We recommend an approach to your email marketing campaign in this order through a multiple email sequence campaign:
(EDUCATIONAL & INFORMATIONAL) - (OPT - IN) - (NURTURE THE LEAD) - (CLOSE)
USE CLEAR AND CONCISE SUBJECT LINES
• Clear and engaging subject lines matter. Stats vary but data shows that as many as 47% of recipients open emails, and 69% report spam based solely on subject lines.
• To find the best subject lines, run A/B testing campaigns. This process lets you experiment with different versions of your emails to see what performs best. This knowledge can be implemented into future campaigns, driving ROI up to 28% higher without much additional effort. Use the power of words to elicit a response. Leverage your email marketing analytics to better understand what's working and what's not so that you can pivot and maximize your budget.
USE STRONG CALLS TO ACTION
• Whether you're sending a promotional email, a lead nurturing email, or an opt-in email, a strong call to action (CTA) helps drive action. These CTAs can be text or a button, showcasing words like buy, learn, discover more, don’t miss out, watch this, or download.
• When sending emails to subscribers, especially long-term subscribers, use specific language. They have already seen generic welcome email-style CTAs—be specific and give them a reason to click. If you're sending a segmented group an email about your latest product launch, include a link that says, "Check out our latest summer collection." You can also use language that creates a sense of urgency, such as "Discover more— spots are limited." To get the most out of your email campaigns, you need to provide dynamic, relevant CTAs that relate specifically to the email subscriber.
CONSIDER USING A PROFESSIONAL EMAIL MARKETING SERVICE PROVIDER
• When creating an email marketing strategy, there is a lot to consider. The most effective campaigns have many moving parts, and the process is ongoing. Not only do you need to create and send emails, but you also must track their effectiveness. Many SMBs believe implementing a professional email service provider is outside the cards based on their tight budget. However, you may find that your ROI increases when you outsource your email marketing operations and invest in greater automation.
• Knowing when to ask for help or seek a solution can make or break your next campaign. At the very least, explore your email marketing software options, to find the perfect solution if you don't have the time or expertise to implement email marketing well.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP TO OPTIMIZE YOUR EMAIL MARKETING STRATEGY
• Creating a polished email marketing strategy takes time, knowledge, and resources. As you develop your strategy, you can lean on the latest tools and automation processes to get the most out of your efforts. Keep up to date on email marketing best practices and email marketing tips, and you'll find increasing success.
HOW TO WARM UP EMAIL DOMAINS
• If you’re starting with a brand new website, an email campaign, a product launch, etc., it will take some time to build your subscriber or opt-in list, and so the domain warmup process will happen organically. However, if you already have a large email list from leads that you’ve generated, it’s best to start slow.
• Email service providers (ESPs) and internet service providers ISPs protect their users from spam with algorithms that block large volumes of email sent from a new sender.
• You can make sure your messages aren’t blocked or caught in the spam filter by sending your messages to only around 100-500 users at each domain per day rather than broadcasting a message out to the entire lead list at once.
• You can start increasing the number of emails you send by sending out an additional 20- 100% each week. Increase your sending volume more slowly as your lead list grows.
• Most domains can be fully warmed up within 2-3 weeks but for larger lists, it’s wise to be cautious and allow up to 3-6 weeks.
EMAIL DOMAIN WARMING BEST PRACTICES
• As well as slowly increasing the volume and frequency of your emails, there are a few other things you should be aware of in the domain warming period.
MONITOR EMAIL PERFORMANCE WHILE YOU WARM UP YOUR EMAIL DOMAIN
• It’s best practice to monitor your email metrics at any time, but this is particularly important while you’re warming up your domain. Email marketing platforms will give you data such as open rate, click-through rate, and bounce rate. Keep a close eye on your engagement and bounce rates. If engagement is decreasing or bounce rates are increasing, try decreasing your email volume slightly until the metrics stabilize.
FOCUS ON ENGAGEMENT
• You should also be wary of sending pushy, in your face, or spammy promotional emails from the get-go and instead focus on writing emails that are educational and informational and warm up your prospects/leads.
• High open rates, click-through rates, and other email engagement signals indicate to email providers that your messages are providing value, and this can help to increase your reputation score more quickly.
WHAT ELSE IMPACTS DOMAIN REPUTATION?
• Domain age is just one factor that affects your domain reputation. You should also ensure you’re following deliverability best practices such as:
• Authenticate your domain: Ensure you have SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records set up for your domain. From 2024, Gmail and Yahoo are among the providers that will block unauthenticated emails sent to their users, so this step is no longer optional.
• Send emails from a subdomain: Setting up a subdomain for sending emails will protect the reputation of your main domain. You can also use multiple subdomains and dedicate one to transactional emails, one to marketing emails, and so on.
• Make it easy for users to unsubscribe: Provide a one-click unsubscribe process and make sure unsubscribe links are clearly visible in all your marketing emails. You must abide by the CanSpam ACT when emailing in the US.