3. Old School still “schools”
@inemode
• Email has an ROI of around 4,300% (according to the
Direct Marketing Association)
• 80% of people say they receive marketing messages
alongside their personal emails on a daily basis.
• 70% of people make use of coupons or discounts they
learn about from email.
• 60% of people say that receiving special offers is the top
reason they subscribe to an email list from a business
7. Do’s of Email
@inemode
• Aggressively capture email subscribers. Capture email
subscribers on your website, during checkout, in transactional
emails, on your social media posts and pages, and any other
place you can ask for an opt‐in.
• Offer subscription options. Offer subscriptions options, such as
frequency, subject matter, promotions, and past purchases.
• Offer at least one subject‐oriented option. This means every
email does not need to be a promotion. You can offer tips,
customer profiles, and human‐interest stories. Try to find some
way to add some value to your brand beyond promotions.
8. Do’s of Email
@inemode
• Personalize promotions. Mine your customer data and personalize
promotions to the extent that your supporting platforms allow it.
Past purchases, recent item views, and abandoned items can be used
to personalize emails.
• Give subscribers what they want. Respect subscriber choices and
give them what they want and nothing more. If you create a new
delivery option, provide a way for them to opt in rather than just
assuming they will want it.
• Invest in a branded template. Don’t use the default templates
included with your email marketing service. Create one that will help
your brand stand out, support site links to relevant content, and
support mobile devices
9. Do’s of Email
@inemode
• Track email results. Use referral links that can be tracked as
goals in your analytics. Track opens, clicks, add to carts, and
conversions.
• Pay attention to results. If something is not working, try
something else. If something is working well, make it better.
• Build promotional landing pages. If you are offering 40 percent
off, create a 40 percent off landing page. You will see a higher
conversion rate.
• Keep in contact. Sending more than one newsletter per week is
difficult for some small merchants. But invest the time to make
contact with your customers, for top‐of‐mind awareness.
10. Do’s of Email
@inemode
• Offer an option to change preferences. When a subscriber opts
out, offer alternative options to try and keep them on your list
in a less intrusive delivery schedule.
• Ask why customers opted out. A simple question on the opt‐
out form, asking why they unsubscribed, can provide helpful
insights.
• Send out mobile friendly emails. Soon the majority of emails
will be read on mobile devices. Test your delivery on those
devices. Test your landing pages on mobile devices. You will
increase your conversions.
11. Do’s of Email
@inemode
• Clean up your lists periodically. One of the best practices is to
clean your lists periodically. At least once a year, send an email
to all subscribers who have not opened during that year. Ask
them to confirm their subscription.
• Compress your images. Keep images small so that performance
is quick. No one wants to wait for a high‐resolution image on a
mobile phone.
• Send an instant newsletter to boost business. During slow
weeks, when your sales are below your target, assemble a quick
promotion to a list that you know will produce results.
12. Do’s of Email
@inemode
• Post a copy of your email on your website. Post a copy of your
email on your website, then promote it via your social media
outlets. Create different links for tracking. Remove obsolete
emails so people don’t find your old coupons in a Google
search.
• Include an opt‐in link. In addition to your opt‐out links, be sure
to offer an opt‐in for those who may have found your email on
your website or via a forward. Insert a forward‐to‐a‐friend link,
too
13. Don’ts of Email
@inemode
• Don’t spam your lists. If you have an old list you want to import
or use, send a one‐time email requesting an opt‐in to your new
service. If subscribers ask to opt‐out, whether they do it on the
phone, via email, or from your automated links, remove them
immediately.
• Don’t send out emails with poor content. Emphasize content
development. Use quality images, proper grammar, and links
that work.
• Don’t assume your list is good forever. Eventually, your list will
go stale. Clean up your lists as suggested in the dos, above
14. Don’ts of Email
@inemode
• Don’t send out bad coupons. If you have promotional coupons,
make sure they actually work. Bad coupons anger consumers.
• Don’t put too much on the email page. Keep text to a
minimum on promotions, have a primary offer and secondary
links.
• Don’t make too many offers. Too many offers clutter the
message and reduces its effectiveness.
