Essential practices for sending an email campaign

Running an effective email campaign requires following proven practices to maximize the impact of your messages. Whether you want to inform your customers of something new, promote an exceptional event, or share exclusive information, here are the key steps to successfully carrying out your email campaign.

Define a clear email campaign objective

The first step to a successful campaign is to define a clear and specific objective. You need to know exactly what you want to accomplish with your email. Do you want to promote a loyalty program, announce the launch of a new product, or share exclusive behind-the-scenes information about your business? By setting a clear goal, you ensure you stay focused throughout the creation of the campaign.

Once your objective is defined, develop a framework for the campaign. This framework will serve as a guide to structure your communication. For example, to welcome a new customer, start with a welcome email, followed by a special offer, then offer a wish list. Each step must be planned to create a smooth and engaging experience for the recipient.

Targeting recipients

Accurately targeting your recipients is crucial to the success of your campaign. Careful segmentation of your contact list allows you to personalize your messages and increase their relevance. Sort your contacts based on criteria such as gender, age, professional status and geographic location. The more information you have about your contacts' habits and preferences, the more detailed personas you can create.

This personalization is essential because segmented campaigns are 70% more likely to be opened. By targeting your recipients precisely, you can tailor your message to directly address their needs and interests, increasing the engagement and effectiveness of your campaign.

Creating emails

When your objective and your persona are defined, you can launch into the more creative part of the emailing campaign. However, it is not because you have to be creative that certain rules should not be respected to arouse the interest of readers.

The importance of the object

The subject of your email is the first thing your recipients see in their inbox. It must be catchy, relevant and make you want to open the email. Use personalized subject lines, including for example the recipient's first name, to immediately capture attention. A well-written subject line is both readable and engaging, thus increasing the open rate of your emails.

Selection of information to share

The content of your email should be clear, concise and aligned with your objective. Avoid overloading your messages with superfluous information. Focus on the essentials and offer useful and relevant information that will encourage your recipients to take action. Write an email message that is too dense can disengage the reader and reduce the effectiveness of your campaign.

Template work

The layout and design of your emails are essential elements to captivate your readers. Choose an aesthetic and readable template that respects your company's graphic charter. Make sure that the fonts, colors and location of texts, images and links are well chosen to provide a pleasant and professional reader experience. A good design guides the reader through your email in a logical and fluid way.

The importance of carrying out A/B tests before sending

Before officially launching your campaign, carry out A/B tests to optimize your emails and ensure their maximum effectiveness. A/B testing involves sending two slightly different versions of your email to separate segments of a sample of your contact list. Here are some key elements to test:

Email subjects

Test different email subject lines to determine which generates the best open rate. For example, you can try an item with personalization (“[First name], discover our new exclusive offer!”) against a more generic item (“Exclusive offer not to be missed!”). The results will tell you which one is most effective in capturing the attention of your recipients.

Content of the email

In addition to email subject lines, test different content elements. This may include:

• Images: Use different images to see which ones attract the most clicks. For example, test a product image against an ambient image.
• Link locations: Vary the location of links in your email to identify the position that encourages the most readers to click. Test a link at the start of the email against a link at the bottom, or a link in the text against a call-to-action (CTA) button.
• Call-to-Action (CTA): Experiment with different texts for your CTAs. Compare phrases like “Enjoy now” versus “Find out more” to see which prompts the most action.
• Design and layout: Try different layouts, like a single column version versus a multi-column version, to see which is more engaging.

Frequency and timing

Also test the frequency and timing of sending. Send your emails at different times and days to identify when your recipients are most receptive. For example, compare sending on Monday morning versus Thursday afternoon.

Personalization

Experiment with different levels of customization. Test emails with personalized elements such as the recipient's first name in the subject or body of the email, against more generic emails. Personalization can increase engagement and open rate.

Content length

Test emails of different lengths. Compare a short, direct email to a longer, detailed email to see which one captures your readers' attention best.

Segmentation

Finally, test your audience segmentation. Send slightly different versions to different segments of your contact list (e.g. new subscribers vs. repeat customers) to see if certain segments respond better to specific messages.

A/B testing allows you to adjust and refine every aspect of your email campaign. By analyzing the results, you can identify which elements work best and integrate them into your overall strategy, ensuring optimal performance for every email sent. This methodical approach will help you maximize engagement, increase conversion rates, and ensure the success of your email campaigns.

Scheduling the sending

Planning when sending your emails is crucial. Consider the best time to launch your campaign, taking into account seasons and events specific to your industry. Also determine the sending frequency, day of the week and ideal time to maximize the open rate. For example, Monday and Tuesday are often good days to send emails. Analyzing your recipients’ habits can help you refine your timing. Avoid sending emails too frequently or you risk being marked as spam.

Results analysis

A few days after sending your campaign, it is crucial to analyze the KPIs to evaluate its performance. Key metrics include open rate, click-through rate, bounce rate, responsiveness rate, and unsubscribe rate. These metrics provide you with valuable information about your recipients' engagement and areas to improve for your future campaigns.

• Open rate: Percentage of emails opened out of all emails sent, revealing the effectiveness of the subject and initial interest in the email.
• Click-through rate: Number of clicks on links in the email, indicating engagement and interest in the content.
• Bounce rate: Percentage of undelivered emails, essential for assessing the quality of your contact list.
• Reactivity rate: Indicator combining opening and click rates, reflecting overall interaction with your email.
• Unsubscribe rate: Percentage of recipients unsubscribing after receiving the email, signaling the relevance and satisfaction of subscribers.

By following these essential practices, you maximize your chances of success with each email campaign, engaging your recipients in an effective and relevant way. A well-structured and analyzed campaign not only guarantees the achievement of your marketing objectives, but also a relationship of trust and satisfaction with your customers.

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