10 Ways to Master Remote Email Marketing

Email marketing has been utilized by organizations large and small to promote products, services, and other company content to customers and prospective customers over the years. The rise of social media, smart phones, and other technological advances have resulted in a great deal of email marketing innovation in recent years; however, it remains as one of the most effective marketing tools available to companies in all industries. If you need help with your email marketing efforts or are looking to improve on them, here are 10 ways to master remote email marketing using today’s advanced technology.

1) A Great Template

Just like when you’re writing a paper for school, you can use a template (or outline) as a starting point for your email marketing campaign. This type of structure will help organize your thoughts, from information about your subscribers to value propositions and calls-to-action. Since email is really personal (it’s sent directly to recipients), it’s important that everything be on point and include personal touches. If anything feels off or bland, chances are it will get skipped over by readers.

2) Keep your template simple

The simpler your template, and simpler your emails, mean you can ensure consistency and get your content in front of more eyes. So, keep it simple! Have a really basic template with a single column design, using simple colors or themes. You don’t need a lot of bells and whistles for people to be able to read what’s important when it comes through their inbox – and if they like what they see, chances are they’ll click through.

3) Regularly check the results

Keeping an eye on how many emails you’re sending, how many people are clicking on links and what your click-through rate is can help make sure you don’t overdo it. Just like with physical exercise, moderation is key for online marketing.

4) Create an Automation Schedule

It is crucial that you automate as much of your email marketing as possible. Although some marketers opt for sending their emails manually, it’s far more effective and time-efficient to use software programs like Campaigner or MailChimp which allow you greater control over your subscribers. Create a schedule using automation tools like these so that you can effectively organize and manage your campaigns even when you are away from your computer.

5) Utilize Personalization Tools

Let your contacts know you’re thinking of them. Emails with personalized subject lines get almost twice as many clicks as those without. It’s easy to do—just use a tool like Campaign Monitor, which lets you make lists for segmentation, or MailChimp, which has an easy-to-use autoresponder system. (Note: These companies allow you to send emails through your own domain name.)

6) Build on what you have learned

Don’t start from scratch. Understand your past experience and think about how it applies to new projects. Recognize what worked in previous jobs and what didn’t, then start thinking about how you can use those same skills in a new job or on a different project. Connecting these dots will help you identify opportunities for applying your knowledge of email marketing into other areas of your business.

7) Create Effective Subject Lines

Your subject line is your first opportunity to convince recipients that your email is worth opening, so make it good. Keep your subject lines focused and relevant by using a conversational tone, avoiding overly salesy language, and including more than one topic of interest. If you’re struggling for ideas for an effective subject line, try answering questions like: What can customers do with my product? How will it improve their lives? What do they think of me? Why should I read it now?

8) Use List Segmentation and Targeting

The most important element of successful email marketing is segmentation and targeting. This allows you to send relevant emails that offer value at different stages of your customers’ purchase cycle. It’s easy to segment and target emails by lead source, but you can also do it by behavior (i.e., a customer who visits your site once, but doesn’t make a purchase yet). To improve engagement, try sending regular automated emails based on customers’ actions.

9) Always Include an Opt-out Option in Your Emails

This should be an obvious one. You’re not doing anyone any favors by emailing them and hoping they read through everything you send and un-tick all of your emails in time. If someone doesn’t want to hear from you anymore, make it easy for them to opt out of your list. Here’s a great post on how doing so can improve your email marketing success.

10) Don’t Spam

When it comes to email marketing, your ability to sell is directly proportional to your ability to communicate. When you communicate too often (i.e., spam), people will shut down and unsubscribe from your list. But if you don’t send enough emails, people won’t realize how great of a value you provide for them and they may never come back.