There are many schools of thought when it comes to email marketing. Here are some tips to help you navigate your way to email success from email experts.

In this 10-part series we’ve tapped some of the brightest and most influential email marketers in the industry to answer commonly-asked questions, provide no-bullshit advice and share tried-and-true best practices to elevate your email marketing game.

To kick off this series we asked email thought leaders from Campaign Monitor, AWeber, Adestra, MuleSoft, Return Path, VerticalResponse and MessageSystems the following question:





What is the best piece of advice you have received or have learned about email marketing?

This tip holds value to me because it’s ingrained in everything we do at Campaign Monitor, from using our own email system to send messages to our subscribers (not every ESP does!), to striving to send them world-class content to help them succeed.

The days of spray and pray marketing are long over. Today’s marketer needs to use email marketing to build relationships with subscribers by providing real value add content in a highly targeted, personal way. Subscribers expect it and marketers no longer have to deliver a one-size-fits-all message when it comes to email marketing.

Golden Rule #2 - There's No "Best Day & Time" To Send Email

Erik Harbison

Chief Marketing Officer

AWeber

@ErikHarbison

In recent years, customers and subscribers have consumed content differently. The increase in Mobile usage has forced marketers to alter their approach to how and when they can best connect with their audiences.

Early in my career (before mobile was a medium) I managed email campaigns for several large retailers. My clients thought Tuesday at 2pm was the best time for a deal email to be sent. Rigorous testing actually showed that Fridays at 10am yielded the best results. Then the following quarter it was Wednesdays at 3p.

Every retailer had a different day and time that worked for them, despite selling similar products.

Test to see which day and time connects with your customer best, because it will most likely change in a few months.

Golden Rule #3 - Be Relevant. Or You’re Wasting People’s Time. Ryan Phelan

VP Marketing Insights

Adestra

@ryanpphelan The best advice I learned was that if the message is relevant, you don’t have to worry about how many you send. If you really dig into that statement, it drives much of what we do in email. Relevancy is still king and while many people struggle with it, at least they’re struggling. Also, don’t lie to yourself. While it may seem relevant to the you, the marketer, it may not be to the recipient. “It’s way too easy to look at an email and say 'Oh sure, the consumer needs to know about it' when realistically they could care less.” Here’s an example: So, while I was at a major department store chain, the marketing lead from the appliances department approached me. He needed an email campaign to sell an overstock of washers and dryers. So we went to the database team and through an existing model, we found 700,000 customers that would be more predisposed to purchase a washer and dryer. I went back to him and let him know and his response was “We need to send it to 2 million people”. Astonished, I asked why and after a bit of back and forth he told me that 2M emails looked better on his marketing report than 700,000 did. It’s a perfect example of following the first part of the advice, but ignoring the second. The statement brings together all of what we work on. From segmentation and how we realize and talk different to the recipient to creative and making it specific to the segment and to the voice of the message to ensure how they like to be spoken to. Everything that we strive for in email marketing can be wrapped in that statement and it’s something that’s driven me in this industry.

Golden Rule #4 - Get A Fresh Pair of Eyes on It Aubrey Morgan

Email Marketing Manager

MuleSoft If you’re anything like me, you’re often the one who is writing, coding, and building the campaign for every email that goes out. "When you’re that deep into the process, it’s hard to step back and check for errors." That’s why my biggest piece of advice is to always find someone to QA your email. There’s nothing worse than sending 2 million emails starting with “Hi first name” or a CTA with no link. The worst part is, I see these critical mistakes happen to even the biggest brands. I have to admit I’ve had my fair share of hiccups as well. That’s why I’ve instituted a policy of having another team member review every email before pressing send… and you should, too.

Golden Rule #5 - Apply the "Grandmother Test" Dennis Dayman

Chief Privacy & Security Officer

ReturnPath

@ddayman The best piece of advice I can give is to apply the “Grandmother Test” to the campaign you’re about to send. Ask yourself: Would someone who isn’t technically savvy be able to understand the content? Is the purpose of the email and call-to-action clear? Can they understand it on a mobile device without any assistance? Practice your marketing as if you are talking to your grandmother. Use the same kind, caring words with your customers. "They should understand the action you want them to take and the intent of the email within a few short seconds." Otherwise, your email will likely get ignored because it’s too hard to understand. Also, listen to customer feedback with an open mind, especially complaints. No matter how improbable their stories may seem, they may, in fact, be right. You’ll be surprised what you can learn when you take the time to listen.

Golden Rule #6 - There Is No Magic Formula Kimber Powers

Marketing Training Specialist

VerticalResponse “I’m sending out emails to my list, but how do I know if it’s working and if my stats are good?” This is the most popular question I get asked when people find out I work in email marketing. To put it simply, there’s no ‘magic formula’ and therefore no right answer. Each business is different in industry, audience, and size. In addition, the purpose and frequency of email campaigns vary. "My advice is to always set your own internal metrics for any single mailing or email campaign – in other words, compare your last with your next." Surefire metrics to monitor? Bounce, Click-through, Open, and Unsubscribe rates. These will give you a certain level of insight to your campaign’s success. From here, you can compare stats and growth over time as you move forward.