5 Things Successful Email Marketers Have in Common

Email newsletters are a dime a dozen, but not all of them succeed. The leading factor in email promotions that accomplish their guiding purpose is an email marketer that knows what to do. Furthermore, the effective email marketer is disciplined and consistent in everything required to reach new and loyal subscribers. 

What other traits do successful email marketers have in common? We’ll talk about that below. With this information, you can follow in their footsteps with your email campaigns.

Successful email marketers know that when you send is important

It’s a misconception that you can send email newsletters whenever you feel like it or only if you have something to sell or promote. When you subscribe to a magazine, you expect the new issue to hit your mailbox at a certain time of the month. Well, your subscribers begin to anticipate when you send your newsletter as well.

When an email marketer sends on a schedule, more people are likely to open it. On the other hand, if you send sporadic emails, you’re behaving as a spammer does. Email service providers (ESPs) may start to classify you as a spammer, and accordingly, you’re likely to end up in the junk folder.

Furthermore, if you go long periods without sending emails, some of your readers will forget that they signed up. They’re more likely to mark you as spam which will cause more emails to go to the spam folder.

Successful email marketers know that it’s best to send on a schedule. If you have a weekly email newsletter, send it at the same time of day and on the same day of the week. If you are sending emails less frequently, like once a month, it’s still imperative to be consistent.

For example, one artist’s newsletter I subscribe to comes out like clockwork. I always know it will hit my inbox on the first day of the month, and it never fails. Decide how often you want to send your newsletter or promotion, then add it to the calendar and stick with it.

Effective email marketers are knowledgeable about email list health

The email marketers who are serious about what they do know that email lists need maintenance. You don’t just store the email data and forget about it, but must regularly clean out the bad and harmful data.

Some people change their email addresses for various reasons and typically abandon the old one. If you send emails to that address, they’ll inevitably bounce. That, too, can create the impression that you’re a spammer. It all boils down to how inbox providers perceive you – that’s your sender reputation.

One of the best ways to maintain a good sender reputation is by keeping a clean, fresh list. Just as successful email marketers schedule when to send their newsletters, they also schedule routine email validation. Once a quarter, run your data through an email verifier to weed out risky contacts.

Moreover, you can add an extra layer of protection to keep bad or invalid email addresses off your list in the first place. Any worthwhile email validation service can provide you with an API you can connect to all of your sign-up forms to ensure no invalid addresses are added. If someone tries to enter their email but makes a typo, it will let them know immediately. Otherwise, they won’t get any email from you and will consider you unprofessional or defunct.

A successful email marketer knows their newsletter is not for everyone

If you try to please everyone, you will please almost no one. Some of the most successful email newsletters found their niche and stuck with it. The size of their email list may not be as large, but even more important than the number of subscribers is the level of engagement.

And with the innovations around email marketing, finding the people who are most likely to engage is now easier. You can now identify who your most active subscribers are so you can target them with your campaigns. A good way to look at this is like hospitality industries view VIPs. They cater to their fans. When someone responds to your list, continue to give them what they want and also find new ways to make them happy.

Smart email marketers get in the head of their readers and strive to please them

It pays to get out of your head and try to get into the minds of those most dedicated readers. Some email marketers find it valuable to visualize their subscribers receiving the email. The first thing they notice is the subject line. Would they be enticed enough to even open the email?

Also, when your subscribers read through the email, will they find it valuable and enjoyable? Maybe your emails are too short, but on the other hand, you don’t want them to be so long that they become tedious.

So how do you know when a newsletter is of the right length and quality to send? Get a trusted advisor to look over your emails before you send them. While reviewing the content, the best email marketers also have someone proofread and quality check the emails.

It’s also an excellent idea to keep the channels of communication open. This means you can ask your readers what they think of your newsletter. Encourage feedback, and when someone writes in, always reply. The feedback your subscribers give you is extremely valuable.

A successful email marketer is always learning

Every form of communication and marketing has changed. As technology evolves, people adapt to it. Similarly, marketing must acclimate to people’s attitudes as they change. A successful email marketer is keeping all of this in mind. The key to success is to stay current on the trends in email marketing.

It’s also vital to get as much education on marketing as you can. There is a wealth of white papers on email marketing. You should also consider reading as many books as you can. That’s the best way to get a leg up. Successful email marketers know that there is so much to learn and try to regularly soak up new information. It doesn’t have to be hours and hours of reading and fact-finding. Simply making an earnest effort to continuously learn will elevate your email marketing.

In order to be successful, learn from the best

Most people subscribe to several email newsletters put out by a great variety of people and companies. Which ones do you find yourself enjoying the most? Chances are, those are the successful ones. Which emails tend to fall flat? Why do they fail to capture your attention? One of the best resources is to examine the email newsletters you receive.

Do you know what never hurts an email marketer who wants to learn? Asking questions. There may be a small number of exceptions, but most people in email marketing are helpful with one another. It’s a kind of bond that all email geeks have. A part of this community is exchanging ideas.

Many email newsletter writers have pride in their work. If you like their emails, say so! Then ask if you can pick their brains. You never know, they may learn something from you as well. It could lead to something mutually beneficial. If you’re not competing, there may even be an opportunity for collaboration.

Effective email marketing requires a lot of work, but you can succeed with the right attention to detail and the knowledge of those who have walked the path before you.