Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience, and the practice has been shown to produce strong results and ROI in numerous cases. But it can be confusing, especially with all the changes that are happening in email marketing these days. So if you’re just getting started, it can be hard to know what strategies will work best for your company in 2023 and beyond. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 email marketing practices that will boost your business results in 2023 and beyond. Here they are!
1) Open & Click Through Rates
Open rates have declined slightly, but expect a rebound as marketers look for ways to engage with customers more effectively. Open rates for both B2B and B2C have settled at 21 percent, but B2C click through rates are on an upward trend with 22 percent of email now resulting in clicks—an increase from 20 percent last year. In addition, email unsubscribe rates are expected to decline by 2.5 percent; we’re sure you’ll see a bump in those numbers next year!
2) What can you do with your emails?
There are more and more ways that people can use emails, from coupons and special offers, to newsletters and event notices. One of our favorites is email marketing. It’s a wonderful way to market your business when done right.
3) Keep it brief
When it comes to email marketing, shorter is often better. A typical unsubscribed from an email list happens within 3 seconds of opening an email, so keeping your emails brief is a great way to keep your messages from getting trashed before they’re even read. Additionally, make sure that each section of your message has a clear and succinct purpose.
4) Make it appealing
The amount of emails you receive has increased dramatically, and so has your attention span. Most people check their email only a few times throughout the day, if at all. If you want your emails to get noticed and acted upon, make sure they’re visually appealing and contain valuable information for your readers. Write an email that is interesting enough for them to act on without giving it too much attention—make it relevant by directing it toward an emotion that will resonate with your reader.
5) Embrace interactive content
No, email isn’t dead—in fact, it’s still one of your best methods for engaging with and marketing to customers. One way to ensure you stand out is by producing interactive content that delights customers, which can be as simple as including a link within an email so that a customer can click and take advantage of a promotion or freebie (like a coupon) on your website. With interactive content, you create more value and stay top-of-mind with existing and prospective customers.
6) Pinpoint your message
Before you can market your business effectively, you have to figure out what it is that you actually do. Are you a plumber? A dog walker? What are some of your best practices that set you apart from other companies in your industry? Come up with a short sentence (or two) that describes what makes your company different. Then, use that message as a focus for all of your marketing efforts going forward.
7) Craft quality content and lead magnets
According to a 2017 report by MailChimp, content is king has never been more true than it is today. This can come as no surprise given that consumers trust content written by brands over promotional marketing materials. If you want people to subscribe to your email newsletter, then your subscribers need a reason—and incentive—to give you their email address. The best way to do that is through high-quality content and valuable lead magnets like downloadable ebooks or whitepapers.
8) Don’t forget about B2B Marketing
While you might think that B2C marketing is more of a priority, there’s still an immense amount of growth potential for B2B companies. To get started, build relationships with influencers within your industry who can give you a boost. If you offer quality products or services at competitive prices, it shouldn’t be too hard to connect with them.
9) Optimize your images for responsive email design
Make sure all your email images are fully responsive. This means they’ll work no matter how they’re being viewed—in a mobile device, or through an image-scaling program like Apple Mail or Outlook. All other things being equal, consumers prefer responsive images because they look better and load faster. Make sure your images do too!
10) Add social media buttons to increase engagement
If you don’t already have a social media presence, it can be difficult for your audience to engage with your brand. It’s 2018, after all—social media is part of most people’s daily life. You may want to consider adding buttons for your website visitors so they can quickly connect with you on their favorite social platforms. Social media is also great for building brand recognition, especially when you provide useful content and engage with your audience regularly.