5 Tips to Achieve Email Marketing Excellence

One of the biggest problems facing the digital marketing industry is that it changes so quickly. With change comes understandable confusion, especially if you aren't in the industry. Confusion about what works and what doesn't. Different people say different things. SEO is dead. Email is dead. How are companies and small businesses supposed to know what tactics to use and who to trust?

The truth is it's a difficult task, because the real answer is 'it depends.' SEO might not serve your businesses goals, but it will work wonders for other companies. The willingness to react, pivot and shift strategies is the real key to digital success.

With that said, email marketing is certainly not dead. Which is why, in this entry to the WSI DM Video Series, we've lined up 5 tips to achieving email marketing excellence. Check them out!

1. Make It Simple To Subscribe

You hear it all the time in digital marketing: make it simple. And sometimes, it really is as easy as making it simple. You want people to share your stuff? Make it dead simple. You want a high quality email list that wants to hear what you have to say? Make it easy and inviting to subscribe. The better you target your message and build your list, the more success you'll achieve when you engage via email.

2. Use Creative Subject Lines

When people give you permission to email them, it's because they assume you've got something interesting to say. They think you're smart, funny and have relevant information. Don't let them down. Being creative with your headlines is a great way to affirm your customers' decisions to let you contact them. Right off the bat, they'll think, "See, I knew these guys were smart." It sounds trivial, but the headline of that first email you send a new subscriber could be the defining moment of your email engagement with them. If the headline is good, they might always read your stuff; if it's not, they might unsubscribe. Get your headline writing hat on!

3. Give Subscribers What They Want

When it comes to email, the customer experience matters. If people subscribe to your list expecting to be emailed once a month but you contact them once a week, they aren't going to be happy. Give your subscribers what they want (and expect). Additionally, you can build an opt-in list and segment subscribers into groups - this way, you can deliver more enhanced messages and get a little bit more personal and creative.

4. Use Graphics Wisely

There's no doubt that the Internet is becoming an increasingly visual place, but that doesn't mean all images are created equal. What works on a website might not work in an email. Lean on experts to create specific templates and visuals for email to ensure a reinforcement of your brand without making glaring technical mistakes.

5. Respect A Subscriber's Choice

If you're doing things correctly, your subscribers had a choice when they signed up. They should retain that choice throughout their subscription, which means they should be able to easily unsubscribe whenever they choose. Don't remove their choice or make it extremely difficult to properly unsubscribe. Making an unsubscribe button that is clear and obvious should actually build trust among your subscribers, because it means you respect them.