So, you’re interested in email marketing, are you? Well, that’s great – but do you know exactly how an email marketing strategy works? There are some pretty poignant do’s and don’ts when it pertains to your email efforts. We’ve built a checklist you can follow to make sure you’re avoiding the nasties of email marketing while getting the most out of your marketing efforts.

The Don’ts of Your Email Marketing Strategy

  1. Sending your “welcome” message – and then falling off the map.

It’s always a good idea to send out some “soft-touch” emails to your lists to get them prepared for the meat of your email marketing. However, many people will completely stop sending emails after the first couple of campaigns, for fear of being a nuisance. Unfortunately, this leads you to lose valuable connection opportunities with your recipients.

  1. Seeing an “unsubscribe” and freaking out.

I’m sure the first time you saw the “unsubscribe” numbers, you may have felt a twinge of hurt. How could they unsubscribe? You sent them relevant and exciting content! Maybe you should just throw up your hands and give up! Don’t!

  1. Promoting too much or promoting too little.

Too many promotions are annoying, regardless of what you are promoting. No one likes to be inundated with spammy offers. However, if you never send relevant offers, you may not be taken seriously either. It’s a tricky balancing act.

  1. Too much going on in one email.

Think about the worst emails you’ve ever received. What do they have in them that make them bad? Too many links, too many different pieces of content, landing pages, and offers can quickly overload your recipients and turn them off – fast! Too much information in emails leads the people on your list to put off reading your email, usually forgetting it altogether completely.

  1. Creating a snooze-fest of an email.

Creating boring emails are probably the worst thing you can do when email marketing. None of your subscribers are going to read your emails if they are boring. They already get enough emails every day.

  1. Forgetting about mobile devices.

Did you know that over 65% of emails are now opened on smart devices such as tablets or cell phones? Old fashioned three-column emails are not very effective at getting through to these mobile-savvy recipients. Chances are, your list isn’t able to read those emails. Guess where they’re going? Straight into the trash.

  1. Neglecting to create a smart, workable email strategy.

Don’t just throw your emails together. You don’t want your emails to be confusing, hard to navigate, overwhelming, or poorly thought out. Having a weak – or non-existent – email marketing strategy can hurt your campaigns, your site visits, and even your reputation!

The Do’s of Your Email Marketing Strategy

  1. Send out great content – Regularly!

Sending out great content on a regular basis helps build credibility and relationships with your recipients. Allow your list to get to know you by attaching interesting blogs or podcasts as well as regular, relevant offers.

  1. Keep in mind your ideal clients will stay involved.

Don’t worry about people opting out of receiving your emails – people unsubscribe for a multitude of reasons. Don’t take it personally. If you have a hard time not feeling bad every time you see someone unsubscribe, it may help to turn off the unsubscribe notifications that keep tabs on who has clicked “unsubscribe.”

  1. Balance publishing value and relevant offers perfectly.

For your email marketing strategy to be taken seriously, send a perfectly blended mix of quality content and relevant offers. Take a look at your calendar and plan it out accordingly.

  1. Have a single, strong call to action to focus your emails.

One call to action. That’s all you need in any email marketing strategy. Whether you want them to read your latest blog post, check out your landing page, or take advantage of an excellent offer, keep your email focused on one thing, and one thing only. If you can’t avoid numerous links – say, a newsletter for instance – make sure each section is clearly marked to avoid confusion.

  1. Use your unique voice to inject personality into your email marketing.

The reason your list is still subscribed is that they want to get to know you. Inject your personality into your email marketing strategy. Tell jokes. Engage your readers on your likes, dislikes, and passions. Tell stories, share opinions, show a bit of who you are in your emails. Like cats? Include a funny picture of a cat being silly or cute. Are you a Star Trek fan? Maybe insert an article about how much better Star Trek is than Star Wars. (Let’s face it – it’s SO much better!)

  1. Add large clickable links in single-column emails.

One column. That’s all you need to make your email campaigns mobile friendly. Large, clickable buttons allow a quick, easy way for your consumers to navigate to where you want them to go.

  1. Map out a detailed email marketing strategy before you hit send.

Plan out a detailed marketing strategy before you hit send on your email marketing. When will you be emailing your list? What will you be sending? What are your overall goals? What will your emails look like? These are all crucial things to consider when working on your email campaigns. By having a detailed plan, you’ll get higher open rates and click through. Now, who doesn’t love that?

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