Email marketing can be a tricky business, and what is acceptable is subject to change as time passes, so it’s a smart idea to revisit email marketing best practices on a regular basis. What works best is affected by other aspects and technology changes, so if we want to get the best results we need to keep current.

Ten best practices for email marketing

  1. Use short, attention grabbing subject lines – Avoid spam words, and be sure you are being bold without straying off into untruth. Tell them what to expect.
  3. Mobile optimized emails – If you’re not mobilizing for mobile now, you’re losing out, as some 67 percent of all emails are now opened via a mobile device.
  5. Let them know who it’s from – Having a bland perfunctory “From” address can lead to your emails never getting opened. Make it recognizable.
  7. Use a call to action – Several, if possible. And make sure at least one of them is above the fold.
  9. Keep body of email short – Brevity is the clear winner presently, when everyone is pressed for time. Use short, clear paragraphs and text.
  11. Include videos and pictures – Visual content is extremely popular these days, and there is a lot of evidence that it converts much better than mere text.
  12. Emphasize benefits to reader – Don’t spend time talking about you: all they really want to know is what’s in it for them, so be sure not to disappoint.
  13. Don’t send too little or too much – This is one you need to test, as all audiences are a bit different, but be assured that once a month is too little, and a dozen times a week is excessive.
  14. Social sharing is a must – Be sure that your emails are able to be shared socially, as this can increase their reach many times over.
  15. Deliver valuable content – The best thing you can do to get better results from your email marketing is to consistently deliver awesome content. Doing so will brand you a star in your niche, and word will get around.