Email marketing best practices to utilize

In a world saturated with new and emerging marketing tactics, how much attention should you pay to email marketing? The numbers speak for themselves: Email marketing revenue is expected to reach more than $10 billion.¹

Use these best practices to level up your email campaigns and help your meticulously crafted messages not to get buried in busy inboxes.

Building a high-quality email list

A high-quality email list is the backbone of successful email marketing — after all, you want your messages to reach people genuinely interested in your products or services.

Some strategies to build an email list include:

• Optimizing signup forms. Place easy-to-use signup forms prominently on your website.
• Providing content offers in exchange for email subscriptions. Think ebooks, calculators, industry reports, or webinars.
• Exploring offline opportunities. Collect emails during events or in-store visits.
• Scheduling regular cleanups. Remove inactive subscribers to keep your list clean and engaged.
• Implementing verification tools. Ensuring the validity of collected email addresses reduces bounce rates.

When creating an email list, don’t forget about obtaining consent — it’s a legal requirement.

Crafting compelling email content

With average open rates for email marketing ranging from 21.5%² to 38.49%³, you’ll need to blend creativity and strategy to engage subscribers.

Make sure your emails contain:

• A captivating subject line that creates urgency and curiosity without appearing spammy.
• Personalized content that tailors to the recipient's interests and behaviors.
• Visual elements to enhance your message.
• A straightforward call-to-action guiding subscribers on next steps.
• A footer with copyright and unsubscribe links.

The landing page an email links to is as important as the email itself. It should mirror your emails' clean design and focused content, incorporating visuals and social proof to build trust.

The significance of mobile optimization for email marketing

With more global sites being opened on mobile devices than ever, designing mobile-optimized emails isn’t just a best practice; it's a necessity.⁴

Keep these tips in mind:

• Adopt a single-column layout.
• Make your text large and easily readable.
• Check that links and buttons are touch-friendly.
• Optimize images to load quickly.

Segmenting your email list

When you blast the same message to your entire email list, you miss an opportunity to address shoppers’ unique needs and wants.

Enter list segmentation in email marketing: a tool that lets you tailor your messages to specific interests, needs, and behaviors of different customer groups. You can also categorize subscribers based on their purchase history, website activity, or demographic data.

For example, you could send re-engagement emails with an offer to subscribers who haven't interacted with your brand in a while.

Timing and frequency

Nobody wants to be bombarded with marketing emails; but you don’t want your brand to be forgotten either.

Sending emails at the right time and frequency can boost open rates and engagement. Here’s how:

• Analyze historical data. When are subscribers most active?
• Adjust your strategy over time. Consider starting with a weekly cadence, then adjusting based on feedback and metrics.

A/B testing and analytics

A/B testing in email marketing involves sending two variants of an email to determine which performs better.

Small businesses should focus on A/B testing subject lines, call-to-action buttons, email content, and sending times to see how they impact analytics — particularly open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.

These insights allow you to gauge the performance of your email campaigns and make informed decisions.

Automation and drip campaigns

Looking to send timely, relevant emails to subscribers without needing to manually press “send” every time? Here’s where automation and drip campaigns come in.

A drip campaign is a series of automated emails triggered based on specific actions or timelines. For example, when new shoppers subscribe, they may receive a welcome email immediately, a follow-up with more information a few days later, and a special offer a week after that.

These automation campaigns keep your audience engaged by sending them the right content at the right time, gently guiding them down the sales funnel.

Compliance with email marketing regulations

Adhering to email marketing rules and regulations like CAN-SPAM and GDPR is crucial for maintaining trust and avoiding legal repercussions.

This means:

• Obtaining explicit consent from users before sending marketing emails.
• Providing clear information about the type of content subscribers will receive.
• Including a prominent unsubscribe button in all emails.

Empower your email marketing strategy today

Email marketing shouldn’t be a guessing game that drains resources. By building a quality list, crafting compelling content, and using tools like automation, you can start sending emails that may help drive engagement, sales, and growth.

Want more insights on how to win customers over? Get more PayPal marketing tips.