What is the Email Marketing Conversion Rate

What is Cold Email? A Beginner’s Complete Guide (2024)

February 10, 2024

by lotsofcode.in with 2 Comments Blog

Maybe you’ve just heard about “cold email” and want to learn more, or perhaps you’ve heard of it but aren’t sure how it works. Either way, you’re in the right spot.

Cold emailing is a great way to reach out to potential customers and get leads. It’s affordable and easy to expand, which makes it perfect for businesses big and small.

What is a Cold Email?

Cold emailing is essentially reaching out to someone you don’t know to establish a connection, aiming for mutual benefits like sales or opportunities. For instance, if you have a software company selling data analysis tools, you might use cold email to reach out to potential enterprise-level clients.

However, it’s important to differentiate cold emailing from email marketing. While both are impactful, they have different approaches and goals.

Cold emailing focuses on individual outreach to build relationships and secure deals, while email marketing involves sending mass emails to a targeted audience to promote products or services.

Are Cold Emailing and Email Marketing the same thing?

No, cold email and email marketing are not the same. They represent different approaches to reaching potential customers or clients, with a key distinction lying in the relationship between the sender and the recipient.

Cold emailing entails sending highly personalized emails to individuals with whom you have no prior connection. The objective is to initiate contact and establish a relationship to pitch a product or service. Many companies employ cold email for their sales outreach efforts, including renowned brands like:

HubSpot: HubSpot maintains a dedicated team for cold email outreach, leveraging personalized emails to introduce its software to potential clients. Offering free trials and demos, they’ve successfully converted numerous prospects into paying customers.

Dropbox: Dropbox utilizes cold emails to engage potential users, providing additional storage space if they sign up through a referral link. This approach facilitated the rapid expansion of their user base, establishing them as a leading cloud storage provider.

Grammarly: Grammarly offers free trials to businesses and enterprises as a means to connect with potential users. Through cold emailing, they’ve effectively generated leads and expanded their user base.

Here’s an example of a cold email:

On the other hand, email marketing entails sending targeted emails to a list of subscribers who have willingly opted to receive your communications. The objective is to nurture a relationship with subscribers by delivering value consistently, ultimately converting them into customers. Many businesses leverage email marketing for their inbound sales efforts, including the following examples:

Airbnb: Airbnb sends personalized and captivating emails to its subscribers, showcasing various travel destinations and experiences.

Kate Spade: This fashion brand sends promotional emails featuring discounts and limited-time offers, enticing subscribers to make purchases.

Litmus: As an email marketing company, Litmus sends regular newsletters offering insights and tips on best practices in email marketing.

Here’s an example of a marketing email:

Now that we’ve grasped the basics, let’s delve into the detailed differences between cold emailing and email marketing:

1) Objective:

Cold emailing aims to initiate contact and generate leads from potential customers, while email marketing focuses on nurturing relationships with existing customers, educating them about products or services, and driving conversions and sales.

2) Personalization:

Cold emailing involves the highest level of personalization, often on a one-to-one basis. Email marketing typically has lower levels of personalization and may come across as spammy if not executed properly.

3) Frequency:

Cold emailing typically involves sending multiple emails initially, including follow-ups. Email marketing frequency varies case by case but usually consists of 1-2 emails per week or month.

4) Metrics:

Cold emailing emphasizes metrics like deliverability rates, open rates, response rates, and click-through rates. Email marketing focuses on open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and revenue generated.

5) Tools:

Cold emailing utilizes tools for prospecting, list building, email verification, warm-ups, scheduling, and follow-ups. Email marketing tools manage subscriptions, create email content, and analyze campaign performance.

In summary, cold emailing strategically targets potential customers, whereas email marketing targets existing customers with their permission.

Now, you might wonder: Is sending cold emails considered spam or illegal since we contact recipients without permission? Let’s explore this further.

Is it legal to send Cold Emails?

Typically, cold emails are deemed lawful, yet their legality hinges on the laws and regulations of a particular country or region.

For instance, in the United States, the CAN-SPAM Act mandates rules for commercial emails. These include providing clear opt-out options and accurate sender information. Non-compliance can lead to penalties.

If your outreach strategy adheres to applicable national and state spam laws, cold emailing is entirely safe and lawful. Before sending, it’s crucial to comprehend the regulations of both the sender’s and recipient’s countries.

It’s evident that cold emailing, when done correctly, isn’t spam and is deemed legal. Now, let’s explore why it’s such an effective approach.

What are some of the benefits of Cold Emailing?

If you’re seeking to connect with potential customers, cold emailing can prove to be a valuable strategy for your business. Here are some key advantages of cold emailing:

1. Targeted: Cold emailing enables you to pinpoint specific individuals or businesses whom you believe could benefit from your product or service. By personalizing your message to each recipient, you enhance the likelihood of receiving a response.

2. Scalable: Cold emailing is a scalable approach to reaching potential customers or clients. You can send hundreds or even thousands of emails simultaneously, swiftly reaching numerous potential clients.

3. Cost-effective: Unlike traditional marketing and sales techniques, cold emailing doesn’t require substantial investment in advertisements or referrals. All you need is an email address and a well-crafted message.

4. Better ROI: When executed correctly, cold emailing can yield a superior return on investment (ROI) compared to other outreach methods. You can easily monitor metrics such as open rates, reply rates, and conversions to assess the effectiveness of your campaign and make necessary adjustments.

At this point, you’ve grasped the advantages of cold emailing and its effectiveness. Now, let’s explore the various use cases of cold emailing and discover how to maximize their potential.

What are the various use cases of Cold Email?

Sending cold emails can serve various purposes, depending on your needs. Here are some of the most common use cases:

1) Lead generation:

Using cold emailing to generate leads can be highly effective.

For instance, if you operate a B2B software company and aim to generate leads for your product/service, you can begin by researching your target audience and compiling a list of prospects. Once you understand their needs, you can craft a persuasive message and pitch your services to them.

By reaching out to hundreds or thousands of prospects with tailored messages, you can potentially generate numerous leads. This approach allows you to initiate relationships and gradually convert them into valuable customers.

2) Business partnerships:

Cold emailing is also effective for establishing partnerships with other businesses. This entails reaching out to potential partners and outlining how your company can enhance theirs.

For example, if you operate a digital marketing agency specializing in social media management and aim to collaborate with popular influencers in your client’s niche, you can begin by researching influencers in your target industry and compiling a list of potential partners.

Once you have your list, you can initiate contact via email with a compelling offer, ultimately sealing the partnership. A carefully crafted cold email can initiate a dialogue that leads to a mutually advantageous partnership.

3) Networking:

Cold emailing offers a way to broaden your professional network by connecting with individuals you admire or aspire to collaborate with in your industry or related fields.

For instance, if you aim to network with others in your industry, you can begin by visiting their websites, locating their email addresses, or utilizing a third-party tool to compile a list. Once you have your list, you can send them tailored and personalized emails to forge connections.

A personalized and considerate cold email can facilitate the establishment of connections and potentially pave the way for future collaborations.

What is a cold email outreach, and how to do it effectively?

Cold email outreach involves strategically sending personalized emails to individuals or businesses to capture their interest in your product or service.

This approach generates leads, enhances brand awareness, and transforms recipients into paying customers. The critical factors include crafting a personalized and engaging message that connects with your target audience and consistently following up to foster relationships and build trust.

Now that we understand the effectiveness of cold email outreach, it’s essential to approach it strategically. Here’s a 6-step process on how to conduct cold email outreach:

Step 1: Identify your target audience and build an ICP

Begin by thoroughly researching and pinpointing your target audience. Cold emailing without considering their needs and interests will likely yield ineffective results.

According to a Gartner report, only 23.9% of sales emails are opened. To enhance the likelihood of a response, it’s crucial to ensure that your emails are sent to the right person, at the right time, and with regular intervals.

By narrowing down your target audience, you can tailor emails that are pertinent and captivating to each individual you aim to connect with.

After completing your research, the next step is to create an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). An ICP outlines the characteristics of individuals or companies that would benefit from your offerings. It identifies the most valuable prospects and customers who are more inclined to make a purchase or close a deal with you.

To create an ICP, based on your research findings, compile a list of key customer attributes you’d like to see in your prospects. Some characteristics to consider may include:

– Location
– Budget
– Department
– Annual Revenue
– Company size
– Industry, etc.

Step 2: Build your lead list

A well-structured lead list can streamline outreach efforts and enhance the likelihood of converting ideal customers into paying clients.

A lead list comprises potential customers aligned with your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), typically featuring their contact details like name, email, designation, and company name, among others.

Having a lead list is essential as it furnishes a pool of highly relevant potential customers, saving time and effort in reaching out to individuals likely to be interested in your offering.

There are two approaches to building a lead list: the Trigger/Intent-based approach and the General Prospecting approach.

Trigger/Intent-based approach:
This method involves identifying specific triggers or intents suggesting potential interest in your offering, then targeting those prospects with personalized and timely cold emails. Triggers could range from a company’s recent funding announcement to a change in leadership or a recent press release indicating a need or new product launch.

General prospecting approach:
Contrary to the Trigger/Intent-based approach, this method entails searching for potential sources where contact information can be found based on your ICP. Sources may include websites, forums, communities, existing databases, or manual extraction.

Regardless of the approach chosen, there are four ways to build your lead list:

1) Manual Research:
Conducting manual research involves scouring the internet for potential leads and compiling their contact information. While time-consuming, this approach ensures lead quality, making it ideal for targeting specific niches or industries with smaller prospect sizes.

2) Email Scraping Tools:
These automated tools expedite the manual process by extracting email addresses from websites and social media platforms. However, be cautious as some tools may not comply with regulations, potentially affecting deliverability.

3) Third-Party Databases & Software:
These tools offer access to a wide range of contact information for professionals and businesses within your niche or industry. Although convenient, data accuracy may vary, impacting email deliverability.

4) Purchasing a List from a Third-Party Provider:
While this option saves time, it can be costly and may result in outdated or irrelevant email addresses.

Once you’ve created your lead list, ensure its verification to improve deliverability. Now, let’s explore how to maximize email deliverability for your cold email efforts in the next step.

Step 3: Setup & Email Deliverability

Setting up email deliverability is crucial for cold emailing as it directly impacts the success of your outreach efforts. Here are some key considerations to ensure better deliverability:

Choosing Domain:
Using your primary domain for cold emailing can harm your domain reputation, affecting email open and response rates. It’s essential to have secondary domains and email accounts to maintain good deliverability.

Domain Warmup:
Email warmup is vital for new accounts to establish a positive reputation gradually. This involves sending a small number of emails initially and gradually increasing the volume to build trust with email providers.

Authentication Records:
Authenticate your email accounts to enhance deliverability. Key authentication records include SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance), and custom tracking domains.

Custom Tracking:
Utilize custom tracking domains to monitor email engagement without compromising sender reputation.

By following these steps, you can optimize your email deliverability for successful cold emailing. Now, let’s focus on crafting compelling emails.

Step 4: Write

Writing a captivating cold email requires attention to detail and a focus on key components: the subject line, preheader text, and body. Let’s delve into each:

Subject Line:
An engaging subject line grabs attention and compels recipients to open the email. Crafting one is vital as it determines email open rates.

A strong subject line distinguishes your email from others in the inbox, increasing chances of engagement.

Key tips for crafting an effective subject line include:

– Keep it concise (<60 characters).
– Personalize when possible.
– Utilize action-oriented language.
– Ensure clarity and relevance to your email’s value.
– Avoid spam-triggering words.

Investing effort into composing a compelling subject line enhances the success of your cold email outreach. Now, let’s explore the preheader text and body of the email.

Step 5: Analyze

Tracking and analyzing your cold email outreach performance is critical for making informed decisions and refining your approach. Here are key metrics to monitor:

1) Deliverability Rate:
This indicates the percentage of emails successfully reaching recipients’ inboxes. Factors like sender reputation and domain setup influence deliverability. Aim for a bounce rate below 3-5% and a delivery rate of 95% or higher.

2) Open Rate:
The open rate reveals the percentage of recipients who open your emails. A rate of 39% or more is considered good, with over 57% indicating exceptional success. Factors impacting open rates vary, so continual testing is crucial.

3) Reply Rate:
This measures the proportion of emails that elicit a response. Average reply rates typically range between 10-20% of total emails sent, though results may vary based on campaign specifics.

4) Click-Through Rate (CTR):
CTR indicates the percentage of recipients taking action based on your email’s goal. The average CTR for cold emailing is around 2.3%, serving as a benchmark for performance evaluation.

By analyzing these metrics, you can optimize your cold email outreach strategy for greater effectiveness and engagement.

Step 6: Optimize

Once you’ve analyzed your cold email results, optimizing your approach is crucial for future success. Here are key areas to focus on:

1) Timing:
Tailor your outreach timing to suit your target audience and industry. While there’s no universal “best time,” research and testing can reveal optimal windows. For example, tech companies may respond better on Monday mornings, while HR professionals might prefer afternoons.

2) Email Length:
Find the right balance between brevity and content. Research suggests that emails between 50 to 125 words tend to elicit the highest response rates. However, testing different lengths and content types is essential to gauge audience preferences accurately.

3) Value Proposition:
If your open rates are high but reply rates are low, it’s likely your value proposition isn’t resonating. Refine your pitch to better address the needs and interests of your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Relevance is key in cold emailing, so ensure your offer aligns with your audience’s expectations.

By continuously analyzing results and refining your approach, you can improve response rates and achieve your campaign goals. But beyond optimization, there are additional best practices to consider to enhance your outreach efforts.

Best Cold Email tool?

Email Jinny is one of the best cold email automation tools, allowing you to send personalized emails at scale with the highest email deliverability absolutely FREE.

It sends out cold emails one by one, making them appear to be sent manually, mimicking human-like sending approaches. Also, you can easily manage the number of replies on the email sent using Email Jinny and respond to them from a single place in a unified inbox.

Personalization: With Email Jinny, you can easily personalize your cold email. This helps you to increase engagement and response to your emails.

Automation: Email Jinny provides powerful automation features such as email tracking. that saves you time and effort in sending emails at scale.

Deliverability: Email Jinny uses advanced email deliverability techniques, so your emails are delivered with 100% accuracy.

Lifetime Free: Email Jinny provides a lifetime free plan using this plan you can send unlimited emails free of cost with our logo.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What constitutes a good cold email?

A good cold email is characterized by personalization, brevity, and offering value to the recipient. It should feature an engaging subject line that prompts the recipient to open the email. The body should introduce yourself, explain the purpose of your outreach, and articulate your request. Lastly, the email should conclude with a clear call to action, such as “Let’s schedule a meeting.”

2. Is cold emailing legal?

Yes, cold emailing is legal in many jurisdictions, including the US and Canada, provided certain regulations are followed. In the US, the CAN-SPAM Act sets guidelines for commercial emails, including the inclusion of an opt-out mechanism and your physical mailing address.

3. What is cold email outreach, and why is it significant?

Cold email outreach involves the strategic sending of personalized emails to individuals or businesses to pique their interest in your product or service. It is important because it allows you to initiate contact with potential leads and establish relationships, ultimately leading to business opportunities and growth.

What is the Click-Through Rate in Email Marketing?

February 10, 2024

by lotsofcode.in with One Comment Blog

The click-through rate, also known as email click rate, shows how many people clicked on a hyperlink, call-to-action (CTA), or image in an email. To calculate it, you divide the total number of clicks by the total number of delivered messages. This is what the equation looks like:

The click-through rate indicates how engaged your email audience is. Unlike the click-to-open rate, which measures activity among those who opened the email, this metric shows the overall interaction from everyone who received the email. It gives you an idea of what portion of your audience finds your content interesting over time.

Some Email Service Providers (ESPs) use unique clicks to calculate this metric, while others don’t. A unique click is recorded the first time a subscriber clicks on a campaign link. It doesn’t count if the same link is clicked multiple times.

According to Campaign Monitor’s annual email marketing benchmarks, the average click-through rate should be around 2.6%. You can find more detailed averages by day and industry in the complete report available here.

Why Monitoring CTR is necessary

The primary aim of monitoring click-through rate is to assess engagement. By analyzing click-through rates, you can evaluate performance in the following aspects:

1. Overall interest or potential email fatigue
2. Effectiveness of email content
3. Placement of links within the email
4. Number of links included
5. Types of media used

While the top part of your equation counts how many times your audience clicks a particular email campaign, there are two methods to track these clicks: unique link clicks and all link clicks.

What is Unique Link Clicks?

Unique link clicks: Recorded only once for each user who clicks on a link. This means the CTR indicates the percentage of recipients who clicked through an email.

What is All Link Clicks?

All link click: Registers any click made through an email, regardless of whether the same user clicks multiple times. The CTR indicates the ratio of “emails sent” to “visits to your site.”

It’s crucial to understand the distinction between “emails delivered” and “emails sent.” Formulas using “emails sent” will result in a CTR that is less than or equal to the formula using “emails delivered.” Why? The “emails sent” metric doesn’t factor in bounces, so it tends to be higher. “Emails delivered” represents “emails sent” after deducting bounces.

You can choose either method, and both are effective. However, many marketers prefer using an equation that uses “emails delivered” as the main denominator to ensure that deliverability problems don’t affect their CTR analysis.

Evaluating email performance is always crucial for identifying areas of enhancement in future campaigns. It’s recommended to combine CTR with other metrics like open rate, CTOR, etc., for optimal results.

Example

If your click-through rate was 4%, it would indicate that out of every 100 people who received your email, four individuals opened it and clicked on a link within the campaign.

Make Your Valentine’s Day Email Marketing Campaigns Awesome

February 10, 2024

by lotsofcode.in with No Comment Blog

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and it’s a great chance to spread love to your customers! Whether you’re sharing gift ideas or reminding them there’s still time to shop, we’ve got tips to help you attract shoppers to your Valentine’s store.

It feels like the moment Christmas decorations are put away, stores quickly fill up with red and pink hearts. That’s right, Valentine’s Day is approaching fast, so make sure your email marketing campaigns are all set!

It feels like the moment when stores fill up with red hearts and love decorations. Yes, Valentine’s Day is Coming fast, so ensure your Email Marketing Campaigns are all set!

As you debate whether that oversized teddy bear is a must-have (maybe it’s a bit too much?), your customers are busy choosing the perfect Valentine’s Day gifts and planning how to celebrate this love-filled occasion. This year, amidst economic uncertainties, they’re seeking meaningful ways to show their love.

For businesses, Valentine’s Day offers a great opportunity to connect with customers through email and reassure them that you’ve got exactly what they need. So, let’s get started! Roll up your sleeves and craft your Valentine’s Day email marketing campaigns using these helpful tips and examples!

Tip 1: Send your first Email Campaign before Valentine’s Day.

After the New Year, consider giving your subscribers a sneak peek of your upcoming Valentine’s Day sale. While they might groan realizing the holiday is approaching, they’ll appreciate the heads-up to start shopping.

Keep your first campaign simple and tap into the excitement of Valentine’s Day. By crafting a tempting initial email in your festive campaign, your customers may remember your message and show more interest as the big day draws near.

Additionally, setting up a custom marketing automation workflow can be a lifesaver. It automatically reminds subscribers, especially past purchasers, without you having to lift a finger. This helps prevent any last-minute hiccups in your campaign.

Example: The Valentine’s Day Reminder

This holiday email serves as a fantastic example of an initial campaign, gently nudging subscribers that Valentine’s Day is approaching and encouraging them to start their shopping.

Wording like “just around the corner”, “the countdown to V-Day”, or “shop is open” invoke urgency in the reader to prepare. Notice how Philosophy chooses to not feature products this early on – they know people are unlikely to make a purchase yet and opt for awareness instead.

Tip 2: Organize your Valentine’s Day email marketing by segmenting your audience based on their engagement.

We’ve emphasized it countless times: Segmentation is key for connecting with your audience on a personal level. For instance, kick off your Valentine’s Day campaign with a general email announcing your upcoming sale to your main list. Then, follow up with a campaign specifically for those who made a purchase, offering upselling or cross-selling opportunities.

But segmentation isn’t the only way to tailor your message. You can also personalize content using Mailjet’s dynamic content blocks to create sections within your emails that cater to each user. For example, a travel site could suggest subscribers’ favorite destinations for a Valentine’s Day getaway.

However, remember not to get too personal! While users appreciate relevant content, being overly intrusive can feel invasive and unsettle your customers.

Example: The Early Glimpse

This American Apparel email provides a glimpse of products designed for both women and men, showcasing the brand’s inclusivity. It’s an ideal strategy to inspire a Valentine’s Day shopping spree.

Effective email design incorporates ample white space around various color schemes and elements. In this campaign, the items are well-spaced and neatly organized, resembling a tidy store layout. Despite the variety of products, the email remains concise, featuring a single prominent call-to-action button that makes it effortless for readers to navigate to the website.

Tip 3: Discover optimal email subject lines through A/B testing.

Testing different versions of your emails is crucial for marketers. You can experiment to find the perfect Valentine’s Day email templates, refine messaging and CTAs, or ensure your most captivating email designs are reaching your contacts. With so much to test, it can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re short on time and can’t build and test multiple templates.

However, subject lines are always worth testing, especially on significant days like Valentine’s Day. It’s not as difficult as it sounds. All you need is some inspiration and an A/B testing tool.

Start by brainstorming ideas for your various campaigns or email newsletters, and then run A/B tests on each Valentine’s Day email marketing campaign you send out. A/B testing enables you to send different options to a portion of your contact list to determine which one performs best. Then, the winning version is automatically sent to the rest of your list.

37 Catchy Valentine’s Day Email Subject Lines for Your Business

Looking for ideas for your Valentine’s Day email subject lines? We’ve got you covered! Depending on your brand’s tone, consider using emojis to grab attention. Check out these top examples tailored to your industry:

Retail & Ecommerce

From name	Subject
LEGO®	LEGO® gifts like Cupid would choose 💘
Funko News	Star Wars Valentines
Kohl’s	Subject: 20% off + lovely gifts … swoon 😍
Hers	You call the shots this Valentine’s Day 👸🏼
Harry	A Valentine, from you to you
Field Notes Brand	Field Notes: Today is Wednesday (and Valentine’s Day too)
Saxx	Hurry! Last Chance For Valentine’s Day with Express Shipping
Frank Body	💓 Send a love letter on me 💓
Béis	Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 💌

Tech

From name	Subject
Freelancer	I love you
Calm	Learn to be tender with your emotions.
Ritual Co	Be ours? ❤️
Bose	Limited-time Offer \| Save Up to $120 This Valentine’s Day
TradeMe	We love…
Jetpack	Love your site? Treat it to Jetpack with 60% off!

Food & drink

From name	Subject
Starbucks	No flowers, but alllll of the chocolate
Pulp & Press	15% Off Any 2 Cleanses Ends Soon, Lovebirds! 🥰
GrubHub	Show essential workers some love this Valentine’s Day
DoorDash	Need a last-minute gift for Valentine’s?
Lemonate	🎁 Procrastinators, this V-Day gift idea is for you.

Entertainment

From name	Subject
PlayStation	💕Play together this Valentine’s Day. 💕
Hulu	Spend Valentine’s Day with Our Favorite Couples
iFLY Indoor Skydiving	Love is in the air
Virgin Experience Days	It’s all about him, him, him baby!
TodayTix	Sunday Picks \| Valentine’s Plans
Green Bay Packers	Share the love at Lambeau Field

Travel

From name	Subject
Tripadvisor	Switch it up this Valentine’s Day
Europcar	Happy Valentine’s getaway 💌 14% off
Thomas Cook	The perfect time for romance and relaxation
Qantas Frequent Flyer	Valentine’s Day gifts for them, Qantas Points for you
AllTrails	Treat your valentine to scenic views and sunsets ❤️ 🗻
Air Europa	💘 Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a 25% discount
IBERIA	🎁 Daniel, celebrate Valentine’s Day with a discount on a Gift Card
Vueling	Flowers and something else, perhaps?

Non-profit

From name	Subject
UNICEF Australia	Daniel, there’s still time to send a Valentine’s Day gift!
Charity Water	Water loves you
CLEAR	With love: 2 months of CLEAR

Tip 4: Make the most of your order confirmation emails.

Valentine’s Day presents a prime opportunity for upselling. As people splurge on gifts for their loved ones, leverage email to showcase additional options, even after they’ve made a purchase. For instance, if a subscriber buys a necklace, follow up with an email suggesting matching earrings or a jewelry box.

Transactional emails, known for their high open rates, offer a reliable channel to reach customers. Take advantage of these emails to deliver your message effectively. You can also include a special offer in your transactional emails to incentivize repeat purchases, ensuring customers return to your site even after the Valentine’s Day buzz subsides.

In essence, your order confirmation email might be the last communication a one-time customer receives, so make it impactful!

Example: You’ll also love…

Crate&Barrel recognizes the high engagement rates of their order confirmations. Here, they seize the chance to suggest related products, reminding customers of items they may have overlooked before moving on to other tasks.

Crate&Barrel utilizes their transactional email for upselling.

While transactional emails, like this receipt from Crate&Barrel, primarily feature order information, they don’t have to stop there. By adding additional products at the bottom, customers get the necessary details first without distractions, followed by personalized recommendations they might like. Crate&Barrel keeps it simple with just four lamps, avoiding overwhelming the email with too many products or categories, which could make it feel like a marketing campaign.

Tip 5:Give procrastinators an extra push on Valentine’s Day.

Have you noticed someone repeatedly visiting your landing pages in the days leading up to the holiday but not making a purchase? You might have a classic holiday procrastinator on your hands. These shoppers excel at waiting until the eleventh hour to order gifts, often in a panic and with tight deadlines (yet still expecting timely delivery for Valentine’s Day!). To ease their stress and prevent last-minute panic, reassure them through your emails and remind them of items they’ve shown interest in on your website.

Consider retargeting those on your email list who have opened and clicked without purchasing to remind them of the deadline for Valentine’s Day delivery, creating a sense of urgency. If they miss the deadline, follow up with an email about same-day or next-day delivery options (if available) or offer the option to purchase a digital gift card. Providing last-minute solutions will be appreciated by your customers, ensuring they’re not left empty-handed when the big day arrives.

Example: The reminder email

In this email by Birchbox, customers are prompted about the limited time remaining to purchase a gift. Additionally, the email offers two last-minute gift suggestions, aiming to motivate potential customers to make a prompt purchase.

Birchbox’s Valentine’s Day email campaign is all about love. They incorporate pink and red hues, symbolizing affection, and if your brand permits, you might consider adding these colors to your emails. Birchbox employs a captivating visual layout that guides the reader through their product offerings step by step. Their messaging strikes a balance between urgency (“Last chance”) and reassurance (“Still time”), keeping readers alert yet relaxed.

Tip 6: Show your love for your customers with a Valentine’s Day Email

Valentine’s Day isn’t exclusive to couples; it’s also an excellent opportunity for you to demonstrate your appreciation for your subscribers! Send them a personalized offer to make them feel valued and cherished. For instance, consider sending your most loyal customers a small discount redeemable on Valentine’s Day. For frequent shoppers, sending a coupon for your product or service is a friendly gesture to remind them that you value their business.

Example: The Valentine’s Day GIF(t)

This example illustrates how you can make your customers feel valued and entice them to click to discover a special surprise awaiting them.

A Valentine’s gift should evoke a sense of specialness.

Free gifts trump roses for those seeking sweet deals. Flip the messaging around—instead of focusing on their Valentine, make them your Valentine. Try using headings like “Will you be our Valentine?” or “Violets are red, roses are blue, we have the best Valentine’s treat for you!”

In summary

We hope you’re not feeling too sentimental after checking out our love-filled email examples. Don’t miss the opportunity to forge a heartfelt connection with your contacts this Valentine’s Day—you might even see a boost in your sales!

Here’s a quick recap of the tips:

1. Start your email campaign before Valentine’s Day.
2. Segment your email marketing based on activity.
3. Test different email subject lines with A/B testing.
4. Utilize your order confirmations for upselling.
5. Give procrastinators an extra push on Valentine’s Day.
6. Express your appreciation for your customers with a Valentine’s Day email.
7. Don’t forget about those who aren’t in a relationship.

Looking to send outstanding Valentine’s Day emails that drive real results? Sinch Email Jinny has all the tools you need to create impactful and effective marketing campaigns.

What is Email Marketing Strategy?

February 9, 2024

by lotsofcode.in with 5 Comments Blog

It’s now 2024, and social media has emerged as the dominant marketing channel. However, email marketing continues to thrive and deliver excellent results.

According to HubSpot’s recent report, a staggering 95% of marketers believe that their email marketing strategies have effectively met their business objectives.

Of course, this success hinges on executing email marketing correctly. An effective strategy demands thorough research, meticulous planning, and extensive testing.

In light of this, we’ve crafted a practical guide on email marketing strategy. We’ll delve into key definitions, provide real-world examples, offer insights on strategy development, and supplement it all with our own experiences and findings.

What is email marketing strategy?

Email marketing strategy refers to a collection of tactics utilized by marketers to effectively target the appropriate audience with relevant content. This approach streamlines the process of understanding user preferences, analyzing industry best practices, and delivering content that drives revenue growth.

Think of it like embarking on a journey to an unfamiliar destination. You have a specific endpoint in mind, but without a map, the likelihood of getting lost increases significantly. However, with a carefully planned route, you can efficiently reach your destination.

Similarly, an email marketing strategy serves as your predetermined path to achieving marketing campaign objectives.

In broad terms, email marketing can be categorized as either inbound or outbound.

Inbound email marketing focuses on individuals who are already subscribed to your email list. These individuals have demonstrated interest in your product or service by signing up or making purchases. The objective of inbound marketing is to convert these interested users into paying customers.

On the other hand, outbound email marketing targets potential customers who may fit your ideal client profile. The aim is to introduce your brand and attract new customers. Outbound email marketing strategies revolve around addressing three key questions: who, what, and how.

Typically, outbound email marketing is associated with sales efforts, whereas inbound email marketing is primarily utilized by marketers. Therefore, in the upcoming blog post, we will primarily discuss strategies for inbound email marketing.

4 Examples of Email Marketing Strategies

To illustrate the concept of email marketing strategy, we’ve curated four examples of email marketing campaigns that either successfully achieve or fall short of their SMART goals.

Throughout our discussion of each example, we’ll focus on two primary criteria: the relevance of the campaign to its target audience and the specific email marketing tactics employed.

Netflix – Continue Watching

Netflix’s primary email marketing strategy revolves around data-driven personalization. They leverage user data, including viewing habits, patterns, browsing behavior, and preferred genres, to tailor the content of their emails. This personalized approach gives users the impression that each email is specifically crafted for them.

Furthermore, Netflix ensures that their email recommendations are relevant without overwhelming users’ inboxes with spam. The overarching objective of this strategy is to re-engage users who may be less active.

Here are the positive aspects of the example mentioned:

1. The email content is personalized to reflect users’ viewing history and habits.
2. Recommendations are backed by research data.
3. The campaign targets a specific audience segment: individuals aged 18 to 34.
4. Effective email marketing tactics include clear call-to-action buttons, well-organized headers, episode links, and a mobile-friendly layout.

However, some areas could be improved:

The extensive use of user data by Netflix may raise privacy concerns.

Twitch – 2021 Recap

In 2019, Twitch, a leading streaming platform, made its debut in the marketing realm with its inaugural campaign. Around 2020, they expanded their marketing efforts to include email marketing with the introduction of yearly recap campaigns.

Following a strategy akin to Netflix, Twitch employed personalization tactics to foster a deeper connection with their audience. The primary objective was to enhance the community spirit and express gratitude for their ongoing support.

Upon initial inspection, the email appears to be well-crafted, providing statistics and detailing how one of the creators spent their year with Twitch. Here are some positive aspects of the campaign:

– The content resonates with the target demographic, with 70% falling between ages 18 and 34.
– The content, particularly the stats, is tailored to the individual streamer.
– Twitch employs effective tactics like concise messaging, consistent branding, mobile-friendly design, and optimized subject lines.

However, despite these strengths, the campaign faced significant backlash for two main reasons:

1. Twitch did not clearly communicate to users that subscription to marketing emails was necessary for receiving recaps. This information was only clarified after users voiced their dissatisfaction, leading many to feel excluded and let down.
2. The email content did not meet users’ expectations for recaps. Instead of precise numbers like watch time, users received general statistics such as earned channel points, top watched categories, and top watched channels. Furthermore, users found inaccuracies in the provided statistics.

Here are some drawbacks of the campaign:

– Twitch failed to adequately inform users about the subscription requirement.
– The campaign relied on superficial personalization.
– User expectations and preferences were not thoroughly researched.

Uber – Holiday Campaign

Uber is a brand known for its extensive use of email marketing, sending a variety of emails including both non-promotional and promotional content. These emails range from updates on new features to discounts, special offers, and coupon codes. Uber strategically employs email marketing to boost sales, showcase new offerings, and maintain engagement with their audience.

Here are the positive aspects of this campaign:

– It follows a consistent schedule and utilizes clear call-to-action buttons.
– The content is tailored to the target audience, offering value by demonstrating Uber’s usefulness during the holiday season.
– The email content is concise, catering to recipients who may have limited time to spare.

Areas for improvement include:

– Lack of personalization in the campaign.
– The use of a GIF background, which may not render correctly in all email clients.

Email marketing strategy vs. tactics

Email marketing strategy is often misconstrued with tactics or methods. When seeking effective email marketing strategies, search results often focus on optimizing subject lines, creating mobile-friendly layouts, segmenting subscriber lists, sending personalized messages, and more.

However, these are simply tactics. While valuable in execution, they do not constitute the strategy itself. The strategy is the overarching plan implemented to accomplish specific goals.

The primary elements of an Email Marketing Strategy

An email marketing strategy comprises four main components: identifying the problem, gathering raw data, formulating solutions, and creating a roadmap for implementation.

Identifying the problem:

Identifying the problem involves recognizing the challenges your product or service currently faces. This could range from issues like a lack of trust, fierce competition in the market, or insufficient brand awareness. It’s crucial to clearly define the problem at the outset of your strategy.

Raw Data:

The research and raw data phase entails conducting thorough research to understand your target audience’s perceptions, as well as analyzing your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. This may involve customer development processes, surveys, and exploring online platforms for user feedback.

Formulating Solutions:

The solutions component outlines how you plan to address each identified problem. For instance, if trust is an issue, solutions may include gathering testimonials from satisfied customers or creating educational content to enhance brand awareness.

Creating a Roadmap

Finally, the roadmap lays out the steps for implementing these solutions. This includes detailing the actions required for executing each solution, such as running survey email campaigns or creating case studies for corporate clients. Additionally, the roadmap should include a schedule for email content and marketing campaign deployment.

Why is email marketing strategy important?

There are several compelling reasons why email marketing strategy is crucial:

1. Integral to the marketing funnel: Email marketing plays a pivotal role in the marketing funnel by allowing marketers to tailor their approach to users at different stages of their journey. For instance, new subscribers may receive informational newsletters and onboarding guides to bolster brand awareness, while tactics may evolve as users progress through the funnel.

2. Audience-centric approach: A well-defined email marketing strategy hinges on a deep understanding of the target audience, enabling marketers to create tailored content that aligns with their interests, habits, and preferences. This results in fewer spam complaints, enhanced email deliverability, and increased click-through rates (CTR).

3. High ROI potential: By adhering to a meticulously crafted plan grounded in research data, email marketing campaigns stand a strong chance of delivering a high return on investment (ROI). This is attributable to the strategic deployment of resources and efforts, leading to the attainment of desired outcomes.

Despite its numerous benefits, email marketing strategy may not be suitable for everyone, as it comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Pros	Cons
1. Cost-effective with high ROI: Email marketing is relatively inexpensive and boasts the highest return on investment (ROI) compared to other marketing channels. Depending on the industry, ROI can range from $36 to $45. An effective strategy can further enhance these numbers.	1. Costly and labor-intensive: Developing and executing an effective email marketing strategy requires additional resources, such as hiring an experienced marketer and occasionally seeking help from external consultants.
2. Complementary to content marketing: Email marketing can be seamlessly integrated with a content marketing strategy or substituted for it altogether, enhancing overall marketing efforts.	2. Time gap between investment and revenue: There is often a lag between the initial investment in email marketing and the realization of revenue, requiring patience and long-term commitment.
3. Aligned with Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) research: Email marketing strategies can be tailored to align with the overall Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) of a business, ensuring targeted and effective communication with the intended audience.	3. Time-consuming testing process and adoption: The testing and optimization process in email marketing can be time-consuming, requiring iterative adjustments and experimentation to achieve desired results.
4. Facilitates audience understanding and consistency: Email marketing helps marketers gain valuable insights into their audience and maintain consistency across all marketing channels, fostering stronger brand engagement.	4. Not suitable for niche audiences: Email marketing may not be effective for companies with highly specialized or niche target audiences, as it may struggle to resonate with such specific demographics.

In addition to considering the advantages and disadvantages, it’s crucial to assess whether email marketing aligns with your business goals and target audience. While it’s often utilized by companies seeking broader reach and increased conversions, it may not be suitable for everyone.

For businesses already active in other digital channels, email marketing can serve as a complementary tool, enhancing campaign results through synergies with social media or advertising efforts.

Smaller businesses, in particular, may find email marketing to be a primary channel due to its high ROI and relatively low resource requirements compared to paid advertising.

However, for companies catering to niche audiences, email marketing may not be effective. Certain demographics, such as developers, may be averse to marketing emails, leading to high spam complaint rates and diminished campaign effectiveness. In such cases, alternative marketing channels may yield better results.

Types of email marketing strategy

Depending on the size of your business and your objectives, your email marketing strategy may vary. Additionally, different tactics may be employed depending on the various stages of the customer journey. Let’s categorize email marketing strategies based on business size and user trigger campaigns.

Email Marketing Strategies for Different Business Sizes

Small Businesses:
For small businesses, hyper-personalized campaigns may not be feasible due to limited resources. Instead, focus on building a loyal customer community through exceptional customer experiences. Utilize email marketing for referral programs, offering incentives for both customers and the business. This approach fosters word-of-mouth marketing and is particularly beneficial for beginners and freelancers.

Tech Startups:
Tech startups thrive on experimentation. Embrace invite-only, exclusivity-centered marketing strategies to generate virality. OnePlus successfully employed this tactic during its smartphone launch, selling over 1.5 million phones within a year. Confidence in your product is crucial for this strategy to succeed.

Midsize Businesses and Service Companies:
Follow industry best practices but customize them to suit your unique business needs. Treat suggested tips as guidelines and adjust them according to your brand identity and audience preferences.

Email Marketing Strategies for Re-engagement Campaigns:
Re-engagement campaigns target inactive subscribers and require a tailored approach. Optimize email subject lines and offer special incentives to reignite interest. Consider providing different subscription options or introducing new products or features to capture attention. Research the reasons for disengagement and adjust your strategy accordingly. Send multiple follow-up emails before removing inactive subscribers from your list.

Email Marketing Strategy for Cart Abandonment Campaigns:
Cart abandonment campaigns aim to prompt users to complete their purchase after leaving items in their cart. A simple reminder may not suffice, so emphasize product value through testimonials and reviews. Incorporate loyalty programs and leverage FOMO to encourage action. Offer incentives like discounts or free shipping to entice customers to complete their purchase.

How to create an Email Marketing Strategy

As previously discussed, developing an email marketing strategy is a complex process that involves multiple steps. Below, we’ve outlined the fundamental steps essential for crafting a strategy.

It’s important to note that the specifics of each step will vary based on your objectives, industry, and target audience. Therefore, it’s crucial to tailor the process to fit your unique circumstances.

1. Determine the strategy goal

What are your objectives with email marketing? Are you looking to enhance engagement among your current customers, raise brand awareness, or drive more conversions?

Determining the goal of your email marketing efforts will shape the entire framework of your strategy.

However, it’s crucial to maintain realistic expectations. For new businesses, achieving immediate success without the assistance of email marketing strategy consultants or dedicated teams can be challenging. Therefore, anticipate that your initial campaign may not deliver optimal results.

Moreover, generating a return on investment (ROI) requires patience, even for established brands that allocate significant resources to their email marketing endeavors.

2. Build the buyer persona

The subsequent step involves constructing the buyer persona, which entails crafting a fictional representation of your ideal customer grounded in their purchasing behaviors.

For instance, if your business specializes in stationery items, you might develop buyer personas such as “Writer Oliver” and “Teenager Sally.” Writer Oliver is a loyal customer who frequently purchases your new products, whereas Teenager Sally, constrained by limited funds, only makes purchases during sales events or when affordable and appealing pencils are released.

These personas serve as valuable tools for tailoring personalized email campaigns to specific audience segments.

However, if your business offers services, your email marketing strategy may pivot towards your overall Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) research. In this scenario, you’ll create profiles for companies rather than individuals. For instance:

SaaS companies and startups based in Europe that have secured funding but encounter challenges in data analytics.

3. Look into the previous emails that worked well

By delving into the analysis of your previous successful emails, you can uncover valuable insights that inform future strategies. Rather than solely scrutinizing the content of the emails, it’s essential to examine every aspect comprehensively.

Evaluate the effectiveness of various subject lines and replicate successful tactics during subsequent testing phases (further elaborated below). Assess the email designs that resonated with your audience. Did they engage more with image-heavy or responsive formats? Did HTML content garner greater interaction? All these aspects should be scrutinized through data analysis and basic metrics. Pay close attention to spam complaints and their relationship with design elements.

If subscribers are prone to marking certain design types as spam, opting for a plain text format might yield better results. When selecting a design, also consider the email clients used by your target audience. Note that HTML or interactive designs may not be compatible with all mailbox providers. Utilize this information for list segmentation purposes to ensure optimal email rendering across all recipients.

4. Research your competitors’ emails and their audience

Examining competitors’ emails can offer valuable insights. By analyzing whom they target and how they do it, you can gain inspiration for your own strategy, especially if your target audience overlaps with theirs.

However, it’s crucial to view competitors’ approaches as sources of inspiration rather than strict templates. While learning from their methods, ensure to tailor them to suit your product, business, and specific goals. This customization will help differentiate your strategy and better resonate with your audience.

5. Conduct A/B testing

A/B testing, also known as split testing, involves systematically testing different elements of your emails to determine which variations perform better. For instance, if conducting A/B testing on subject lines, different subject lines are used in separate emails sent to predetermined subscriber groups. The subject line that yields better performance becomes the preferred choice.

This testing method extends to various components such as pre-headers, email bodies, calls to action (CTAs), links, and email templates. Essentially, almost every aspect of your email can undergo A/B testing. It’s essential to ensure that the testing options significantly differ from one another.

By conducting A/B testing, you gain insights into what resonates best with your audience before rolling out to a broader audience. It’s a pivotal part of experimentation, allowing you to refine and optimize your email marketing strategy based on data-driven insights.

Important Email Marketing tips to keep in mind

Maximize email personalization – capitalize on its effectiveness without manually inserting recipient names; trusted email service providers (ESPs) automate this process seamlessly.

Next, ensure to thoroughly test your email campaigns prior to deployment. Utilize tools like Mailtrap Email Testing – an Email Sandbox designed to test and debug emails in staging environments. This tool enables you to validate HTML/CSS, assess spam scores, and preview emails across desktop, tablet, and mobile views. Additionally, it confirms the proper substitution of placeholders with real values.

Furthermore, remain vigilant regarding changes in privacy and regulatory policies, such as GDPR and CAN-SPAM. Compliance with regulations, including the inclusion of unsubscribe options, is crucial for campaign success and legitimacy of mailing lists.

Lastly, integrate your email marketing strategy with your broader digital marketing initiatives. This alignment fosters consistency across all marketing channels, enhancing overall effectiveness and brand coherence.

Cold Email Marketing: From Basics to Helpful Tool

February 9, 2024

by lotsofcode.in with One Comment Blog

Cold email marketing is similar to being a door-to-door salesman, except you don’t see doors closing in your face, or even opening at all. However, like door-to-door sales, it can greatly benefit your business if done correctly.

Let’s explore the world of cold email marketing and learn how to reach the point where people can’t resist responding.

What is Cold Email Marketing?

Well, in simple terms, cold email marketing involves sending emails to promote your product or service…emails that no one specifically requested. That’s one reason why it’s not the most popular approach out there. But don’t let that discourage you from considering cold email outreach campaigns altogether.

An effective cold email can still yield results. Research by Backlinko analyzed 12 million outreach emails and found that, on average, the reply rate is 8.5%.

Now, you might be thinking, “Just 8.5%?” Yes, it’s a relatively low percentage, but when you put a monetary value to it, that number becomes more significant.

For instance, let’s say you’re a B2B software company selling your SaaS for $10,000 per year. If you send out 5,000 cold emails to potential customers over a few months and get an 8.5% response rate, that’s 425 potential leads.

Now, imagine if your sales team closes just 10% of those leads after a few phone calls—that’s 42 new customers. At $10,000 per year per customer, that’s $420,000 in annual revenue generated from your cold email campaign.

Of course, these are hypothetical figures, and the actual outcome depends on various factors like your industry, target audience, email content quality, etc.

But one thing is clear: cold email marketing still holds promise for lead generation.

The underlying principle behind cold emails is permission-based marketing. Recipients have the option to opt-out and unsubscribe, and they will do so if you bombard them with emails. Sending too many emails can not only lead to low open rates and wasted effort but also damage your sender’s reputation.

So, the key is to choose the right cold email strategy that avoids ending up in the spam folder.

Cold Email Marketing: Easy Tips and Helpful Practices

The main hurdle in creating effective cold emails is making them brief yet compelling enough to prompt a response. However, using well-crafted personalized cold email templates is just the beginning. It’s also crucial to adhere to various legal regulations, such as those outlined in the CAN-SPAM Act, and stay updated on the latest sender requirements from platforms like Google and Yahoo.

Let’s delve further into each step to grasp what it entails to plan and carry out a successful cold outreach campaign.

Step 1: Plan Your Cold Email Marketing Strategy and Prepare

No matter how compelling your “sales emails” may be, they won’t generate any conversions if you’re not targeting the right audience. Therefore, before you start drafting anything, gather your team and brainstorm to define your strategy. Identify your target audience, ascertain if they’re decision-makers, determine the message needed to address their pain points, decide on the number of email sequences required, and establish your ultimate goals.

Once you’ve completed this step, research and select the appropriate sending tool (more details on this below). This is also the right time to establish how you’ll measure the success of your campaigns and which metrics are most important to you. Keep in mind that most reliable sending tools offer analytical capabilities.

It’s also crucial to remember that email providers prioritize SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols, and so should you, as they influence email deliverability. Therefore, ensure that all your email authentication protocols are properly set up.

Step 2: Acquire the Contacts

Once you’ve determined your target audience through brainstorming, the next step is to gather their email addresses. Here are a few methods to acquire the contact information of potential customers:

1. List Building:
Building a robust email list is essential for success, although it may require some time and effort initially. Consider using LinkedIn Ads or other relevant social media platforms to drive traffic to a value-oriented landing page where users can leave their email addresses for more information. Don’t overlook the importance of SEO optimization for organic traffic, even if you’re using paid promotions.

2. Email Scraping:
Email scraping involves automatically extracting email information from publicly available or private sources. The software can collect data online quickly and cost-effectively, allowing for personalized emails by obtaining not just the prospect’s name but also their job title, company name, and other useful information. However, email scraping has downsides, such as lower lead quality and potential legal issues if scraping violates website terms of service.

3. Purchasing:
Avoid purchasing email lists altogether. Trustworthy, high-quality email lists are not available for purchase, and doing so can result in serious legal and reputational consequences, including poor email deliverability and IP reputation. It’s best to focus on organic list-building methods to ensure compliance and maintain email quality.

Step 3. Write a cold email

It’s time to don your copywriter’s cap.

Before you begin drafting, keep in mind that the primary aim of a cold email is to elicit a positive response (engagement with your call-to-action counts too).

Some experts advocate for personalized, concise, and creative subject lines for cold emails—and they’re right. However, honesty should be the top priority above all else.

Don’t overthink it, and avoid being misleading.

When it comes to the email body, this is where you can give it more thought. The goal is to grab the prospect’s attention from the start and, once again, prioritize honesty. Avoid resorting to unoriginal or tasteless “dirty tricks” like using provocative statements followed by a “now that I have your attention…”

Instead, consider mentioning something you have in common or asking a relevant question that addresses a pain point, while keeping it brief—a subtle attention-grabber with a touch of humor.

Next, transition to what you have to offer. It’s crucial to keep it short and to the point. No one wants to or has the time to read a lengthy email. One effective way to decide what information to include is to ask yourself: “If this were a cold call and I had 60 seconds, would I say this?”

Since you’re not providing extensive information, include a link where more details can be found.

Conclude your email by expressing genuine appreciation, going beyond the standard “Thank you.” After all, someone is taking the time to read your email.

Now, it’s time to craft another version of the email. Same concept as with the first email. Once the campaign is underway, consider conducting A/B testing to determine which version yields better results.

This is also a suitable moment to contemplate the copy for follow-up emails. While a drip campaign with a sequence of emails can potentially garner more replies, it may also increase the likelihood of being marked as spam. Trust your instincts: do you genuinely want to follow up more than once?

Step 4. Launch a Campaign

That’s it, you’ve completed all the steps, and now you can schedule your emails using a cold email outreach tool like Reply, Saleshandy, or Smartlead, and take a breather. But not quite.

While email automation is crucial, and we’ll discuss some top tools for that below, here’s where the real challenge begins… metrics.

It’s challenging not because you have to manually tally each key performance indicator (KPI)—various CRM integrations and other tools can handle that for you.

The challenge lies in the continuous monitoring, analysis, and decision-making based on the data you gather. Making data-driven decisions is tough, but like anything, it gets easier with practice (and a bit of research).

Top Tools for Cold Email Marketing

Utilizing the appropriate tools to establish and execute your cold email campaign can streamline your process and enhance your chances of success (assuming the copy is effective ). Here’s a brief overview of the top 5 cold email marketing tools to explore. The pros and cons of each tool are derived from publicly accessible user feedback.

1. Woodpecker is a cold email marketing tool that seamlessly integrates with Gmail and Outlook, enabling you to send personalized emails and follow-ups while easily tracking them.

Key Features:

– Automation of follow-up sequences
– Security features including auto duplicate detection, email validation, bounce tracking, and blacklist management
– Teamwork functionality to prevent multiple team members from contacting the same prospect, along with a “Team View” section for campaign monitoring
– A/B Testing capabilities

Pros:

– Excellent tracking system
– Effective email validation and list cleaning
– Ability to create diverse follow-up scenarios
– Responsive and supportive customer service

Cons:

– Changing the email sequence order can be cumbersome
– Analytics may not be as comprehensive as other tools
– Opt-out link solution lacks smoothness

2. Overloop (formerly known as Prospect.io) is a lead generation and email automation platform designed to assist businesses and freelancers in discovering leads and initiating contact with them through cold emails.

Key Features:

– Search and verify email IDs of prospects
– Creation of personalized campaigns, including drip sequences
– Customization and sharing of email templates with sales teams
– Detection of replies, including tracking bounce rates and out-of-office responses

Pros:

– Accurate email finder extension
– Strong integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot CRM, and other leading tools
– Comprehensive outbound sales automation at an affordable price
– Simple yet powerful, with customizable workflows
– Prompt and helpful customer support
– User-friendly intuitive design

Cons:

– Manual steps required when integrated with LinkedIn
– Not as cost-effective for small to medium businesses

3. SalesHandy is a tool for automating sales workflows and email marketing, allowing you to send cold emails and interact with leads.

Key Features:

– Sending personalized emails to multiple recipients
– Automating follow-ups for individual emails or entire campaigns
– Built-in email limiter to safeguard domain reputation
– Email verification tool to validate email addresses before sending

Pros:

– Robust scheduling features for campaigns
– Excellent customer service
– Straightforward setup process for email campaigns
– Comprehensive analytics with frequent feature updates
– Cost-effective for small sales teams
– Smooth integration with Chrome

Cons:

– Limited usability on mobile devices
– Lack of support for XLS file format (only CSV)

4. Mailshake is an email outreach software and sales engagement platform designed to streamline the process of sending personalized emails from Gmail and G Suite, as well as scheduling and tracking email campaigns.

Key Features:

– Customizable personalization for cold emails and other sales outreach methods (e.g., LinkedIn)
– Advanced integrations with platforms like Zapier, Slack, Pipedrive, etc.
– Comprehensive analytics for monitoring email campaigns

Pros:

– Intuitive user interface, making it easy to use
– Affordable pricing for core features
– Excellent customer service and useful resources
– Functional Chrome extension

Cons:

– Limited in some advanced flow features
– Lack of email tagging capability
– Additional cost to add more team members

5. Lemlist is a well-known email tool that enables you to personalize various elements in your cold emails and other outreach methods.

Key Features:

– Email personalization with customized variables and personalized images
– Automated follow-ups and personalized email sequences
– Custom tracking domains to enhance email deliverability

Pros:

– User-friendly campaign building tools
– Responsive support team
– Effective warming-up tool
– Extensive library of email templates

Cons:

– Time-consuming process to create personalized email templates
– Higher pricing compared to other platforms
– Limited capabilities for complex campaign automation

Conclusion

In summary, although cold email marketing may not be the most widely embraced approach, it still holds promise as an effective lead generation tool when executed properly. Crafting concise yet compelling emails that prompt reader engagement is a major hurdle. Targeting the appropriate audience, defining the message, and selecting the appropriate cold email tool are all critical factors for success.

We trust that you have found this article valuable, and we encourage you to maintain a balance of persistence and respect for recipients’ preferences, ensuring their right to opt-out and unsubscribe is always honored.

What is the Email Marketing Conversion Rate?

February 9, 2024

by lotsofcode.in with 5 Comments Blog

The Email Marketing Conversion Rate represents the portion of subscribers who fulfill an email’s call-to-action (CTA). It serves as a measurement of ROI (return on investment) and is therefore deemed a significant metric. As numerous conversions are sales-oriented, the email marketing conversion rate acts as an indicator of the financial performance of an email campaign.

What is a good conversion rate for email marketing?

In 2020, a favorable conversion rate for email marketing typically consisted of an 18% open rate and a 2.6% click-through rate (CTR).

What is the average email conversion rate?

In 2018, conversion rates for email marketing reached a peak of nearly 19%, while in 2020, the average conversion rate was approximately 15%.

What is a good marketing conversion rate?

What’s considered a good conversion rate for marketing? Generally, anything surpassing 10% can notably contribute to your business growth. Leading businesses typically achieve an 11-12% conversion rate, so achieving over 10% places you among the top tier of global marketers.

What is the average ROI for email marketing?

Studies may differ, but when email marketing is executed effectively, the average ROI typically exceeds 100%. Continuously, studies demonstrate that email marketing boasts the highest ROI among all marketing channels.

Top Email Marketing Matrics You Nedd to Know

What is Email Open Rate

What is Email Bounce

how to calculate spam rate in email marketing

How to Calculate Spam Complaint Rate in Email Marketing?

February 9, 2024

by lotsofcode.in with No Comment Blog

When people keep saying your emails are spam, it’s called a “spam complaint rate.” Having lots of complaints is bad because it makes it harder for your emails to reach people’s inboxes. This article will explain what spam complaint rates are and how to make them happen less often.

What is a spam complaint rate?

The spam complaint rate shows how many times subscribers label your emails as spam. Here’s how to calculate it:

Spam complaint rate = (Number of people marking your email as spam) / (Number of people who received the email)

Why spam complaints rates matter

When people label your emails as spam, it tells inbox providers that you’re sending unwanted content. They might start putting your emails straight into spam instead of the inbox. Spam complaints are worse than unsubscribes because they show stronger disapproval. If your spam complaints go up, it’s a big deal. To keep your sender reputation good, keep an eye on your spam complaint rates. If they start to rise, act fast to bring them down. A good spam complaint rate is less than 0.01%.

How to decrease spam complaint rates

Here are some important tactics to lower your spam complaint rates:

1. Make it easy to find and use the unsubscribe link.
2. Use double opt-in confirmation for subscriptions.
3. Offer a way for users to unsubscribe from all your emails at once.
4. Steer clear of using subject lines that seem spammy.
5. Make sure your emails display properly for everyone who receives them.

Make your unsubscribe link easily accessible

Always include a visible unsubscribe link in your emails. If someone can’t find it and wants to stop receiving your marketing, they might label your email as spam instead. Spam complaints harm your ability to reach inboxes much more than unsubscribes. Therefore, it’s essential to make the unsubscribe link easy to find.

For instance, don’t hide the link with light text on a white background or bury it within the email content. Instead, place it prominently at the start or end of your emails, or even in both places, using colors that stand out for clear visibility and accessibility.

Enable double opt-in

We strongly suggest activating double opt-in for your account. You can find this option in your main subscriber list settings. To access it, choose your list and go to Settings. Then, scroll down to the Opt-in Process section.

Double opt-in is a method where a new subscriber has to confirm their subscription before joining your list. This feature is automatically turned on for all Klaviyo lists, and we advise keeping it active unless you have a special reason for using single opt-in.

Enable global unsubscribes

We strongly advise activating global unsubscribes for your Klaviyo lists. With global unsubscribes enabled, anyone who opts out from one email will be unsubscribed from all lists and won’t receive any further emails. To set this up, go to your chosen list, click on Settings, and then scroll down to Unsubscribes.

Globally suppressed profiles will stay in your lists but won’t get any more emails. To remove these suppressed emails from your lists, go to Manage List > Remove Suppressed Profiles.

If you don’t have global unsubscribes turned on, someone might unsubscribe from one email thinking they won’t hear from your brand again. However, if they’re on multiple lists or meet certain criteria, they could still get emails and might mark them as spam. It’s better to enable this feature in your list settings.

You can find a direct link to the global unsubscribe page by going to Settings > Other, then scrolling down to the Consent section. Share this link to let subscribers opt out of all future emails.

Do not use spammy subject lines

Another effective way to reduce your spam complaint rate is to steer clear of subject lines that resemble those used by spammers. Using such subject lines can lead recipients to perceive your emails as spam and mark them accordingly, potentially triggering suspicion among inbox providers.

Inbox providers utilize spam filters to automatically divert suspicious emails to the spam folder instead of the inbox. Certain words and phrases can trigger these filters, so it’s advisable to avoid the following spam triggers:

– Using all capital letters (e.g., FREE MONEY NOW)
– Employing excessive symbols (e.g., 100% FREE MONEY!!$$$)
– Including only one large image in your email with minimal or no accompanying text
– Incorporating attention-grabbing or spam-inducing phrases (e.g., JUST THIS ONCE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY or ACT NOW!!!)

Ensure your emails render for all users

Always consider both mobile and desktop layouts when designing your emails. Problems with either layout can lead to recipients marking your emails as spam.

A spam complaint rate that’s higher than normal might also indicate email clipping. For instance, Gmail clips emails larger than 102 KB. Be aware of this and modify your email design to reduce its size and prevent frustrating recipients.

How to Calculate Unsubscribe Rate?

February 9, 2024

by lotsofcode.in with No Comment Blog

Unsubscribe Rate – Is it positive or negative? Interestingly, it can be both. On one hand, it assists in purging your list, enhancing its quality. Conversely, witnessing contacts depart can be disheartening, prompting reflection on what could have been done to retain them.

What is Unsubscribe Rate?

The unsubscribe rate indicates the proportion of users who have elected to exit your mailing list following an email campaign. It signifies the count of subscribers opting out of further newsletter receipt.

A heightened unsubscribe rate can detrimentally impact your email deliverability and domain reputation, potentially prompting ISP or email service providers such as Gmail and Yahoo to flag your messages as spam. Monitoring this metric aids in discerning the efficacy of your campaigns.

How to Calculate Unsubscribe Rate?

The unsubscribe rate is determined by dividing the number of unsubscribes by the total number of emails delivered. For instance, if 3000 emails are delivered in your campaign and 20 subscribers opt out, your unsubscribe rate is 0.6%.

A desirable unsubscribe rate typically falls around 0.5%. Nevertheless, this figure can fluctuate based on your industry.

How can you detect when a recipient clicks the unsubscribe button in your email? Email service providers (ESPs) like SendX offer tools to track your unsubscribe rate over different periods or within specific campaigns.

This tracking feature enables audience analysis, allowing you to understand what aspects of your emails resonate with subscribers and what prompts them to unsubscribe. By examining patterns in your unsubscribe rate, you can determine whether factors like email format or irrelevant subject lines contribute to its increase.

Regularly monitoring your unsubscribe rate is not only crucial but imperative as it enables you to adjust and refine your email marketing strategy accordingly.

What is a Good Unsubscribe Rate?

According to a 2020 report by Smartinsights on unsubscribe rates across various industries, the range typically falls between 0.2% to 0.1%.

For benchmarking purposes, consider aiming for an unsubscribe rate around 0.15%. If your rate remains below this threshold, no immediate action may be necessary. However, if you observe a rise in unsubscribes, it’s crucial to conduct an audit of your email marketing efforts. Analyze which types of emails prompt unsubscribes and identify the audience segments most prone to unsubscribing.

Over time, you’ll recognize patterns in unsubscribes and establish your own benchmarks for what constitutes a good or bad unsubscribe rate.

Why is My Unsubscribe Rate so High?

If your unsubscribe rate surpasses 1% (or worse, hits double digits), several factors might be contributing to this high rate:

1. Mismatched Expectations:

When the content you deliver fails to align with the expectations set during signup, subscribers are likely to unsubscribe. For instance, if your signup promises marketing-focused content but your emails predominantly contain sales-related information, recipients may feel misled and opt out.

2. Content Formatting:

Even if your content is relevant, if it’s presented in a format that’s difficult to consume, subscribers may lose interest and unsubscribe. Ensuring that your content is easy to read, digest, and scan through is crucial for retaining subscribers.

3. Lack of Segmentation:

Sending generic emails to your entire subscriber list, without proper segmentation, can lead to unsubscribes. Tailoring your campaigns based on demographics, purchase history, and engagement levels ensures that recipients receive relevant content. For example, sending a sale announcement for women’s products to male subscribers is likely to result in unsubscribes, as it’s not relevant to them.

Ways to Reduce Unsubscribe Rate

Segmenting your email list is crucial for delivering tailored content that resonates with your audience, ultimately reducing unsubscribe rates. Here are some best practices to consider, especially if you have a large email list of 100k or more. For smaller lists, check out our ultimate small business marketing guide for tailored advice.

For instance, if you run an eCommerce store, you can segment your audience based on various factors such as location, gender, average order value ranges, purchase frequency, holiday-buyers, high-return rate customers, and audience sourced from specific channels.

Let’s say you’re launching a new collection in Paris. You can create a segment targeting individuals who meet two criteria: 1) they reside in Paris and 2) they are among your top spenders on your website. By doing so, you can invite them to an exclusive sneak peek or offer special coupons to generate excitement and engagement.

Understanding the goals of your email marketing is equally important. Users remain engaged when provided with valuable and relevant information. Define the objectives of your campaign and craft compelling content that aligns with your readers’ interests and needs.

Follow the art of personalization

Too many emails from the same brand can be annoying at times. Understand what your subscriber needs and send them only that. Check this guide to bulk email blasts

Personalisation means more than just using the first name of the subscriber. It means sending the right emails to the right audience at the right time. So for example, if someone signed for your webinar on ‘how to read faster’, you send them 2-3 emails related to that. You also send reminder emails to attend the webinar. This will not only make them feel special but also engaged. Hence, building trust in your brand leading to lower unsubscription rate.

Remember, unsubscribe is part of the game and you can’t completely avoid it. However, you can track it to analyse the success of your campaigns and make modifications accordingly.

Everything about What is Email Bounce?

February 8, 2024

by lotsofcode.in with 3 Comments Blog

Have you ever found yourself sending an email, only to receive an automated response stating it bounced back? If so, you’re certainly not alone. In fact, this is a common occurrence experienced by many individuals, including email marketers.

But what exactly is a bounce, and what are the typical reasons behind it? Furthermore, how can you address the issue when you’re encountering a high number of bounced emails?

In this blog post, we delve into the realm of email bounces, addressing these questions and providing comprehensive insights into this common email phenomenon.

What is Email Bounce?

An email bounce happens when an email service provider (ESP) attempts to send an email to the recipient’s email server, but it’s rejected and returned, triggering an automated bounce message to the sender, signaling a delivery failure. While there are numerous factors behind why an email bounces, we’ll delve into this further shortly.

Consider a scenario where a small business owner sends out a mass email to promote a new product to a list of 100 potential customers. In this case, one or two emails bounce back. Initially, you might think, “What’s the harm?” And you’d be correct; a couple of bounced emails likely won’t make much of an impact.

However, as the business grows over time and the email list expands to 10,000 potential customers, the same proportion of bounced emails becomes a more significant issue. A high bounce rate could result in the business’s emails being flagged as spam, leading to reduced delivery rates and visibility for future marketing endeavors. Hence, it’s crucial to monitor bounced emails and understand the reasons behind them. This is where an email bounce code proves invaluable.

What’s an Email Bounce Code?

As part of the Internet Message Format standards, email bounce codes, as old as emails themselves, consist of a series of numbers assigned to an undeliverable email message. These codes indicate the reason why the message couldn’t be delivered.

Here are two examples of codes that Microsoft Outlook users or individuals utilizing Azure in their email infrastructure might encounter:

– 554 5.2.122: The recipient has exceeded their limit for the number of messages they can receive per hour. For more information, visit…
– 452 4.3.1: Insufficient system resources (TSTE). For more information, visit…

Typically, codes beginning with a 5 signify that the error is permanent, while those starting with a 4 indicate a temporary issue.

Armed with these codes, it becomes easier to manage your email bounce rate and implement any necessary adjustments.

How does email bounce impact email deliverability?

When an email bounces, it communicates a negative signal to the email sender’s server, which can potentially harm the sender’s reputation and future deliverability. Furthermore, bounced emails can adversely affect recipient engagement metrics, including click-through and open rates, thereby diminishing the overall effectiveness of email campaigns.

Understanding the reasons behind email bounces is crucial for minimizing errors and enhancing deliverability.

Types of Email Bounces

Bounces can occur due to various reasons, and a practical approach to handling them involves categorization:

Soft Bounce:
A soft bounce typically indicates a temporary obstacle in email delivery and can stem from several factors:

1. Full Inbox:
When a recipient’s inbox reaches its capacity, emails may bounce back. Despite this, it’s advisable to keep such email addresses in your list, anticipating that the inbox might be cleared eventually.

2. Server Overload:
High traffic volumes on a recipient’s email server can lead to soft bounces. Monitoring patterns in email bounces can help identify instances of server overload, prompting adjustments in email sending schedules.

3. Email Size:
If an email exceeds the recipient’s email server size limit, it may result in a soft bounce. To prevent this, ensure that your emails adhere to size limitations.

4. Email Filtering:
Email filtering mechanisms implemented by recipients’ email service providers can sometimes categorize legitimate emails as spam, resulting in soft bounces. Prompt action is necessary to address content-related issues and avoid potential hard bounces.

5. Temporary Server Error:
Occasional network outages can lead to temporary server errors, causing emails to bounce. In such cases, resending the email often resolves the issue.

Hard Bounce:
Unlike soft bounces, hard bounces indicate permanent email delivery failures, requiring corrective action:

1. Invalid or Non-Existent Email Address:
Typos, missing information, or inactive email accounts can result in hard bounces. Regularly verifying and updating your email list can mitigate this issue.

2. Poor Email Authentication:
Issues with email authentication protocols like DKIM, SPF, and DMARC can lead to hard bounces. Ensuring proper implementation of these protocols can prevent such bounces.

It’s crucial to promptly address bounced emails to maintain the sender’s reputation and email deliverability. Regular list verification, compliance with sender guidelines, and proactive communication with recipients can help minimize bounce rates and enhance email campaign effectiveness.

What is a good Email Bounce Rate?

When evaluating the effectiveness of an email campaign, understanding what constitutes a low bounce rate is crucial. While most marketing tools automatically calculate and display your bounce rate, it’s important to grasp the underlying calculation.

For instance, if you successfully sent out 800 emails but encountered 20 undeliverable ones, the bounce rate would be:

(20 / 800) x 100 = 0.025 x 100 = 2.5%

This indicates a slightly elevated email bounce rate of 2.5% for this specific campaign.

Generally, a successful marketing effort aims for an average email bounce rate of less than 2%. By implementing key strategies, you can maintain this benchmark and enhance the efficacy of your email marketing endeavors.

Implement a double opt-in process:
Utilize a confirmation email for each new subscriber, requiring them to confirm their subscription before being added to your email list. While it may seem like an additional step, it helps ensure active and engaged subscribers, leading to increased conversions over time.

Regularly monitor your bounce rate:
Leverage analytics tools to track your bounce rate and detect any recurring patterns or issues contributing to a high bounce rate. Make necessary adjustments to your email strategy to enhance results.

Optimize email deliverability:
Ensure that your emails are properly formatted, avoid appearing spammy, and provide valuable content without being overly promotional. A captivating subject line is essential, as it’s the first element recipients notice. Conducting A/B testing on subject lines can help identify which types resonate best with your audience, ultimately improving open and click-through rates.

In summary, grasping the concept of email bounces and their underlying causes is pivotal to uphold favorable email deliverability and mitigate adverse effects on your email marketing endeavors. Vigilantly monitoring bounce codes and adapting your email-sending practices to address both temporary and permanent issues is imperative.

Employing appropriate tools to consistently track bounce rates and ensuring the resilience and currency of your email infrastructure can significantly contribute to sustaining optimal email deliverability.

What is an Email Open Rate For and How to Calculate It?

February 8, 2024

by lotsofcode.in with 2 Comments Blog

In our blog post about Email Marketing Metrics, we categorized key performance indicators based on their importance. Out of over 20 metrics, we emphasized the significance of the open rate. It serves as a cornerstone for developing analytics for your email campaigns. While the open rate is relatively straightforward to calculate and utilize, it also has its intricacies that merit closer examination. In this article, we delve into essential details about the email open rate and elaborate on them further.

What is an Email Open Rate?

The open rate indicates the number of recipients from the entire mailing list who opened the email campaign. It serves as a barometer of the campaign’s success or failure. A favorable open rate allows for further analysis of subsequent metrics to enhance email performance. Conversely, if the open rate is low, the primary objective is to boost it.

Email open rate calculation formula

Formula #1:

Open rate = (total unique opens ÷ total recipients) x 100

To calculate the open rate, you’ll need two variables:

– Total recipients: The number of email addresses on your mailing list.
– Total unique opens: The number of recipients who opened your email.

Simply divide the number of unique opens by the total recipients and then multiply the result by 100. It’s important to note that you only count unique opens. If recipients open the same email multiple times, they’re counted as a single unique open.

Formula #2:

Open rate = (total unique opens ÷ (total recipients – bounced emails)) x 100

Some companies use a more advanced formula for open rate calculation that includes three variables:

– Total recipients: The total number of email addresses on your mailing list.
– Total unique opens: The number of recipients who opened your email.
– Bounced emails: The number of emails that failed to reach the inbox.

For instance, if out of 1,000 total emails sent, 15 bounced due to technical issues (soft and hard bounces), this indicates that 15 recipients didn’t open them because of a technical problem rather than disinterest in the email campaign. This alternative formula provides a more accurate open rate by focusing on the number of people who engaged with the email.

For further insights, you can read more about managing your bounce rate.

How do you calculate the email open rate for multiple campaigns?

Consider the open rates of your last three email campaigns:

Campaign A: 16%
Campaign B: 20%
Campaign C: 22%

To find the average open rate, add them together and divide by three:

(16 + 20 + 22) ÷ 3 = 19.3%

Therefore, the average open rate for your email campaigns is 19.3%.

What is the difference between the open rate and the click-to-open rate?

The open rate largely depends on the quality of subject lines and pre-inbox optimization. Meanwhile, the click rate indicates the effectiveness of the email design. Combining these metrics, the click-to-open rate (CTOR) provides insight into the relevance and performance of the email content.

The CTOR offers a glimpse into how many recipients both opened the email and clicked the call-to-action (CTA) within it. The formula for calculating the click-to-open rate is:

Click-to-open rate = (total unique clicks ÷ total unique opens) x 100

For instance, if your email campaign was opened by 150 recipients, and 42 of them clicked the CTA link, your click-to-open rate would be 0.28 or 28%, indicating a satisfactory result. Research suggests that the benchmark for the CTOR metric falls between 20-30%.

Tracking email opens primarily relies on two methods: tracking pixels and trackable links. Tracking pixels, embedded as HTML code within the email, assign a unique tracking number to each pixel. When the recipient loads the email, the tracking number signals it as read. While this method is reliable, it may not register if the recipient’s email client blocks images and HTML. Trackable links, on the other hand, are generated using tracking software and inserted into email content. When clicked, they provide information about who opened the email and when. These links, created using UTM parameters, are visible to recipients and offer insights into user engagement data.

Read receipts

Read receipts provide a method for determining if an email has been opened. Here’s how they operate:

– The sender’s email client sends a receipt request alongside the email.
– Upon receiving the request, the recipient has the option to consent or decline to send a read receipt.

However, this tracking method may not be entirely reliable. If the recipient’s email client prohibits read receipts in its settings, you won’t receive confirmation of the email being opened. Additionally, read receipts typically function best when both the sender and recipient use the same email client.

How does my open rate measure up?

Apart from the caliber of email content and the quality of the email list, several other factors influence achieving an outstanding open rate:

1. Email type: Transactional emails typically boast open rates two to three times higher than marketing emails.
2. Industry: Open rates vary significantly across different industries.
3. Sending date and time: Identifying the ideal day and time for launching an email campaign is crucial for maximizing open rates.
4. Target region: Open rates can differ considerably across various regions.
5. Recipient’s device: With open rates from mobile devices steadily increasing each year, optimizing for mobile viewing is increasingly important.

How to Improve Email Open Rate?

When it comes to opening an email, recipients typically consider two factors: the subject line and the sender name. Therefore, if you’re aiming to boost a low open rate, optimizing both of these elements is crucial.

Opt for a recognizable sender name:
People tend to engage more with emails from individuals rather than generic addresses like “Marketing crew” or “Support Team.” Using a specific contact person’s name, such as “Jane from [Company name],” adds credibility and encourages interaction. Research suggests that personal email addresses can increase open rates by 15% or more.

Incorporate your brand logo:
To further enhance the credibility of your email sender, consider implementing the Brand Indicator for Message Identification (BIMI). This DNS TXT record allows brands to display their logo alongside each email in the inbox. With BIMI, emails from different brands can appear more visually appealing and recognizable, thereby increasing recipient trust and engagement.

What are the steps to optimize my Emails for higher Open Rates?

Every email is subject to authentication mechanisms and spam filters on SMTP and IMAP (or POP3) servers. To ensure successful delivery, it’s crucial to test your email campaigns thoroughly. Here’s what you should aim for:

Email sending capability of your app –

1. Verify the email-sending capability of your app by sending a test email.
2. Utilize Email Testing to comprehensively inspect and debug emails across different environments, including staging, development, and QA. This ensures your emails are optimized without inconveniencing recipients with test emails.

SMTP Relay – Verify if your SMTP server can effectively route emails to the correct destination SMTP server. You can use Telnet or web-based tools like MX Toolbox for this purpose. For more detailed information, refer to our blog post on Testing SMTP Relay.

Email Spam Testing – Conduct tests to evaluate deliverability, spam detection, and email address validity. Numerous online tools are available for this purpose, as outlined in our Email Testing Checklist.

Email Content Review – Before hitting the send button, preview your email, assess its HTML and body copy, and ensure the subject line is optimized. This final check ensures everything is in place for a successful send-off.

After digesting this article, we trust you’ll be better equipped to calculate and monitor your email open rates effectively, leading to more impactful email marketing campaigns!