, we can make our email list work for us like never before.
Always Be Testing
Each time we send an email, we gain another opportunity to improve our formula. Most email marketing software will provide you with statistics and details about each of the emails you send. Pay close attention to these, and watch key metrics with each mailing. We can also use the helpful A/B testing capability which allows us to compare headlines, sales offers, and even entirely different email templates.
The key is to always be testing something while not trying to test and track too much at one time. Make an effort to focus on one key metric and then test simple changes that you think might make a difference.
Test Your Compatibility
Sites like Litmus.com allow you to see what your emails will look like in a variety of different email clients. Emails can look different depending on which software they are being viewed in. Some older clients like Outlook 2000 or Hotmail are still very popular, but have a few quirks that can make things difficult to read.
It is important that we realize our email, no matter how nice, will not always look the same in each client. The goals isn’t pixel perfection, but rather graceful degradation. Even in old email programs, our campaigns should be easy to read and view. Even the smallest of distractions can cause your customers to quickly lose interest.
Think mobile
The typical email is usually about 600 pixel wide with size 12 or 13 font. This may look great on screen, but what about your mobile viewers? With the growing popularity of smartphones and tablets, these devices shouldn’t be ignored. Reducing your email width down to 500 pixels can make a big difference. A 14 point minimum font size is also important.
The devices and habits of your readers are always changing. As marketers, we need to be aware of these changes and react to them. Your email marketing software should be able to provide some information on the devices that people are using to view your mail. In most cases, the number one device will likely be one that fits into the palm of their hand.
If All Else Fails, Ask Your Readers
Every year, blogger and former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers Michael Hyatt surveys his audience to learn more about what they want from his blog and email newsletter. It may seem obvious, but going straight to the source can be a valuable tactic that we easily forget.
Email marketing is a great way to engage your fans and influence your audience, but we must always be looking for creative ways to squeeze the extra half of a percent out of our click-through rate or engage just one more fan. After all, when you count everything, everything counts.
