The New Rules For Email Marketers

• Tweet
• Pin It

Email has long since ceased to be sexy. That vast majority of “media strategists” have fallen head over heels for inbound marketing and social media…

But email marketing is still the workhorse. While email may not be the shiny new thing that bloggers are talking about, it’s only becoming more important to your marketing strategy — not less.

That’s not just because mobile users are checking their email in real time, often while they’re actually shopping. It’s because email has become the deliver method of record. It’s where you get financial statements, job offers, ATM receipts, etc.

85% of adults in the US check their email daily… Honestly, I don’t know how the remaining 15% get by.

The rules of engagement are changing rapidly, and you might be surprised at just how different some of the new best practices are. In fact, some of the newest strategies are the opposite of what people like me used to recommend.

This ain’t your father’s email.

Seriously, email marketing has been around for 15 years now…

• One of the biggest changes is mobile. 33% of all emails are now opened on phones or tablets. Two-thirds of those will automatically delete all marketing emails that aren’t properly formatted.
• Subject lines no longer have to be short. Shorter is usually better for clarity. However, if you’re dealing with a sophisticated product, you’re going to need a longer subject line. According to Marketing Profs, longer subject lines actually increased opens and responses because they add specificity. Oh yeah, by the way, the word “free” is no longer being targeted by spam filters.
• Change your metrics. Clicks and opens are great, but you can learn a lot more by looking one level deeper. Focusing on earnings per click and earnings per user (email address) is a great way to see what enticed a prospect to click and what they did afterwards.
• Manage a lean, mean list. The theory used to be build your list at all costs, the more names the better. Today, that kind of thinking can hurt deliverability and quality scores. You need to build the most relevant list you possibly can, and be efficient with how you manage it.

Related Posts

• 

  Copy Writing & The Science Of Buying
  Copy Writing & The Science Of Buying
• 

  Segmentation – Massive gains from sending less
  Segmentation – Massive gains from sending less
• 

  Quick email deliverability trick
  Quick email deliverability trick
• 

  Hurry, Read This Before I Delete It!
  Hurry, Read This Before I Delete It!

3 Comments

1. Pingback: The New Rules For Email Marketers – Driving TrafficSeven Touch Marketing Systems | Seven Touch Marketing Systems

2. 

   Kelly Monaghan

   December 12, 2012 at 2:22 pm

   Any tips on how to purge a long list?

   I have a 20K+ list with an open rate of under 10%. I suspect many on the list have set up rules that automatically trash my newsletter or simply delete them as they arrive.

   I can find out how many susbscribers haven’t opened the last x-number of emails. (I use arpReach Plus). But I’m told if I delete these I may actually delete active subscribers because some email clients block the code that lets arpReach track opens.

   Advice?

   Reply
   • 

     Kevin Clanton

     December 12, 2012 at 2:36 pm

     I forget if arpReach will let you segment or tag people who opened…
     if does make sure you do that on a content series.. and make a new list of people who click and open.
     Don’t be hard on your self though 10% really isn’t all that bad depending on the industry..

     if arpReach doesnt allow you to do this, you can accomplish this with a CRM like infusionsoft.

     Also keep in mind that autoresponders will NOT correctly report opens because by default images and JS are disabled for some email clients (gmail) (until someone clicks view images / allow images).

     Reply