Phyllis Diller once said, “Cleaning up your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.” As someone with kids, I can appreciate this sentiment. And as marketers, the snowy sidewalk of our email marketing efforts can get like this—constantly cluttered with scattered email lists and processes that just aren’t working.
There comes a time in every email marketing campaign when it makes sense to do some “spring cleaning”. Whether you’re an email marketing neophyte or a battle-hardened veteran, here are some tips for cleaning up your email marketing campaign.
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Clear Out The Content Clutter
When you’re taking a closer look at your email campaign, weed out unnecessary email blasts. Only send one if you have something useful to say.
Many companies get set to begin an email campaign, but don’t have a plan or a content calendar. If you’re struggling with figuring out what types of content to put in your newsletter, here are some key questions to answer:
- Are you creating new content regularly?
- Which pieces of content did people engage with in past newsletters?
- How does your email campaign align with your business objectives?
- What’s the end goal for your campaign?
Dust Off Your CTAs
If engagement has dropped off, it may be time to dust off those old calls to action and make sure people understand exactly what you want them to do. Analyze your proposed emails like a newbie user: Are your CTAs crystal clear? Is it easy for people to subscribe and unsubscribe? If you are including too many links or buttons in your email, you could confuse the reader which leads to a drop in engagement.
Speaking of CTAs, review your social media accounts and ensure that you make it easy for people to sign up for your newsletter via your website or blog too.
Give Your Template A Facelift
Is it time to toss out your old email template and create a shiny new one? If you’re stuck for good template ideas, peruse your own Inbox and look for newsletters that you regularly engage with. Jot down things about them that capture your attention. Did a discount or good article catch your eye? What kinds of imagery do they use, and how did they creatively apply their CTAs?
Chances are if an email caught your attention, it probably had the same effect on other readers. Look for templates that are clean, uncluttered and crisp with very clear action requests.
Give Your List A Little Love
Running an effective email marketing campaign is no small feat, and maintaining lists may be one of the biggest challenges. As the campaign manager, you have a responsibility to ensure that you are sending content that people want to see. That’s why segmentation is important. Take the time to look closely at your list and segment your contacts into groups based on the types of content they engage with. Then send them something that captures their attention. It may also be a good time to send out an “Are You Still There?” email to people who have not engaged.
A little bit of spring cleaning with your email marketing campaign can resuscitate a struggling campaign and revive user engagement. Get ready, the season is near!
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Frequently Asked Questions About Email Marketing
