Pinpoint your target audience and goals

Before you begin an email marketing campaign, it's important to ask yourself two questions: 1: Who do I want to reach? and 2: What do I want my emails to achieve? Airtight answers will help you create more effective emails, specifically tailored to your subscribers.

Build a quality email list

Your email list is the foundation of your email marketing campaign. It's important to collect a high-quality list of subscribers who are interested in what you have to offer. Buying email lists and other shortcuts result in lower-quality leads. Instead, focus on building your email list through opt-in forms on your website, social media pages, and other channels.

‍Use clear and compelling subject lines and preheaders

The first words your subscribers see shouldn’t be the last thing you think about before pressing send. Grab their attention and entice them. Avoid using misleading or spammy subject lines. They result in low open rates and can hurt your reputation. Preheaders should add context and complement subject lines, not rephrase them.

Optimize for mobile

With the prevalence of mobile devices, it's important to use a responsive email design that’s optimized for different screen sizes. This keeps your emails easily readable and accessible on all devices, including smartphones and tablets.

Provide content of value

Your subscribers have given you permission to be a part of their inbox. Respect their trust and intelligence by providing content they actually find useful. It could be industry news, educational content, product updates, or exclusive offers. Send them only what they’ll care about without the fluff and buzzwords. You’ll earn their trust and loyalty. Improved engagement will follow.

Make it easy to skim

Guide your audience through large amounts of text by strategically breaking up your content. Establish a logical hierarchy of information, then use large headlines, eye-catching images, videos, GIFs, or animations to visually mark where a new thought begins.

Get personal

Add your subscriber’s name to the subject line or body of your email. Segment your email list based on common interests or behaviors and gear different content toward each. Provide product recommendations specific to the subscriber. Explore every opportunity for personalization. People personalize things. It adds a human element to emails that can make a real difference in the way they’re interpreted.

Add a CTA

A clear and compelling call-to-action (CTA) can help turn a casual browser into a conversion. Try encouraging your subscribers to make a purchase, download a resource, or sign up for an event. Make sure your CTA is prominent, easy to understand, and aligns with the goals of your email campaign.

Test and optimize

Rather than guessing what your subscribers will respond to, try testing different subject lines, content, visual elements, CTAs, and send times on a small portion of your audience first. It’s an extra step that’s well worth the effort, helping you see firsthand what’s catching eyes and earning clicks.

‍Comply with email marketing regulations

Protecting your brand should always be at the top of your priority list. Obtain permission from your subscribers to email them, provide a clear opt-out option in each email, and follow the CAN-SPAM Act guidelines. It builds trust with your subscribers and will help you avoid penalties.

‍Measure and analyze your results

Track your open, click-through, conversion, bounce, and unsubscribe rates to dig deeper into the patterns of your subscribers and make smarter, data-driven decisions. For example, if your open rates are low, you might try a different subject line style or send time. Analyze results by audience segment (like behavior, interests, or demographics) to paint an even clearer picture.