Want to know what the most important mistakes to avoid are when devising an email marketing strategy? Force24 shares some essential ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ to help you become an email marketing wizard

Email remains the cornerstone of digital marketing strategies, but with an average of 120 emails flooding inboxes daily, standing out is more challenging than ever. Here are a few crucial ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ to keep your email marketing on track and ensure your messages cut through.

DON’T rely solely on opens and clicks to measure success

Since Apple introduced Mail Privacy Protection (MPP), Apple’s privacy proxy now generates 70 per cent of opens (Validity). This means that senders can no longer rely on opens to accurately measure email engagement. Instead, dive deeper into your audience’s interactions by tracking actions like purchases, time spent on your website, and engagement with specific content. This will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of your audience’s preferences and behaviours, allowing you to tailor your strategies more effectively and foster stronger, more meaningful connections.

DO consider your preheader as the subject line’s best friend

An email preheader, which sits below the subject line in a person’s inbox, is often one of the first things readers see. Start your preheader with connectors like ‘and’, ‘with’, or ‘but’ to draw your audience in after they’ve read your subject line. Your preheader should be less than 85 characters and should serve as a continuation of your subject line.

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DON’T just segment demographically

The frequency with which you send emails should change depending on engagement levels and behavioural data. Use lead scoring to assign points to engagement actions and use these scores to determine what and when you send. The more you understand the customer journey, the better. Remember, if you were segmenting solely on demographics, Ozzy Osbourne and King Charles would be in the same category. Who would you rather have performing at a rock festival?

DO add SMS into the mix

Sending a follow-up SMS after an email can increase your email open rates by 20-30 per cent, according to Adobe. You can incorporate SMS into a variety of campaigns, including event reminders, exclusive promotions, survey collections and welcome messages. Nearly two-thirds of marketers still don’t use SMS, which presents an opportunity to stand out and benefit from a vastly superior open rate.

DON’T neglect important email authentication protocols

With the recent updates from Google and Yahoo, incorporating Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) has become crucial. BIMI allows your brand’s logo to appear next to an email in a recipient’s inbox, enhancing brand visibility. To enable BIMI, you need to set up Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC), which protects your domain from being used in email spoofing and phishing attacks. Proper implementation of these protocols can improve your email deliverability

For more information, visit force24.co.uk