It doesn't happen overnight - it takes time, patience and care.
As a marketer, it's important that you understand that email deliverability is directly linked to engagement. Once you've ensured that everything is technically working as it should, it's up to you to provide content that engages.
But it's not always easy to know how.
In this article, you will discover what it takes to create engagement with your readers while keeping email providers happy.
So, let's cultivate engagement that will flourish for years to come!
No one knows.
That's the truth - and it's nothing to hide.
While not all the pieces of the puzzle are known, we know some parts and can make informed guesses about others. In this way, we can construct, not a complete, but a limited picture of what Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and others mean by 'engagement'.
We know that the degree and type of interaction with your email communication is important. Engagement that contributes positive signals can be, for example:
Open rate
Click through rate
Spam reports
Responses to emails
forwarding of emails
Time to open
Time to click
Time spent in the email
These are signs that the little blob of ones and zeros in your inbox has been of interest to you.
What sends negative signals is the opposite. That email is:
Left in the inbox for a long time before being engaged with
Deleted without being read
Marked as spam
And a historical disinterest from the recipient.
The 6 tips I'm about to share come from the realization that what both email providers and customers want to see... is good communication.
On assignments or projects, I often build segments based on behavior for different campaigns. It can be about selling or informing about a big match that is being broadcast.
Over the years, I have discovered that the more time I spend on segmentation, the better the results.
Less unsubscribes, more clicks, higher conversion.
And that's obvious.
But what I refused to understand for a long time is that I can also take segmentation one step further. Not just to find the right people for the right campaign (and think only in terms of SELL or ACTIONS) - but to give customers a better experience and thus strengthen deliverability.
Why not segment users by how often they report wanting communication? Or by engagement level?
More engaged = more communication. Lower = less.
Or ask customers what part of your product(s) or services interests them and send information about that (and nothing else)?
To summarize: think about the whole customer journey and not just the point of purchase when segmenting.
If you want to create great communication that engages readers and gets results, you need to put in the work. And that energy doesn't come from unhealthy amounts of caffeine, but simply from a determined professional pride.
You want to create good communication, with thought behind it, to the right people.
Because there's plenty of communication that works okay.
And everything about it is okay: the content, the design.
The outcome.
But to really engage, and keep the level of engagement up, you need a little more...
I promise that readers, through their little screens, can smell when someone has gone the extra mile. When someone has respect for what they create and by extension, respect for the reader themselves.
So the first step is that you, your organization and your employees; all want to make good content.
That you think - "communication that we can stand behind, what does it look like?"
Then there is only one thing left. Roll up your sleeves and get to work!
If you've lost touch with someone, the first step is always to get in touch. This is also the case with people in your base who may have once opened, read and commented; but today ignore you.
Re-engagement is identifying these inactive users and then finding something that interests them.
Maybe it's sending them a push notification about a new feature in your app.
Or maybe it's a really strong offer in a category of goods they previously shopped a lot of.
It could be anything really. Because at some point they were hopefully interested in your business - now you need to find a new reason!
But for some, you are simply no longer relevant. They've had their needs met elsewhere.
And that's all you can do.
Except to look out over the horizon and try...
It was said that the sun never set on the British Empire. But sometimes it needs to set for some of your contacts.
Sun-setting means that inactive members of your database are asked if they want to remain members. A "yes" is a yes. No answer or a "no" is a no.
And then they are simply removed. That's sun-setting.
So why is it good? You struggle so much to get people into your database. Luring them with guides, content and various promises. And then just sweeping them away seems a bit like a waste.
But it's not. Quite the opposite.
It's an investment in the rest of your database. The ones that are active.
Because what happens when you remove those who never read or click through your emails? The percentage that do, goes up and so does the engagement level.
To the email providers, it looks like your company is a responsible sender. Because you are.
Plus, the KPIs will look better! ;)
Always. Be. Testing.
Reality is terribly complex. Crushingly so.
And we poor humans have always tried to create order out of chaos.
Systematically testing things, drawing conclusions and then testing again ad nauseum is still the best answer we have. It doesn't matter if the question is "How fast is the universe expanding?" or the more mundane "why did we only get 0.6% unique click rate on the last campaign? 🙁".
So test, test, test! Then, test again!
It's the only way.
Make an honest attempt to link your email communications to parts of the customer journey and where appropriate, encourage them to take the next step.
Think about the purpose of each email and how it links to not only your marketing strategy, but also your corporate identity.
The strategy is a chart that allows you to sail without danger or delay.
For example, it is frighteningly easy to spend too much time sending emails as the need arises. Instead, we should think about how each email and each type of email contributes to the big picture.
If emails are created because we "should do something", a huge emergency siren should go off in your head.
🚨DANGER! 🚨
Instead, do research first.
Use it to formulate a strategy with clear objectives.
Test and optimize against it.
Then you'll never waste your own or your customers' time again.
There you have it, six tips to improve email delivery and create long-lasting engagement with your readers. But remember, it's not something you do once and then forget about. This journey requires constant attention, adaptation and refinement. And like any successful journey, it starts with a single step. So take that first step today.
If you need help along your journey, you can always contact me or one of my Leadfront team members.
Have a great time!