Demand Generation

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The Do’s and Don’ts of Email Marketing

The Do’s and Don’ts of Email Marketing

We are now using email more than ever before. 

Back in 2017, people sent around 269 billion emails each day. In 2022, that figure has hit 333.2 billion — and it is projected to grow to 376.4 billion in 2025. 

Email has always been an awkward marketing medium. If you add emojis, casual language, or exclamation marks, your email will come across as very informal. On the flip side, many marketers err on the side of caution and end up coming across as cold or spammy. 

Bad email marketing also has consequences. If you don't follow email etiquette rules carefully, you can damage your website domain's health (and thus, your wider Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts). 

To help you master email etiquette and protect your domain's health, this article will cover the do's and don'ts of email marketing. 

Email Do’s

Here's a list of things you want to make sure you are doing as an email marketer:

  • Use a recognizable sender email address that's similar to your brand name. This way, recipients will recognize who the email is from.

  • Check if your emails are going to spam with isNOTspam.com. To use this tool, add the email address isNOTspam.com gives you to your marketing list (everyone will get a unique address). Then, press "view your report." isNOTspam.com will run several authentication tests and tell you if your email passed or failed.

Source: isNOTspam.com. A screenshot of the first few checks isNOTspam.com runs and their results

  • Don't send emails more frequently than every two business days. Doing so can land you in the spam folder and encourage people to unsubscribe.

  • Monitor your email marketing metrics carefully. This includes your bounce rate, open rate, deliverability rate, Click-Through Rate (CTR), list growth rate, and conversion rate.

  • Use a concise subject line that's easy to read. Try to use everyday language and stick to 60 characters or less (roughly nine words). Make sure you also choose a subject line that reflects your email's body text. 

  • Check your spelling and grammar carefully with professional tools like Grammarly and Writer.com. Spelling and grammatical errors can turn potential customers away, so double check for them.

  • Use mailtester.com to verify the addresses on your email list. This will help you spot invalid email addresses so you can remove them. 

Source: mailtester.com. An image of sample data from mailtester.com's email list verification tool.

  • Make your unsubscribe button easy to find. This is mandated by the CAN-SPAM act.  

  • Monitor your results and check you are targeting the right audience. It may help to build an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to represent your audience. 

  • Stay within your Email Service Provider's (ESP's) daily allotment. Depending on your ESP, you may incur additional charges or penalties if you exceed your allotment.

  • Stay up to date with email marketing best practices. Best practices in emails change with new data and privacy legislation. Make a habit of checking if your marketing is compliant every quarter. This is also the kind of task a marketing project manager can help you with.

Email Don’ts

Here's a list of things you do not want to do as an email marketer:

  • Write your entire subject line in CAPS LOCK. You may annoy recipients and trigger spam filters. 

  • Use exclamation points in your subject line. According to a study of 115,886,636 emails from the book Email Subject Lines That Actually Work, the open rate for subject lines with exclamation points is 45.5%, compared to the average of 51.9%. 

  • Use common spam filter trigger words. Examples include "free," "only," "winner," "money," "billion," and "price." 

  • Use more than one Call-To-Action (CTA). Instead, direct all your readers towards a single CTA that supports your overall email marketing goal. 

  • Use large images or embedded forms. These will load slowly and frustrate readers. They are also not particularly mobile-friendly (and many, many people read their emails on a mobile-device). 

  • Attach files. Doing so will activate spam filters that are trying to protect email users from ransomware. 

  • Use any dynamic scripts within your email. Dynamic scripts include Flash and JavaScript. 

  • Use too many bright fonts, underscores, or bolded fonts. These are great attention-getters, but they can also make your email look overwhelming, unprofessional, and spammy. 

  • Purchase email lists from a third-party provider. Using third-party provided email lists can damage your sender's reputation. You may also be fined for sending unconsenting parties unsolicited emails. 

  • Mislead people with your email header or the "from" field. These practices are considered "email spoofing," and they can damage your sender's reputation and land your email in the spam folder.

Email Communication Etiquette and The Role It Plays In Your Marketing

Email marketing can be very lucrative for brands. Statistics from the Data and Marketing Association in the U.K shows that the Return on Investment (ROI) from email marketing is over 3510%

Following the email do's and don'ts in this article will help you maximize your reach with email marketing. 

If you'd like to boost your marketing further, reach out to Matter Made. Matter Made helps eCommerce brands leverage Product-Led Growth (PLG), RevOps, demand generation, and more. 

Contact Matter Made today!

 

Demand Generation

Blog Post

There's no question that a successful marketing campaign requires careful planning and organization. But all too often, the day-to-day tasks of executing a marketing plan fall onto the marketing team itself. Unfortunately, this can be a recipe for disaster since it's difficult for one or even two people to do everything themselves. 

That's where a marketing project manager comes in. A good project manager can take the weight off your shoulders, ensuring that your campaigns are planned and executed smoothly and on time.

This article will cover what a marketing project manager is, what they do, and how they can take your marketing efforts to the next level. 

What is a marketing project manager?

In any organization, big or small, there are always projects underway. And for these projects to be successful, someone must manage them appropriately. That's where a marketing project manager comes in. A marketing project manager is responsible for planning, executing, and delivering marketing projects. 

A marketing project manager takes on tasks like developing project plans and timelines and coordinating with different teams and stakeholders. 

A marketing project manager wears many hats and plays a vital role in ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget. Depending on your team, your marketing project manager might handle everything from campaign planning to pressing "publish" on social media posts. Nothing under the "marketing" umbrella is out of scope for a marketing project manager.

The importance of a marketing project manager

A marketing project manager is a crucial player on any marketing team. They ensure that marketing projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the client's satisfaction.

A marketing project manager is, as you might imagine, an expert in project management. They can also lead your team through the different phases of a project:

  • Initiation. In the initiation phase, the project manager works with the client  and the team to define the scope and objectives of the project. 

  • Planning. Project managers develop a detailed action plan during the planning phase. This action plan includes timelines, budgets, and resources. 

  • Execution. The execution phase is when the actual work of the project is completed. 

  • Monitoring. The monitoring phase is when the project manager checks in on your team's progress and makes sure that everything is on track. 

  • Project close. Finally, in the close phase, the project manager ties up loose ends and ensures the client is happy with the final product. 

The Project Management Life Cycle: project initiation, project planning, project implementation, project closure, and project monitoring. Source: Indeed

A successful marketing project manager can also address any problems, issues, or challenges that arise during a project. 

Key responsibilities of a project manager on a marketing team

A project manager on a marketing team is responsible for coordinating the team's efforts and ensuring that all deadlines are met. In addition, the project manager may be responsible for creating and presenting marketing plans to clients or upper management. Other key responsibilities include budgeting and forecasting, as well as overseeing the implementation of marketing campaigns. 

To succeed in this role, a project manager must communicate effectively with clients and team members and have strong organizational and time management skills. Above all else, they must be able to adapt to changes quickly and efficiently to keep the project on track.

What are some typical projects a marketing project manager may be in charge of?

A marketing project manager is responsible for planning, executing, and delivering marketing initiatives. Their workday may include tasks like developing and managing budgets, scheduling and conducting market research, overseeing the creation of marketing materials, coordinating promotional activities, and measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. 

In addition to these day-to-day responsibilities, a marketing project manager may also be responsible for developing long-term strategies and planning for new product launches or brand awareness initiatives. Some marketing project managers also work with clients. 

What skills or tools does a marketing project manager need to be successful?

Successful marketing project managers are skilled multitaskers who can juggle multiple projects while keeping an eye on the details. They must possess strong communication and organizational skills to keep everyone on the team informed and on track. 

Additionally, they need to understand various marketing channels to ensure that each campaign is executed correctly. These channels range from social media to email marketing to traditional media channels like newspapers and radio.

Finally, to be successful, a marketing project manager must be an effective leader who can motivate and inspire others to reach their full potential. 

Typical skills you would expect to see in a marketing project manager job listing include:

  • The ability to analyze marketing data
  • Time management
  • Research 
  • Leadership
  • Task delegation
  • The ability to give feedback
  • Client management 
  • Detail orientation 

Conclusion 

A dedicated project manager is an essential part of any marketing team. They ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget. They also play a critical role in communicating with stakeholders and ensuring that all team members work towards the same goal. 

To be successful, a marketing project manager needs strong communication skills, organizational skills, and experience with various marketing tools. 

If you'd like to learn more about marketing so you can become a marketing project manager yourself, check out our free resources. They'll put you on the right path right away. 

Jennay Wangen, Project Manager

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