Emails are very powerful tools for marketing; 35 percent of customers who visit a website or purchase something do it by viewing an email. In fact, most people do not even bother opening them—that is how powerful email marketing can be.

Email marketing has the highest return on investment among all other avenues. Whether a company is running a blog, gathering sales leads or selling online, it needs to have a healthy email list. However, acquiring the list is not the problem — keeping them engaged is.

The answer to this problem is in the following effective email marketing tips:

1. Emails Must Be Easy to Subscribe - People must be able to subscribe to emails with ease. This can be done by posting signup forms on the company blog, social media sites and website. People can also be encouraged to sign up for in-person emails. This will help reach out to those who have shown interest in the business and encourage them to be willing to receive email updates from the brand. While a brand might want to collect personal information like birthdays to give special offers, it is vital to keep the subscription form simple. People might feel discouraged from filling in too many fields and, hence, avoid subscribing.

2. Test The Email Content - Though this tip might come across as a no-brainer, a reflection on how few individuals actually do it can make it seem otherwise. The easiest way to test email content is to send it to an in-house person first. This will ensure that there are no broken images or links, missing data or typos that might not load. In simple terms, this helps make certain that everything works and looks the way it is supposed to. Using different platforms and devices to view the email is also a wise option.

3. A Schedule is a must - Once a list of subscribers has been compiled, it is vital to maintain and create a consistent schedule, such as sending a monthly email newsletter. Recipients prefer consistency, but brands want to avoid blasting them with messages that fill up their inboxes. Adhering to a consistent schedule with regular updates that will not annoy email subscribers will help. Scheduling is one of the best email marketing tips that must not be skipped.

4. Track Click and Open Rates -  Tracking click and open rates are usually turned on automatically for email campaigns. To get maximum benefits and make sure the campaigns are effective, it is recommended to keep the tracking enabled. This best practice not only helps keep tabs on subscriber engagement, but also gives better data about the content to which subscribers respond. This will naturally help shape and inform all email decisions in the future.

5. Consistent Branding -  Be sure to include prime branding elements within the emails, like the company’s colors and logo. The recipients can then easily understand who is sending them emails. Consistent branding helps enhance awareness of a business and the services and products it offers, enabling the business to develop a campaign that is built for long-term success.

6. Rewards For Subscribers -  Getting people to view and subscribe to an email is the easy part. Making sure they remain subscribed is where the real struggle lies. The easiest way to create a subscriber base that is loyal is to make them feel important and special. People invite a brand within their personal inbox, invest in it in some way and remain subscribed. The least that can be done is to acknowledge this involvement and appreciate them instead of blasting emails right into their inbox. Brands can give out special discounts, access to novel offerings and provide exclusive previews and freebies—something that is not offered on their Facebook page, Twitter or a physical store.

7. Optimize for Mobile -  With millions of people checking emails from their tablets and smartphones, it is important for a company’s email to be displayed properly on mobile devices. Companies can use email marketing software to ensure the templates are optimized for mobiles. The emails should be tested to see how they are being displayed across multiple platforms. This helps a brand reach out to a greater number of mobile users and capitalize on valuable revenue and leads.

8. Encourage Sharing -  Ask everyone on the list to invite a friend to subscribe to the emails. The list could double or triple in size since there is nothing more effective and powerful than receiving emails from a known individual. A best practice that encourages sharing is to provide a Call-To-Action (CTA) link that populates the emails with the body text and subject already prefilled.

9. Avoid Spamming -  This vital tip makes it worth following over and over again. Spamming must be avoided at all costs. Spamming, in this case, refers to poor judgment in case of emails, like using irrelevant content, poorly crafted emails and uppercase text. Signing people up without their consent or purchasing email lists is highly discouraged and can be penalized under anti-spam laws. 

10.  Incorporate a Call-to-Action -  If a brand wants more people to subscribe to their blog or is looking forward to promoting a new guide for the marketplace, call-to-actions are a must-have in the emails. It is an effective way to encourage people to take action on the emails and also check out other content on the website. Google Analytics can then be used to view how many people have visited the website and completed an action after clicking a certain link in the emails.

Conclusion

Knowing these tips is not enough; they need to be put into practice. A prime aspect to consider is that there exists no magic formula to success. What works effectively for one business might not work for another.

The aim of an email marketer is to tempt customers to engage with the brand and subscribe. A great way to achieve this is to keep the emails consistent, highly engaging and relevant. Remember that data is prime. It must be collected, analyzed, centralized and used to make better campaign decisions.

 Maricel Camposano is a project manager with Partnering Up Virtual Assistant Services, which helps small-business owners grow their business while giving them back the time they desire to live a more balanced life. To learn more, visit PartneringUpVA.com.

Summary: Email marketing is one of the strongest marketing tools for businesses looking to expand their horizons. A few effective and trendy tips can help enhance a campaign and make it a success. 

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