Email Marketing

Everyone in marketing knows that email marketing is one of the most profitable digital marketing strategies there is. According to the Data & Marketing Association, email marketing generates roughly $38 for every dollar spent.

There are two proven types of email marketing :

• Warm newsletters and updates to your opt-in list
• Cold outbound emails to new sales targets (these must be CAN-SPAM, GDPR and CCPA compliant)

And the Brian Carter Group can help you with either one!

If you already have or are just starting to grow an opt-in email list, we offer:

• Subject line ideas and testing to increase open rates
• Body test advice, editing, and creation to boost clickthroughs and sales
• Strategy and other consulting on how to maximize the integration of email with your other marketing strategies

If you want to start doing legally compliant cold outbound email, or do more of it, we can handle the entire process for you, including:

• Strategy and planning consulting, including targeting and messaging
• Email list research and acquisition of contact info
  (You will also get phone numbers and addresses for many of these contacts)
• Email list organization and segmentation
• Creation of cold outbound multi-email message series
• Setup of email servers and tools
• Sending of actual emails
• Optimization of email series based on results

How do I know if deliverability is a problem?

You’ll know that deliverability is becoming an issue when your open rate decreases, and you get more bounced messages and “email no longer exists” replies. In addition, there can also be a problem with the quality of your list.

For warm email lists, make sure you’re using double opt-in subscription confirmation and emailing your contacts on a regular basis. Try cleaning up your lists by removing addresses that haven’t opened an email in six months or more. 

For cold email lists, be sure to validate emails first, and that you’re targeting the correct audience for your message. Watch very closely for any spam triggers in your copy (check them with mail tester) and make yourself very familiar with all CAN SPAM and GDPR rules.

What is cold email marketing?

Cold email marketing is similar to cold calling in that it is the practice of purchasing email lists and sending emails to those addresses without any prior contact. It’s a common practice for many sales organizations to develop new business. Done right, most people welcome them, or at worst ignore them. But rarely do a large number of people “freak out” about them.

Can I use Mailchimp for cold email?

Mailchimp and many of the other major email marketing services you’ve heard of do not allow sending to cold email lists. Even if you get away with it for a while, it can have negative consequences on your domain name and lead to loss of your email sending account. Instead, try services meant for cold email such as Lemlist, Mailshake, Mail Click Convert, or SalesNexus. 

What is an “open rate”?

The open rate tells you the percentage of people who opened your email. The formula is [Open rate (%) = (number of opens / number of emails delivered) * 100]. 

What is a good open rate?

In cold email marketing, your open rate can be from 2-8% in a “fast churn” campaign (one that can send thousands of emails within hours). On the other hand, your open rate in a “slow burn” campaign (one that sends emails slower, like 100 per day) can be as high as 20-60%.

With permission-based email marketing campaigns, depending upon the source, we’ve seen open rates anywhere from 15% to 25%. Business-to-consumer open rates are a little bit higher than B2B. In short, it all comes down to deliverability, and how effective your subject line is.

Why is my open rate so low?

One of the biggest hindrances to a high open rate is the subject line. If your subject line isn’t appealing or intriguing, or if it’s too vague, it’s less likely to encourage the reader to open your email. You want to interest the reader so you’ll have a better open rate, so make the subject short, sweet, and to the point. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and make sure you’re pushing their buttons (pain points, goals and benefits). Also, it’s a good idea to look for common ground you and the prospects share.

Or maybe you’ve been added to a spam list! Bigger email providers are likely to send your email straight to the spam folder if they detect too many spam words. Some of those words: “free”, “win”, “order now”, “trial”, and “unlimited”.

Other reasons could be that you’re boring your readers or using old lists.

How do I check to see if my email copy is spammy?

Think about the emails you’d like to receive and what may feel sketchy to you. Do you like the emails that promise you a “once in a lifetime opportunity”? Probably not. In addition to the “gut test”, check out Hubspot’s list of spam trigger words and make sure you’re not including any of those in your email copy. Additionally, this is a good thing to check with mail tester.

How should I A/B test my emails?

Test one thing at a time so that you have a clear picture of whether or not your edit makes a difference. Don’t forget that very minor tweaks may make all the difference, so don’t forget to test those, too! Once you decide what to test (for example, offer, subject line, or images vs. no images), test your whole list. Use a metric that makes sense for your goals, such as decreasing unsubscribe rates or increasing click-through rates. Further, be sure to track your testing! Hubspot has a great checklist here that can get you started.

And, as always, Brian Carter Group is here to help with all of your email marketing needs.