How to Make Your Email List Work for You

Getting the most from your mailing list in a GDPR world

Are you getting the most out of your mailing list? Don’t let recent developments in the email marketing sphere spook you: email is still a powerful tool for getting your message out. 

You have to be completely transparent about your data practices

So, you’ve probably heard that email marketing is getting more complicated. And it’s certainly true that a confluence of factors have made things more complex from a compliance perspective. ​

For a start, the introduction of enhanced privacy features by major tech companies, such as Apple's Mail Privacy Protection and Google's Gmail privacy features, has obscured email open tracking and IP addresses. This impedes marketers' ability to accurately gauge email engagement and conversion rates. ​

Simultaneously, the enforcement of stringent data protection regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) has mandated explicit consent for data collection and usage, meaning you have to be completely transparent about your data practices. This also impacts the types of data that can be used, and has led to increased opt-in requirements, where you have to proactively seek consent to retain someone’s contact details. ​

Finally, the prevalence of "grey opens," stemming from email clients blocking tracking pixels, has necessitated a re-evaluation of email engagement measurement methods.

Collectively, these developments have posed a challenge for email marketers. But they haven’t killed the relevance of the medium. Far from it, in fact… ​

Unlike social media or search engine marketing, where you’re at the mercy of algorithms and platform changes, email marketing gives you full control over your message and the ability to reach your subscribers whenever you want

The Importance of Email Marketing in Your Overall Marketing Strategy

Email allows you to establish a direct line of communication with your audience and build a relationship over time. Unlike social media or search engine marketing, where you’re at the mercy of algorithms and platform changes, email marketing gives you full control over your message and the ability to reach your subscribers whenever you want.

It’s also highly cost-effective compared to other digital marketing channels. With minimal investment, you can reach a huge number of people and drive significant results. Email also provides you with valuable data and insights, allowing you to track metrics like open rates, click-through rates (CTR), and return on investment (ROI) to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Building an Effective Email List

Your email list is probably one of the most valuable marketing assets you own. Especially in these days of GDPR and proactive opt-ins, your email list consists of subscribers who are genuinely interested in your brand and have given you permission to send them emails. Ultimately, then, quality is more important than quantity — after all, a list of 100,000 with only 1% engagement is no more effective than a list of 5000 with 20% engagement — but quantity definitely helps. 

Your email list is probably one of the most valuable marketing assets you own

Remember that the right to contact subscribers is valuable. So you need to make it worth your subscribers while if you want them to part with their contact details.

Here are some strategies to help you build an effective email list:

• Opt-in forms: You’ll want to make these easy to find and difficult to ignore. Place opt-in forms on your website, landing pages, and social media profiles to capture email addresses from interested visitors, but remember to offer incentives like exclusive content or discounts to encourage sign-ups.
• Lead magnets: Create valuable lead magnets such as ebooks, whitepapers, or templates that visitors can download in exchange for their email address. Make sure the lead magnet is relevant to your target audience and provides real value.
• Social media advertising: Run targeted social media ads to promote your lead magnets or newsletter subscriptions. This allows you to reach a wider audience and attract potential subscribers who may not have visited your website yet.
• Offline events: If you have a physical presence, collect email addresses at trade shows, conferences, or networking events. Offer something valuable in return, like a free consultation or a giveaway, to entice people to provide their email address.

Types of Email Marketing Campaigns

Not all of your subscribers will be at the same point in their sales journey. To be most effective, your list must be segmented based on the interests and behaviours of your subscribers. This allows you to target your campaign type most effectively.

• Welcome emails are your opportunity to introduce your brand. These also have the highest open rate of any email marketing type, so you’re missing out on a major opportunity if you don’t include a compelling CTA in your welcome sequence.
• Promotional emails are a great way to raise awareness of a particular product, service, or upcoming sales. How often you send these will depend very heavily on your product and your demographic, and it may take a bit of trial and error to find the balance that results in the best open rates and CTR.
• Educational newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with warm leads who aren’t quite ready to buy. You can use these to share educational content, industry news, or tips and tricks related to your niche. This positions you as a trusted source of information and keeps your subscribers engaged.
• Abandoned cart emails remind customers who have left items in their shopping cart to complete their purchase. To seal the deal, you can use this email type as an excuse to offer incentives like free shipping or a limited-time discount.

To be most effective, your list must be segmented based on the interests and behaviours of your subscribers

Creating Compelling and Engaging Email Content

No matter how large and engaged your email list is, if your content fails to captivate your subscribers, your email marketing efforts will fall flat. To create compelling and engaging email content, consider the following tips:

• Subject lines: Probably the most important piece of copy in your entire email. If your subject line doesn’t entice subscribers to open your emails, then the greatest email body text in the world is going to fall flat, because nobody will read it. Personalisation, urgency, and curiosity are great ways to pique interest, but, again, it depends very much on your audience.
• Clear and concise: Keep your email content concise and to the point. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and subheadings to make it scannable and easy to read. Mail service providers have more or less taken the effort out of this process with plug-and-play templates that you can customise to your heart’s content — but there’s still a place in digital marketing for the plain-text email.
• Call-to-action (CTA): Clearly state the action you want your subscribers to take, whether it's making a purchase, downloading a resource, or signing up for an event. Don’t make them work to find it: make it as easy as possible for them to do what you want them to do. Strong, action-oriented language also helps make your CTA stand out.

Personalisation and Segmentation in Email Marketing

Personalisation and segmentation are essential components of successful email marketing  — 94% of marketers say that personalisation increases sales, and segmentation increases open rates by up to 203%. Here's how you can incorporate personalisation and segmentation into your email marketing strategy:

• Demographic segmentation: Divide your email list based on demographic factors such as age, gender, location, or job title. This allows you to send targeted content that resonates with each segment.
• Behavioural segmentation: Analyse the behaviour of your subscribers, such as past purchases, browsing history, or engagement with your emails. Use this data to send personalised recommendations, abandoned cart reminders, or re-engagement campaigns.
• Life Cycle stage segmentation: Segment your email list based on where subscribers are in their customer journey. For example, you can have separate campaigns for new subscribers, loyal customers, or those who haven't engaged with your brand in a while. This ensures that each segment receives relevant content that matches their stage in the buying cycle.

Remember, the more relevant and personalised your emails are, the more likely your subscribers will engage with them and take the desired action.

With an ROI of around $36 for every $1 spent, you really can’t afford to miss out on the opportunities email marketing presents

Best Practices for Maintaining a Healthy Email List

Remember that email list success is as much about quality as quantity. With that in mind, it’s worth taking the time to maintain your list to keep it working as hard as possible for you. Here are some best practices to keep your email list healthy:

• Regularly clean your list: Periodically remove inactive subscribers or those who haven't engaged with your emails for a long time. This ensures that your list consists of active and interested subscribers.
• Implement double opt-in: Use a double opt-in process to confirm subscribers' intent and ensure that they genuinely want to receive emails from you. This helps prevent spam complaints and improves deliverability.
• Provide an easy unsubscribe option: Make it easy for subscribers to unsubscribe if they no longer wish to receive emails from you. This reduces the chances of them marking your emails as spam.
• Monitor bounce rates: Keep an eye on your email bounce rates and take appropriate action to address any issues. High bounce rates can negatively impact your deliverability and sender reputation.
• Comply with regulations: Familiarise yourself with email marketing regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the CAN-SPAM Act. Ensure that you have proper consent from your subscribers and include necessary opt-out information in your emails.

Leveraging the Power of Email Marketing

Email marketing is a powerful tool that allows you to connect with your audience, nurture leads, and drive conversions. Plus, with an ROI of around $36 for every $1 spent, you really can’t afford to miss out on the opportunities it presents. Sure, the increased focus on internet privacy has added a few extra steps to the process of getting in touch and staying in touch with potential customers, but that actually works for email marketing in the long run: an opted-in list is populated with people who want to be there, and people who want to be there are much more likely to want to hear what you have to say.

If you’re ready to unlock the power of email marketing, start implementing these strategies and best practices today to make your email list work for you. If you need assistance or have any questions, click below to book a free, no-obligation chat with me, and lets get you started on your email marketing journey.

let's chat