Getting Started With Email Marketing Part Three

7. Spend time on subject lines

Your email subject line is one of the most important lines of text in your whole email.

Why? Your subscribers see your subject line even before they open your message. Make a good impression and people won’t be able to resist opening. Write something bland and they might skip over your message without a second thought.

Your subject line should be short and snappy — around 40 characters.

You can draw attention by asking a compelling question, including a deadline for urgency, or just teasing your message.

8. Preview and test before you send

Especially when you’re first getting started with email marketing, it’s easy to slip up every once in a while.

Maybe you forget to add in an important link or make an embarrassing spelling mistake right in the subject line. Doh! Unfortunately, there’s no Back button with email, so always remember to send yourself or a staff member a Test Email before sending out to your entire list.

9. Send your email (at the best time)

When you’re ready to send out an email, timing is an important factor to consider.

Every audience is different and the best time to send will differ based on who’s on your email list.

Based on customer data, we’ve compiled some information on which day and time might work best for your industry.

You can also create a consistent sending schedule and stick to it. For example, if you send out a newsletter on the first of every month, your audience will come to expect it in their inboxes.

If you do decide to follow a set schedule, tell people at the point of sign-up by saying something like:

“Would you like to sign up for our Hints & Tips newsletter? We’ll send you a roundup of our top blog posts, upcoming webinars, and best marketing advice on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month.”

Your subscribers will know when they’ll hear from you next and you can schedule your message to send based on your established schedule. 

10. Track your results

Don’t be deceived — email marketing doesn’t end with a send. You will want to track your open rate, click-through rate, unsubscribe rates, etc. and work to improve over time.

If you want to see real results from your email marketing, you need a strong understanding of how each email performs so you can make improvements and learn more about your customers and subscribers.

Spending a few minutes in your email reports will tell you valuable information like who opened your email, who clicked on specific links, and what information was the most interesting to your readers.