Email marketing success boils down to effectively testing all the different elements of your campaign. By testing different tweaks and variations, you can clearly see what changes improve performance and which ones cause a decline.

But what exactly should you be testing out different versions of in your emails? Here are 6 things to get you started.

1. Subject lines—The subject line is often cited as the most important part of the email. It’s what recipients first see, and it plays a big role in determining whether or not they’ll actually open the email. Test out different subject line variations to find a formula that gets you the highest open rates.
2. Number of links—A lot of studies have been done to see what the ideal number of links is to place inside an email. More seems to be better, but what is too much? You need to test different numbers of links in your emails to see what drives the most traffic and the highest quality of traffic.
3. Link placement—Staying on the subject of links, studies have shown that link placement also affects click-through rates. That means you need to test placing your links in different spots in your message to identify the sweet spots that get the highest number of clicks.
4. Calls to action—The call to action is always important in getting clicks and making sales. Not only do you need to test different offers, but you also need to try changing the wording and location of your calls to action.
5. Personalization—The studies on personalization in emails are so contrary to one another that it’s impossible to know what to believe. That’s why the best thing to do is to test it for yourself. Try personalizing some of your emails to see if it influences performance at all.
6. Overall layout—I think too many marketers tend to overlook the actual design of their emails. Email design is very important and plays a huge role in the effectiveness of your campaign. How the information is presented is just as important as the information itself. So, try different layouts to see what works best for you.

What are some other things you test in your emails? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

So, today is my birthday. And this morning, while I was busy trying to decide whether or not I should work today (I decided to work), I was sifting through my emails and noticed something interesting. I had received a number of “Happy Birthday” messages from various companies whose email lists I’m subscribed to.

So far, I’ve received “Happy Birthday” messages from ING Direct, GoDaddy.com, EA Games, Flying Saucer, Gugliani’s (a Houston-based Italian restaurant), some local golf courses, and a couple of other companies that I’ve now forgotten.

Each of these emails contained a special birthday offer from the company. These ranged from coupons for a certain percentage off my next purchase to free gifts (I get a free pint the next time I go to Flying Saucer!).

All of this got me thinking. I wonder how many companies offer birthday gifts to their subscribers. The messages certainly got my attention because they stood out greatly from the regular commercial emails I’m used to receiving. And I’ve already taken advantage of a few of the special birthday offers I’ve been receiving (I can’t resist a free round of golf!).

But beyond earning my business, these companies helped to further build their relationships with me. The simple act of telling me “Happy Birthday” added a personal touch to their email marketing efforts, and it made me feel like they valued me as a customer.

If you’re interested in sending birthday emails to your subscribers, there are a few things you should do.

• Capture this info at opt-in—Encourage users to put their date of birth in the opt-in form when they sign up for your email list. Let them know they’ll receive a special birthday offer for doing so.
• Personalize your message—While the jury is still out on the effectiveness of personalized commercial emails, there’s no doubt that the birthday email is certainly the right time and place for personalization. Address the birthday recipient by name and wish them a happy birthday.
• Make them an offer they can’t refuse—A birthday offer should be better than the typical offers you send to subscribers week in and week out. It needs to feel like something truly special to the recipient, otherwise they won’t convert.

Do you send birthday offers to your email subscribers?

If you’ve ever subscribed to any email lists before, you’re probably familiar with the concept of the welcome email. This is the email that’s sent to new subscribers to welcome them to the list, confirm that they really did subscribe, share certain information/offers for new subscribers, learn their preferences, and more.

Does your company use email marketing? If so, you should already be sending welcome emails to new subscribers. If you’re not, here are some good reasons to do it.

• Welcome emails get the highest open rates—Some studies have found that welcome emails have about a 4 times higher open rate than regular promotional emails. That’s because subscribers are at their most interested when they first subscribe to your list, so they want to see what type of content they’ll be receiving. Take advantage of this opportunity to get a great response rate.
• Start building trust instantly—Trust is the key to effective email marketing. By sending a welcome email that thanks customers for subscribing, delivers quality information, and engages them to start building a relationship, you can start earning their trust immediately.
• The longer you wait to email, the likelier it is to get buried—If someone doesn’t hear from you for a week or two after they subscribed to your list, they will have forgotten about you, and your email will just blend in with all the other junk in their inbox. That’s why you need to setup an automated welcoming system that sends a welcome message as soon as someone subscribes to your list.
• It’s good for usability—Welcome emails are good for subscribers too. If they signed up for some sort of account, the welcome email can be a good place to remind them of their username and password so they can keep it on file in case they forget later on. It can also be a way to learn about their communication preferences so you can email them accordingly.
• Reinforce subscriber benefits—The welcome email provides a great opportunity to remind new subscribers of everything they stand to gain by being members of your list. It helps to remind them that they’ve made the right decision, allowing you to earn their confidence.

Do you send welcome emails to new subscribers on your email list? Have you seen any results?

Share your experiences by leaving a comment below.

One of the main reasons subscribers stop opening emails and unsubscribe from lists is because the content they’re receiving isn’t matched to their preferences. You might be sending them messages on subjects that don’t interest them, or you could just be emailing them more often than they prefer.

That’s why it’s so important that you get to know the preferences of your email subscribers. When you know what they want and act upon it, you can increase open rates, boost response rates, and run a more profitable email marketing campaign.

Many savvy companies have started sending welcome messages to new subscribers with links to a subscriber preferences form. The subscriber can then indicate his or her preferences on a range of different factors, and the marketer can adjust communication accordingly.

If you’re going to implement a subscriber’s preferences tool in your campaign, make sure it includes the following:

• Frequency of communication—You don’t want to annoy your subscribers by emailing them too often. The easiest way to avoid this is to ask your subscribers to indicate how often they’d like to hear from you. Then, once the subscriber indicates their preferred frequency of communication, make sure you honor that request.
• Subject matter—Ask your subscribers what type of content they’re interested in receiving. Special deals? Company news? New product information? Events? Once you get this information, you can segment your email list according to your subscribers’ interests.
• Name—If you’re going to personalize your emails, you want to make sure you address your customers right. There’s nothing worse than calling them by the wrong name (e.g. calling someone “William” who always goes by “Bill”).

These are just a few of the things you should request when learning your subscribers’ preferences. Can you think of any others?

It’s pretty simple really. If your email subscribers don’t open your emails, you’re not going to have much success with email marketing. Subscribers who don’t open emails don’t respond to your special offers, don’t share your emails with their friends, and don’t take any other action you might want them to take.

So, what can you do to improve your open rates? Here are 5 simple tips to help you out.

1. Send your emails on the right days—Did you know that an email you send on Monday probably won’t get as good of an open rate as one you send on Wednesday? It’s true. There are certain days when your subscribers are likelier to open emails. In general, the middle of the week is best—Tuesday-Thursday. Fridays, people tend to be looking forward to the weekend and wrapping up their week. Mondays, they’re usually still trying to get back in the swing of things.
2. Include one of these things in your subject line—Marketing Sherpa recently released a study that found subject lines with the best open rates have one of the following: free product offer, discount offer, or a recognized brand name. Craft your subject lines accordingly.
3. Don’t email too often—More than half of all people who unsubscribe from an email list say they do so because they’re getting emailed too often from the sender. If you’re always bombarding your subscribers with emails, you’re going to wear out your welcome, and they will start to ignore you.
4. Build your own email list—Email lists that you build yourself will outperform email lists that you buy from somebody else. That’s because house built email lists are full of subscribers who actually request to hear from you, rather than random people who may not even know who you are.
5. Ask your subscribers what they want—If subscribers aren’t getting what they expected from your emails, they’ll stop opening them. Take the time to listen to what your subscribers want, and then make sure your emails deliver upon that.

What are some other things you’ve done to increase your email open rates? Share your best tips by leaving a comment below.

According to EmailStatCenter, only 1 percent of 500 surveyed retailers are sending a welcome series to engage new email subscribers. And while 500 people might be a pretty small sample size, it’s large enough to know that a lot of retailers aren’t sending welcome messages to their new subscribers.

In fact, I can tell you from personal experience that I’m subscribed to the email lists of more than a dozen companies, and not one of them sent me a welcome message when I signed up for their list.

Why is it important to send a welcome message to new subscribers?

First, you want to immediately engage the new subscriber. It’s important to start building that relationship as soon as possible. Otherwise, there could be a gap of a few weeks before you send their first, regularly-scheduled email. And by that time, they may have already forgotten about you or become disinterested in your company.

Most importantly, now is the time when you have the prospect’s attention. This is your big chance to make a strong impression. You may never have their full attention like this again. They gave you their permission to send them an email, and you need to capitalize on it.

So, how can you send a great welcome message to new subscribers?

First, avoid the generic “You subscribed to our list” email. Yes, it is important to confirm that they’ve been added to your email list, but it needs to be engaging.

In addition to confirming that their action of subscribing to your list was successful, you should make sure to thank the prospect for signing up, let them know what they can expect in future emails, deliver the freebie you promised for signing up, remind them how they’ll benefit by staying subscribed to your email list, etc. Even if you didn’t offer a freebie for signing up to your email list, now is a good time to surprise the new subscriber with a sign-up bonus (e.g. coupon, free download, free trial/sample, etc.).

You should also make your welcome message as customized as possible. Ideally, you should know what the reader’s interests are. You can have interest groups tabs added to your email list signup form. You can then customize your welcome message based on what the subscriber is interested in.

Finally, just try to be personable in your welcome email. Now isn’t the time for a bunch of marketing jargon. Have a personality. Make the new subscriber truly feel welcomed.

Do you send a welcome message to your new email list subscribers? What does it contain?

Despite the numerous reports of its death, email marketing is still alive and well. And when used properly, it can improve customer loyalty and drive up sales. Of course, at the core of most email marketing campaigns is the e-newsletter. Some companies send them each month, others send them out more often.

Unfortunately, most newsletters suck. Trust me. I receive a number of them from various companies, and I can almost never tolerate reading them. So, what can you do to get more from your e-newsletters? Here are 7 fast tips you can put into practice immediately.

1. Keep it short and easy to scan—Nobody wants to read a long email newsletter. Keep it short and sweet. And always make sure your copy is easy to scan. Prioritize your newsletter content by placing the most important information up top.
2. Get feedback from your readers—What better way to give your subscribers an e-newsletter they care about than to ask them what they’d like to see? Make it easy for subscribers to send their feedback.
3. Make it interactive—The blending of email marketing and social media has made email campaigns all the more effective. Make it easy for your subscribers to interact and share your content. You can also try adding polls and surveys to encourage readers to interact more.
4. Highlight customer’s stories—This works on a couple of different levels. By highlighting your customer’s success stories with your products and services, you build credibility with readers and help move them toward a place where they’re comfortable buying from you. Additionally, you engage subscribers and encourage them to submit their own stories, granting them exposure. Everybody wins.
5. Segment your subscribers—Chances are, your subscribers are a diverse bunch. They may come from different age groups, different locations, and be of different genders. By segmenting your newsletter subscriber list, you can tailor different versions of the e-newsletter for each group.
6. Reward subscribers—At the end of the day, subscribers need to be gaining something from being on your email list. The info they get in the newsletter might be useful, but that’s probably not enough to keep them engaged. Reward them. You can offer special deals to your subscribers, or give them something for signing up. Nothing wrong with a little bribery.
7. Track everything—You can never guess what’s working and what isn’t. You need proof. So, start looking at your data. See which email subject lines get the highest open rates and which links get the most clicks. Duplicate what’s working and refine what isn’t. Never stop testing!

I’m sure you have some great tips to add to this list. Please leave a comment in the replies.

About a year ago, I wrote a post asking the question: How often should you email your subscribers? It’s a question that almost every company involved in email marketing asks themselves on a regular basis. In that post and after discussions with other marketers I respect, the general consensus was that anything more often than every 4 or 5 days will likely be seen as an annoyance and as spam.

In fact, there was a study done by DoubleClick that found 49% of consumers say spam is “email from a company I have done business with but that comes too often.” So, just because someone subscribes to your list doesn’t mean they won’t think you’re a spammer.

The reason I’m bringing this up is because my inbox has been going crazy the past couple of weeks. Why? Because Mother’s Day is just around the corner. We all know that billions of dollars are spent by consumers each Mothers Day. So, it makes sense that companies are frantically trying to outdo one another so they can get their grubby little hands on my hard-earned dollars, but things have gone way too far.

Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, and From You Flowers are 3 email lists that I’m on because I bought various gifts for my girlfriend and my mom several months ago. The first 2 companies already email way too often as it is, regardless if there’s a holiday coming up or not. Not a day goes by that I don’t get an email from at least one of them…usually both. The only reasons I haven’t unsubscribed yet are because I always just delete the message without opening it and I’m also interested in email marketing, so it’s fun to see how some companies approach it.

But now that Mother’s Day is almost here all 3 companies have stepped up the frequency of their emails. I agree that it’s a good tactic to do this when you have a time-sensitive message, but there’s a thin line between urging me to get my mom something nice and pestering me every hour with another “last minute sale” that I need to take advantage of before it’s too late.

That’s the danger of emailing too often. What motivation does someone have to take action if they know you’re going to be emailing them with another offer (usually a better offer) the next day? It’s like the story of the boy who cried wolf. Sooner or later, people just stop paying attention to you when you’re constantly screaming at them.

By the way, I didn’t make a Mother’s Day purchase from any of these companies. Instead, I’m taking my mom out to dinner, and I’m making a donation to her favorite charity under her name.

Every day, I get emails from companies I’ve done business with in the past or businesses whose email lists I signed up on for one reason or another. And every day, I end up deleting a number of these emails without ever opening them and reading a word of what’s inside.

Today, I asked myself “Why do I delete so many emails without opening them?” As I sat back and thought of the answer, a few reasons came to mind. I thought I’d share them with you as these are things you should be aware of when emailing your customers. By understanding these reasons and avoiding common mistakes, you can increase your email open rates and get a higher ROI on your email marketing campaign.

• The company emails too often—There are some companies that send me emails literally every single day. Every day, there’s a new sale. This sale is bigger than the last, and I have to act now if I want to get a good deal. Needless to say, after a few days of being on this email list, I stopped opening any of the messages. They were all the same, and no sale seemed any better or different from all the other ones. Don’t be a pest by emailing your subscribers too often. You’ll annoy them, and they’ll stop reading your messages.
• The subject line doesn’t offer a reason to open it—My inbox is constantly working. I get a lot of emails, so if you want me to pay attention to your marketing, you’d better have a strong subject line that grabs my attention and reels me in. Check out these 5 tips for improving your email subject lines.
• I’m too busy to read it—It seems like a lot of companies send me emails during the middle of the work day when I’m at my very busiest. If I’m in the middle of working and answering work-related emails, the chances of me stopping to read an email about a sale on shoes is pretty slim. And it looks like I’m not alone. According to these statistics, emails sent on the weekends and at 8:00AM during the week have the highest open rates. You have to get to your subscribers before they get caught up in their busy days.
• It’s from a company I don’t recognize—Gmail does a pretty good job of separating spam, but occasionally, I’ll still get emails from companies I know I didn’t sign up for. Never spam people. It’s a surefire way to kill your email marketing campaign. Instead, follow these email marketing best practice rules.

What are some of the reasons you don’t open emails? Share your experiences. It could help others create more effective email marketing campaigns.

The subject line is the most important piece of your email marketing message. If it isn’t strong and interesting, your readers will never open the message. And if it contains the wrong words, it could get flagged as spam, meaning your emails won’t get delivered and you could get permanently blocked.

So, what can you do to improve your email subject lines? Here are 5 easy tips to get you started.

1. Keep it short—According to research from MailerMailer, emails with shorter subject lines significantly outperformed those with longer subject lines. There are a couple reasons for that. First, the average email carrier only displays 38 to 47 characters in the subject line. So, if your subject line is too long, some of it won’t even show up. Second, your readers are in a hurry. You need to give them as much information as possible in the fewest words as possible. Always edit your subject lines for brevity.
2. Brand it—A lot of people used to think that including the brand name in the subject line wasted too much precious real estate. Turns out they were wrong. According to a Silverpop study, subject lines with brand names in them were shared more often than those with just offers. And Marketing Sherpa’s study says that branded subject lines are among the most opened emails.
3. Make an offer—Discount offers and free product offers are 2 of the top 3 most-opened email subject lines. Subscribers love a good deal. Your offer needs to be strong enough to grab their attention and clear and concise enough to easily fit into the subject line. Like they say in The Godfather, “make him an offer he can’t refuse.” Just make sure you don’t include spammy words in your offer as this will cause your message to get blocked.
4. Don’t personalize—Another myth is that personalizing emails causes them to get opened more often. Turns out the opposite is true. Here’s another stat to consider:

• Emails that had only the subject line personalized (12.4% Open Rate & 1.7% CTR) did worse than those with no personalization at all (13.5% Open Rate & 2.7% CTR). -MailerMailer

     5.  Never stop testing—Every email marketing campaign is different. A tactic that works for one company may not work for you. The only way to find out what works best for you is to test different subject lines. Try running different formats alongside each other to see which gets better open rates and more click-throughs. Never stop testing!

Do you test different subject lines in your email marketing campaign? Has it helped you get more opens and conversions?