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How to make massively more sales, using email marketing: Part 2

by Jim Connolly

In part 1 of this 2 part email marketing guide, I gave some of the main benefits of email marketing. I also shared some tips, on how to build a great list. Here in part 2, I want to show you how to get better and better results with each mailing you do. (I strongly recommend you read part 1 before you continue.)

How to improve your email marketing results, time after time!

All successful, professional marketing has something in common: It’s based on a process of testing and measuring. Email marketing is no exception!

Here’s how it works.

Let’s assume you have just started email marketing and you have sent your first marketing email to your list.

You would begin by measuring the feedback, for example, how many sales, sales leads, new subscribers or visitors to your store it generated, etc.

After your first email marketing has been sent and it’s results have been measured, we start the process of improving.

It looks like this: 

  • You send the second piece of email marketing, but change one element -- let’s say you change the title or subject line of the email.
  • You then measure the feedback, with the new title.
  • If it gets better results than the original title, you keep the title for the next email.
  • You then change a different element of the next marketing email and measure that in the same way.
  • If you make a change and the results are worse, you focus on improving that element until it’s as effective as you can make it.

Through a process of testing (trying new elements) and measuring your feedback, you can consistently improve your email marketing results.

Only change 1 element at a time

This is really important: Only change 1 element of your email marketing at a time. If you change more than 1 thing at a time, it’s hard to know what worked and what didn’t.

What often happens when you make simultaneous changes, is that one great change is hidden by a poorly performing change.

For example, if you simultaneously change the title of the email and also change the time of day you send it, you may see similar results to your previous email and assume nothing improved.

So, a GREAT new title, which would have improved your results massively, can be wasted, because you sent the email on the worst hour of the day, and very few people opened it. Testing those elements individually, would have allowed you to immediately spot that great title.

What elements should you test and measure?

You should test and measure everything. That’s the only way to fully optimize your email marketing.

Here are some of the main areas to focus on:

  • The title or subject line. Certain words and phrases work far better than others. Experiment with compelling titles and titles that make the reader curious… curious enough to open your email.
    • Avoid using all capital letters, exclamation marks and percentage signs. These are often blocked by junk mail filters, because spammers use them.
  • The length of the email. Most marketing emails are far too long. The fewer words you use, the better the chance your readers will read everything.
  • The font style and size.
  • The length of your paragraphs. Shorter paragraphs tend to do better because they are easier to read.
  • The day you send your emails out. This can make a big difference to your results.
  • The time of day you send your emails out. This is huge. I have recently seen a 175% improvement in email open rates, by getting the time just right.

Use a professional email distribution provider

You may start by sending your marketing emails yourself. However, it’s worth finding a professional email-marketing provider. These guys know how to get your emails delivered, reliably. Many of these services are free of charge, until your list reaches a few hundred.

Professional email marketing providers also provide you with statistics on how many of your emails were opened, when they were opened etc.

Those are just some of the areas, which you can test and measure in order to improve your email marketing results. Incidentally, that same test and measure approach applies to all your marketing – not just email!

I hope you found this 2 part email marketing guide useful. More importantly, I hope you do something with it.

To find out how CTS Wholesale can help your retail business, simply click here.