Email marketing is one of the most popular forms of advertising because it’s cost-effective, measurable, and easy to set up.

However, email marketing continues to elvolve, so there are best practices for 2021 that you may not have considered before – such as how often to email your customers and the types of content that will resonate most.

We’ll go over those best practices below, along with some tips for keeping your emails fresh and engaging.

Understand Email Frequency

First of all, the frequency of emails is a huge factor.

The general rule of thumb is to email your customers as often as they want – within reason, of course.

For example, some people don’t like daily emails because it feels like overkill. Others may unsubscribe if you only send out one per month (although this will also depend on your industry and the type of customer who subscribes).

The best way to find out what works for your business is by experimenting with different frequencies and seeing what performs well. You can always adjust later if necessary.

Know Your Email Open Rates

Another thing to keep in mind: not everyone opens or clicks every email you send – even if it’s highly relevant to them.

To get around this, use a double-opt-in strategy for signing up new customers – that way, they have to both opt-in and confirm their email address.

You can also check your “click-through” rates and determine which emails get the highest open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate.

Create Resonating Content

If you see certain types of content resonating more than others, incorporate those into future emails.

Here’s what we recommend:

• Stay on top of trends by reading industry news throughout the day (e.g., via LinkedIn). You could consider adding a trending topic section at the end of every email.
• Incorporate engaging imagery such as infographics, photos, and videos in every email. However, don’t overdo it – try to stick with one or two visuals.
• Send emails that are personalized depending on the recipient. For instance, you could segment your list into three categories: high-value leads, middle-of-the-road leads, and low-value leads. Then, send a custom message for each type.
• Don’t sell too hard. Some people prefer not to see any sales messages at all. Instead, think of your business as a resource for new information your readers want to know about.
• Include a mix of long-form content (more than 800 words) and short-form content (less than 800 words). Short-form content can be presented as bullet points or highlighted text.
• Get creative! Send out something unique like a survey, trivia game, or giveaway.
• Test different subject lines to find the one that resonates best with your audience. You can use tools like A/B testing, which allows you to test two headlines against each other. Then, track how many people click on that specific email after receiving it.

Always Include a Call to Action

Another crucial aspect of email marketing is having a clear CTA (call to action) at the end of every email. What does this mean? It’s giving your audience something to do once they read the content you’ve provided and learned about your product or service.

For instance, if someone opens up an email and sees five blog posts listed, a “read more” button should go directly to those articles.

In addition, you could include a link that leads to free downloadable content – such as a report, ebook, or infographic – with a time limit. That way, people have to act fast to get it.

Integrate Your Social Media Strategy

Another way to encourage engagement is by integrating your social media strategy with email marketing.

For instance, if you publish or share a link on Facebook that links back to an article via your email list, people would be more likely to click on it because of its relevant content. This also saves time.

While the goal of every newsletter should be to attract customers and turn them into brand advocates, this may take some time. So keep testing different strategies – both in content and communication type (e.g., phone vs. email) – until you find what works best for your audience.

Paid advertising can also be another way to see which ads are performing well, so you can incorporate those into future newsletters as well.

Create Email Design Consistency through Templates

Email marketing has become increasingly more personal. Take the time to create a template for your newsletters to integrate branding and visual appeal whenever possible.

It helps to use tools that allow you to easily create personalized templates without having any design skills yourself.

Additionally, it’s essential that every step of the email workflow is tracked – including who opens up your emails, what links your subscribers click on, and where those individuals are within the sales funnel before abandoning ship.

Make Your Subject Line Catchy

The goal of your subject line is to capture someone’s attention and entice them to open up your email. It should also be informative if possible.

For instance, a compelling headline would say something like: “Your Big Announcement Is Finally Here – Read Now!” This tells the reader what they will find inside and why it’s important enough for them to read right now instead of putting it off until later.

In addition, make sure you’re clear with any calls-to-action (CTAs) within the body content and at the bottom of each email. Then, allow people ample time to respond before sending another reminder email about whatever you promised in the first place.

Don’t Forget About Your Signature

The old saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” rings true in email marketing. You want to make sure that your most important messages are the ones that leave the most significant impact on your audience.

That’s why it is crucial to include a signature with every email you send out. Not only does this allow people to get in touch with you – either through social media or an additional contact method – but it also shows them how often they’re receiving emails from you and what value they’re getting for doing so.

Use Personalization Whenever Possible

One of the best ways to stand out from all of the other marketers is by being personalized. This is not just about sending out content explicitly related to their needs and interests but also reaching out to them by name.

This can be done in several different ways. For instance, you could build a list of clients who have purchased a particular product or service or opted in to receive additional information from your company. Once they’ve been identified as a customer, they should automatically show up in the signature with the same level of personalization that they would see on their website.

On top of that, it is essential to mention names within the email content and the subject line whenever possible. Lastly, include links back to any profiles on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, so people know you’re human and not just another machine following pre-programmed protocols.

Final Tips

Before you go, make note of these tricks that will make your email marketing newsletters a breeze.

• Start slow. Don’t overdo it at first – gradually build up to sending more emails as you figure out what works for you and your audience.
• Make it easy to unsubscribe. If you’re sending too many emails or the content isn’t relevant, people will eventually opt out of your list (so make sure the option is easy to find).
• Follow CAN-SPAM laws. Each country has different regulations regarding email marketing campaigns, so check out the requirements for your area before you start sending out emails.
• Use tools. If you’re using a platform that doesn’t allow for personalized templates or you want some additional help, there are plenty of companies out there that can assist with your email marketing efforts.
• Don’t forget about A/B tests. It’s always good to see what works best – whether through subject lines, images, or calls-to-action – so experiment before sending out emails to ensure you have the most optimized campaign possible.

Conclusion

With all of the different email marketing strategies out there, it’s hard to know where to get started or how to improve your existing program. In short, the best practices for email marketing newsletters in 2021 is to ensure that they:

• Contain branding and visual appeal whenever possible
• Use a template for better integration of branding
• Are catchy and informative in the subject line
• Include images within the body content of the email
• Personalize by name if possible
• Mention social media profiles
• A/B test whatever possible

However, if you follow best practices like these, you’ll ensure that your customers continue reading your emails – and maybe even look forward to receiving them.

Just remember that it’s also essential to be transparent about who you are and what you do to build an authentic relationship with your subscribers so that they not only keep reading but tell their friends and colleagues about you as well.