Email Marketing Best Practices in 2021 | Tips & Tricks From Driving $75 Million in Email Revenue
As we kick off a new year, email marketers are reflecting on the past year and looking ahead to the year ahead. What worked well in 2020? What can be improved in 2021?
To help answer these questions, we reached out to some of the top email marketing experts and asked them to share their best practices for email marketing in 2021.
Here’s what they had to say:
Make Data-Driven Decisions
“In 2021, email marketers should focus on making data-driven decisions,” says Austin Walters, Email Marketing Manager at monday.com. “This means relying less on gut instinct and more on analyzing your data to see what’s working (and not working) with your audience.”
Personalization Is Key
Personalization is nothing new, but it’s still one of the best ways to improve your email marketing results. “With so much noise in everyone’s inboxes, personalization is more important than ever to help your email stand out,” says Walters. “Make sure you are segmenting your list so you can send relevant, targeted messages that resonates with each individual subscriber.”
Think Mobile First
In 2021, emails need to be designed with mobile devices in mind first and foremost. “With over half of all emails being opened on a mobile device, it’s important that your email looks great no matter where it’s being viewed,” says Walters. “Make sure you are using a responsive email template and testing your emails on all devices before you hit send.”
Use Engaging Subject Lines
Your subject line is often the make-or-break factor when it comes to whether or not someone will open your email, so it needs to be catchy and engaging. “Your subject line should give the reader a clear idea of what they can expect from the email without giving too much away,” says Walters. “And always test different variations to see which ones perform the best with your audience.”
Pay attention to the Preheader Text
The preheader text is the short piece of text that appears after the subject line in most inboxes (sometimes it even appears next to the subject line). This is another important piece of real estate that you should use wisely! “Your preheader text should give readers a sneak preview of what they can expect from the email and incentivize them to click through,” says Walters.
Include Alt Text With Images
Always include alt text with images in case they don’t load properly (or at all). This way, readers will still be able to understand what the image was supposed to convey even if they can’t see it clearly. “And make sure your alt text is descriptive but concise – you don’t want it To be too long or too short,” says Walters
