9 Email Marketing Tips You Need to Know In 2021

Yes, social media is on the rise. Yes, there are other forms of marketing. But with 4.3 billion projected daily users by 2023 (half the planet’s population), the right email marketing strategy still remains one of the most effective and engaging ways to market.

It also has one of the highest ROIs (return on investment) for business, with companies generating nearly $35 for every $1 spent. 

Email is the primary driving force behind both acquiring and retaining customers for small and mid-sized businesses. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing store closures worldwide, online marketing and sales increased exponentially. Aggressive email campaigns moved sales from brick and mortar stores to online.

Today, there’s no shortage of companies using email as a primary marketing channel, so it’s important to make sure your email strategy stands out from the competition. 

Are you looking to get the most value out of your marketing budget? Read on to learn about some of the best email strategies available to you in 2021.

1. Personalization Is Still King

There’s no denying how effective personalization is when it comes to email. But just how effective is this strategy? According to Experian, personalized emails generate 6x more transactional value.

So, how can you get personalization right?

• Make the recipient feel valued and connected: Include personal names on emails and write them with a friendly and casual tone. Using a salesy tone or too much marketing speak can create friction, impacting the familiarity you create with your target audience. Instead, try writing as if you’re speaking to a close friend, rather than as a faceless company only interested in sales.
• Remember their birthday: Birthday emails generate almost 3.5x more engagement than regular emails. Simply put, your customers like to feel special, and there’s nothing more special than their birthday.
• Suggest similar products: If a customer recently purchased products, try suggesting similar products or things that will pair well with what the customer recently purchased. Not only does this create a cross-selling opportunity, but it shows you are attentive to their needs. 
• Follow up after an order or service call: Reaching out to customers who made an online purchase with an order update or a thank you email after completing a service call is a great way to increase the transactional value of your email marketing efforts.

2. Keep It Interactive 

No one wants to read a boring email. And with so many businesses competing for a consumer’s attention, your emails have to be eye-catching, engaging, and interesting.

Interactive content like popups, animated GIFs, and short videos can increase engagement and participation by creating a sense of interest and intrigue. But, be careful not to overdo it. Too much all at once is distracting and may cause your recipient to miss the email’s main message.

3. Make It Accessible (Especially on Mobile) 

Mobile isn’t a nice-to-have anymore, it’s a must-have. Over 50% of all recipients open emails on their mobile device. That means you must ensure your formating works with all devices, whether that’s mobile or desktop. You also need to make it compatible and easily visible with both light and dark modes. 

Don’t believe us?Studies have shown that non-mobile friendly emails are often deleted within 3 seconds.

4. Leverage Targeted Advertising

Almost every company uses targeted advertising today. You’ve probably noticed the “accept cookies” sign at the bottom of nearly every web page you visit. 

And it’s for good reason too. Targeted advertising has up to 91% more success than non-personalized marketing does. After all, it does no good if your emails are reaching a disinterested audience. Creating email content that you know will appeal to the email subscribers will ensure you have a better click-through and conversion rate. Make use of targeted emails to reach the best audience for your product. 

5. Keep It Consistent With Automation

Mass emails are a single email sent to a large group of people. Automated emails, however, are a form of targeted advertising that use information on the specific recipient’s demographic, online habits, behaviours, and interests to create a curated email your consumer is more likely to engage with.

This could be advertising similar items to a recent purchase the consumer made or sending a welcome email after someone signs up for your mailing list. Studies show that welcome emails have a 42% higher open rate and bring in almost 3.5x the revenue on a per email basis.

Using information on the consumer to create email list segmentation and advertise products they are more likely to be interested in will not only raise your sales, but will help avoid wasting valuable money on advertising to a non-interested party.

6. Make the Email Subject Line Count

Guess what? All that time and effort you put into your email marketing won’t mean a thing if the subject line falls flat.

Ask any marketing professional, and they’ll tell you email marketing campaigns live and die by the subject and preview lines.

Here are a few key facts you need to know:

• Personalized email subject headings have a 50% higher open rate than non personalized ones: Clearly state the email’s purpose and ensure all the information inside is relevant to your subject heading. 
• Make your headings interesting: Draw your consumer's interest. Adding emojis, for example, are a fantastic attention grabber, especially if it’s an email geared toward younger people.
• Use an active tone: A headline only has a few seconds to grab a user’s attention. It’s important you compel them to click by using a conversion-driven, active tone. Lean heavy on verbs and other powerful words that will call the user to action.

7. Everyone Loves a Discount

People love to save money. Advertising discounts and special or promotional offers in your email (even better if it’s in your subject line) is a sure way to pique your recipient’s interest.

You can even advertise sales and promotions that require a user to view the website to find the full list of discounted and sale items. Not only does this increase your open rates, it also increases your website traffic. 

8. Shorter Email Content Is Always Better

Emails are meant to be short and sweet. Understand your customer’s time is valuable and write accordingly.

Your emails should have just enough information to make them want to inquire further (perhaps by clicking the link and visiting your website) but not too much that it becomes overwhelming 

Remember that your emails are just a gateway to your ultimate goal: driving traffic to your website.

9. Don’t Forget the Call to Action

It’s no secret that calls to actions are important. Even the best emails can fall flat if you don’t make it clear what you want your email subscribers to do.

Take the time to create valuable offers in your email content—that way you can provide your customers with actual value, whether that’s through discounts, sneak peaks, or something else. Call to actions get customers excited about opting in to your offers by clearly suggesting what they stand to lose if they don’t act.

Looking to Start Email Marketing? Work With an Award-Winning #1 Rated Email Marketing Team

Email trends evolve fast. People are continuously discovering and creating better and better ways to more effectively reach customers and build their business.

Incorporating these into your email marketing strategy will ensure you receive the most value for your marketing effort and money, and reward you with loyal customers for years to come.

Need help creating a winning email marketing strategy? The CCC team is here to help. Book a call with one of our email marketing specialists today to get started.