Email marketing is a powerful tool for businesses, but it comes with its rules and best practices. In this article, we'll delve into the essential tips and strategies to help you maximize your email marketing efforts while ensuring you stay on the right side of email regulations.

 

1. Email Marketing isn't Owned 

Think of email marketing as a privilege, not a right. Unlike adding a banner to your website or hanging a sign in your store or office, you don't own the email distribution platform. Inbox providers control and actively regulate the distribution to protect their users from spam. Treating email like a free-for-all marketing channel can damage your brand reputation and lead to email blocking.

 

2. Follow the Law

Adherence to email marketing laws is mandatory. CAN-SPAM, for instance, requires marketers to include an unsubscribe link in every promotional email, honor opt-out requests promptly, and provide a valid mailing address. Deceptive subject lines and sender names are prohibited. Remember that anti-spam laws are based on where your subscriber lives, not where your company is located. Consult an attorney to understand your specific obligations. Other laws that may impact you include HIPPA, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU), the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA), and the Canadian Anti-Spam Law.

 

3. Permission is Foundational

Permission is the cornerstone of ethical email marketing. Obtaining permission takes time and effort, but it's crucial. Sending unsolicited emails is equivalent to intruding into someone's home uninvited. It's unlikely your message will be well-received. Buying email lists might give you addresses but doesn't permit you to use them. Without permission, you risk damaging relationships and your sender's reputation.

 

4. Avoid Buying Lists

Purchasing email lists may lead to overwhelming spam traps, abandoned addresses, and unreceptive recipients. It can severely harm your sender's reputation and result in high bounce rates, leading to campaign restrictions or shutdowns. Sending Campaigns to purchased lists always results in a high bounce rate; if the bounce rate exceeds 7%, Zoho Campaigns will shut down the campaign. I have seen Zoho Campaigns restrict the sending of all email campaigns with a continued high bounce rate.

 

5. Maintain an Engaged Database

Keep your contact database active and engaged. If new contacts don't open or click your emails within the first 30 days, consider re-engagement strategies or stop emailing them. Permission expires when subscribers don't engage for extended periods.

 

 

6. Simplify Unsubscribing

Make the unsubscribe process easy. The unsubscribe link should be visible, with clear language like "Unsubscribe." It should not be hidden or require more than two clicks. Quick opt-outs prevent users from marking your emails as spam. Requiring the contact to respond to the email by saying, "If you are not interested, please reply with "Opt Out" - this is not the same as providing an unsubscribe link.

 

7. Focus on Engagement

Engagement-based filtering considers both negative and positive signals. Previously, negative feedback loopers alone influenced email filtering. Around 2010, inbox providers expanded their filtering algorithm to include positive signs such as opens, making unresponsive inboxes harmful to a company's sender reputation. Now that engagement is a factor, a greater focus on quality must outweigh the focus on quantity when building an effective email marketing list.

 

8. Realistic Deliverability Goals

Aim for high deliverability rates, but 100% is unrealistic. Rates around 98% are excellent, while the mid-90s are good, anything below 90% is alarming. Several factors can impact deliverability, including audience size, sending frequency, and recipient locations.

 

9. Use Email Authentication

Authenticate your emails using DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail), SPF (Sender Policy Framework), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) to protect your sender reputation and help inbox providers identify spoofed emails. Sending from a free email address (@gmail.com or @hotmail.com) can lead to blocking.

 

10. Maintain Email Frequency

Regularly send emails to prevent subscribers from forgetting you. Sending at least one marketing email per month is advisable as a minimum.

 

11. Master the Welcome Email

Send a welcome email immediately after a subscriber signs up. Follow it up with engaging emails to effectively educate and connect with new subscribers. Three-email series is widespread; the first email will highlight your most popular blogs, videos, podcasts, or eBooks, the second will promote an upcoming webinar, event, or conference, and the third email will explain the benefits of your product/service with an offer for a demo or free trial—welcome email series generally range from two-six (or more) emails over time.

 

12. Craft Effective Subject Lines and Content

Use recognizable and concise sender names; this appears as the from name in the inbox; use something the recipient will immediately recognize. Keep subject lines short, descriptive, and relevant to your email copy, between 20 and 40 characters. Measure success by how well subject lines drive clicks and conversions; align your subject line with your email copy and your email copy with your landing page's CTA to maximize performance. 

Incorporating these best practices into your email marketing strategy will help you build strong relationships with your subscribers, maintain high deliverability rates, and achieve better campaign results. Remember, effective email marketing is about quality, not quantity.