9 Gen Z-Friendly Email Marketing Tips

In the quest to captivate the Gen-Z audience with email marketing, we’ve gathered insights from nine marketing experts, including content strategists and CEOs. From creating clear, concise, and visual content to sending infrequent, high-quality emails, discover how to make your email campaigns resonate with the youngest, digitally-savvy generation.

• Create Clear, Concise, Visual Content
• Embrace Authenticity and Relatability
• Highlight Social Responsibility
• Incorporate Visual Storytelling
• Optimize for Mobile
• Include Peer Reviews and User Content
• Personalize with Interactivity and Relevance
• Showcase Diversity and Inclusivity
• Send Infrequent, High-Quality Emails

Create Clear, Concise, Visual Content

My top tip for making your email marketing Gen-Z-friendly would be to write clear and concise copy. It has to convey your message clearly, swiftly, and in a straightforward manner. Given their short attention spans, the key is to hook them immediately. What’s more, I have found visual elements, like images, videos, and even emojis, to be incredibly helpful when creating content for Gen-Z.

Ahsan Raza
Content Strategist and Copywriter, Qureos

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Embrace Authenticity and Relatability

Keep it authentic. Gen-Z values genuine connection and transparency. Ditch the corporate jargon and speak their language. Share stories, behind-the-scenes content, and make it relatable. They’ll engage with brands that feel like a friend, not a faceless entity.

Casey Jones
Founder, Head of Marketing, CJ&CO

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Highlight Social Responsibility

One of the most important things you can do to make your email marketing as Gen-Z-friendly as possible is to emphasize authenticity and corporate social responsibility. Gen-Z loves authentic connections and brands that stand up for social causes.

From our work at Messente, we’ve found that sending messages demonstrating your brand’s commitment to causes that matter to Gen-Z consumers can dramatically boost engagement rates. In addition, research shows that Gen-Z shoppers are 60% more likely to buy from companies that stand up for the causes they care about.

Personal stories are one of the most important ways to connect with Gen-Z. For example, when we ran a campaign highlighting our sustainability initiatives, younger audiences responded positively to the message and the transparency and narrative behind our efforts.

Communicating with Gen-Z is about more than just transactions. It’s about building trust, communicating your values, and telling a story that aligns with them. When you do this, you’ll not only capture their attention, but you’ll also build a long-term customer base.

Uku Tomikas
CEO, Messente

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Incorporate Visual Storytelling

Focus on visual storytelling and interactivity when engaging Gen-Z in your email marketing.

Growing up in a digital-first era, immersive experiences and engaging visuals capture and retain the attention of this generation. Incorporate rich media, when you can, from GIFs, videos, and interactive elements, such as polls or quizzes, into your email marketing.

Aside from being engaging, this also makes your email content shareable to their friends and followers, thereby expanding your reach. By leveraging these dynamic elements, you are creating memorable experiences that resonate well with your Gen-Z market and, at the same time, opening up an opportunity to develop a relationship and build a community through conversations that they look forward to in their inbox.

Tristan Harris
Demand Generation Senior Marketing Manager, Thrive Digital Marketing Agency

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Optimize for Mobile

As the founder and CEO of Cleartail Marketing, I’ve spearheaded several campaigns that successfully engaged the Gen-Z audience, learning vital strategies along the way. Our approach has always been to blend data-driven insights with creative content to capture this vibrant demographic’s attention.

For instance, we achieved a 5,000% ROI on a Google AdWords campaign by tailoring our messaging to resonate with Gen-Z’s values and digital behaviors, demonstrating the power of aligning content with audience preferences.

One tip I’d emphasize for making your email marketing more Gen-Z friendly is to prioritize mobile optimization and visual content. Gen-Z is predominantly mobile-first, meaning they’re more likely to engage with your email if it’s easy to navigate on their smartphones. We’ve found significant success by incorporating visually appealing elements like GIFs, short videos, and high-quality images that align with the message’s essence, making the email content not only more attractive but also more digestible.

For example, integrating an interactive infographic in an email campaign increased our click-through rate by integrating engagement directly within the content, catering to Gen-Z’s preference for interactive and visually stimulating media.

Moreover, authenticity and personalization are key. In our LinkedIn outreach and Google listing campaigns, we personalized our messages to reflect the recipient’s interests and behaviors, which dramatically increased engagement rates. We learned that Gen-Z appreciates when brands take the time to understand them and tailor content accordingly. This demographic values transparency and relatability, so sharing real stories behind your brand or showcasing user-generated content can significantly enhance the authenticity of your communication, making your email marketing efforts more effective with Gen-Z.

Magee Clegg
CEO, Cleartail Marketing

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Include Peer Reviews and User Content

Marketing to Gen Z effectively requires connecting with them on a deeper level. They need to feel like they can relate—so they rely more on peer reviews than on brand advertising, especially in email marketing.

Peer reviews are central to 82% of Gen Z’s buying decisions, making it a good strategy to include client testimonials and reviews in email marketing, as well as any relevant user-generated content from customers in this age category. At Marketized, we have adapted to this, and we highlight UGC (user-generated content) whenever fitting.

Ioana Marin
Co-Founder, Marketized

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Personalize with Interactivity and Relevance

To make your email marketing resonate with Gen-Z, it’s essential to tailor your messages to their interests and communication preferences. My top tip centers on interactivity and personalization. Gen-Z values authenticity and meaningful engagement. Therefore, incorporate interactive elements like quizzes or polls that not only entertain but also provide value by understanding their preferences.

This approach creates a two-way conversation, making them feel heard and connected. Personalize your content by weaving in topics they care about, based on their past interactions with your brand. By adopting this strategy, you make every email an opportunity for Gen-Z to connect with your brand on a deeper level, based on their terms and needs.

Valentin Radu
CEO & Founder, Blogger, Speaker, Podcaster, Omniconvert

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Showcase Diversity and Inclusivity

Gen-Z highly values diversity and inclusivity, wanting to see themselves and their peers reflected in the marketing content they consume. Incorporate images, stories, and testimonials from a diverse range of customers in your email marketing.

Showcasing real people of different backgrounds, identities, and lifestyles not only resonates more deeply with this generation but also strengthens your brand’s commitment to inclusivity. This approach fosters a sense of community and connection, making your campaigns more relatable and appealing to a Gen-Z audience.

Alex Taylor
Head of Marketing, SEO Specialists, CrownTV

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Send Infrequent, High-Quality Emails

People, especially young people, don’t love email marketing. Frankly, a lot of email marketing is indistinguishable from spam. The rub is that email is one of the easiest ways for organizations to get in front of potential customers.

And Gen Z is a prime market segment. But they don’t want to be nagged. The key is to make your emails infrequent but good. Think highlight reel, not a congressional hearing. Gen Z wants snappy and to-the-point. That’s what your email marketing should be.

Temmo Kinoshita
Co-Founder, Lindenwood Marketing

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8 Tips for Dark Mode in Email Design

In the evolving world of email marketing, adapting to dark mode can be a game-changer, so we’ve gathered eight tips from top designers and marketing experts. From embracing contrast without simple inversion to designing with dynamic backgrounds and adjusting imagery, these professionals, including a senior graphic designer and a marketing director, provide their best advice for crafting emails that shine in any theme.

• Embrace Contrast, Avoid Simple Inversion
• Outline Graphics, Use Creative Shapes
• Utilize Transparent PNGs, Muted Colors
• Select Soft Colors, Test Extensively
• Test Brand Colors Across Modes
• Understand Client-Specific Dark Mode Rendering
• Avoid Vibrant Colors, Use Subdued Tones
• Design with Dynamic Backgrounds, Adjust Imagery

Embrace Contrast, Avoid Simple Inversion

Make contrast your guiding star in dark mode, but remember that simple color inversion isn’t the only solution—carefully consider how each element in your design (text, colors, images) will translate to a dark background to ensure readability and avoid harsh, eye-straining combinations.

Think light text on dark backgrounds. But it’s more nuanced than just inverting everything. If you have colored elements or images within your email, carefully evaluate whether light-on-dark or dark-on-light works best for that particular item. Selective inversion is key.

Ihor Kirpichnikov
Senior Graphic Designer, Ikagency.com

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Outline Graphics, Use Creative Shapes

Ensuring your email graphics stand out in both light and dark modes requires careful consideration and creative solutions. When designing for dark mode, one key technique is to outline any dark and transparent elements with a white stroke. This contrast ensures that your graphics remain visible and impactful, regardless of the background.

However, to truly enhance the visual appeal and maintain the fun element in your campaigns, consider incorporating white backgrounds into your graphics—but with a twist. Instead of settling for plain, rectangular backgrounds, frame your graphics with interesting, unique shapes. This strategy not only makes your content pop in dark mode but also adds an element of surprise and creativity that can captivate your audience.

Experiment with different shapes and designs like arches, rounded corners, or other unexpected forms to give your graphics a distinctive look. The key is to select shapes that complement your overall design while ensuring they remain invisible in light mode for a seamless experience. This approach not only addresses the visibility issue in dark mode but also elevates the aesthetic appeal of your emails, making them more engaging for your subscribers.

Remember, the objective is to balance functionality with creativity. By implementing these strategies, you can create email campaigns that are not only accessible in both light and dark modes but also memorable and engaging for your audience.

Amber Andrews
CEO and Digital Artist, Andrews Artistry

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Utilize Transparent PNGs, Muted Colors

One critical tip for creating email designs that are dark mode-friendly is to use transparent PNGs for your images. This ensures that your logos, icons, and other graphical elements seamlessly adapt to both light and dark backgrounds without the need for alternative versions. In one of our recent projects, we found that emails incorporating transparent PNG images significantly increased engagement rates in dark mode settings, as they retained their visual integrity and allure without appearing out of place or jarring against the dark background.

Another aspect we’ve focused on is the adaptation of colors. In emails designed for dark mode, it’s crucial to select colors that are muted yet distinguishable in a dark setting. For instance, using pastel shades or softer tones of primary colors can enhance readability without causing eye strain. We’ve applied this approach in designing email templates for a campaign, resulting in a 15% higher open rate in dark mode users compared to previous campaigns. The key was in meticulous A/B testing, where we tweaked color schemes and measured user engagement across both modes, honing in on a palette that works harmoniously in both light and dark settings.

Lastly, it’s not just about the visual elements; textual content must also be optimized for dark mode. We use lighter font colors that are not stark white but rather off-white or light gray, which reduces glare and makes reading more comfortable. Our experience showed that this subtle shift in font color can significantly reduce bounce rates from emails viewed in dark mode.

In sum, designing for dark mode in email campaigns is a nuanced process that requires a careful balance of visuals and text, alongside rigorous testing to perfect. Through transparent imagery application, muted color selection, and font color adjustments, we’ve been able to craft emails that resonate well with users irrespective of their display preferences.

Dylan Cleppe
Co-Founder & CEO, OneStop Northwest LLC

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Select Soft Colors, Test Extensively

A significant part of creating an engaging customer experience is ensuring emails look great across all viewing modes, including dark mode, which has gained popularity among users for its aesthetics and reduced eye strain.

One strategy that has proven effective is the careful selection and use of colors that perform well in both light and dark modes. For instance, we avoid using absolute blacks or whites for backgrounds and text. Instead, opting for softer shades of gray as backgrounds and off-white for text can significantly improve readability and visual appeal in dark mode. This nuanced approach helped us enhance the open and engagement rates of our email campaigns since it preserves the email’s aesthetic integrity across different user preferences.

Furthermore, we’ve emphasized the importance of testing emails in various environments. This includes using email design tools that offer previews in both light and dark modes. Testing isn’t just about ensuring the email doesn’t break; it’s also about fine-tuning the visual experience to ensure that elements like logos, images, and buttons are clearly visible and attractive in dark mode. This level of attention to detail has been crucial in driving desired actions from our subscribers, regardless of their default viewing mode.

Incorporating dynamic content in our emails has also added a layer of personalization that resonates well in any mode. For example, by using dynamic content blocks, we ensure that product images and personalized recommendations look great against both light and dark backgrounds, creating a seamless experience that boosts engagement and drives conversion.

In conclusion, mastering email designs for dark mode isn’t just about flipping a switch on color schemes; it involves thoughtful design, extensive testing, and leveraging the right tools to ensure your emails engage and convert, no matter the user’s preference. Through meticulous attention to detail and an understanding of user environments, we’ve been able to create email campaigns that stand out.

Steve Pogson
Founder, First Pier

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Test Brand Colors Across Modes

If your brand has specific colors, ensure they are adaptable to both light and dark modes. Test your brand colors in different modes to make sure they remain visually appealing and maintain brand consistency.

Dark mode typically reduces the brightness of colors, so it helps to adjust the brightness and saturation of them to ensure they maintain their vibrancy and visibility in a dark environment. You may need to slightly lighten or modify the colors for optimal visibility and consider different shades that are adaptable in both modes.

Dark mode implementations can vary across different platforms, operating systems, and devices. Therefore, I find it vital to test your brand colors in various environments to ensure they are well-represented regardless of the specific dark mode implementation.

Ray Wang
Principal, RW Digital

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Understand Client-Specific Dark Mode Rendering

Familiarize yourself with the differences between email clients first. Each email client is unique, with its own set of features, capabilities, and programming. This issue even affects how dark mode appears in different email clients, whether on mobile, desktop, or other platforms.

Every client has its own way of showing dark mode, based on its rendering engine. This leads to a lack of a uniform standard for how dark mode should appear across devices. The way dark mode is rendered can vary, creating inconsistencies in the user experience.

In some situations, even when a user switches their device to dark mode, the email might still be shown in the regular, light mode. This mismatch between light and dark modes can be uncomfortable for some readers’ eyes. However, doing partial color inversions, like reversing a light background to dark and dark text to light, tends to work well for most people as it strikes a balance.

To make sure your emails look right and are easy to read, it’s important to keep up with the latest on email clients. Know which ones have dark mode. Keep an eye on their software updates and changes in features. Then, use this information to create the best possible emails for dark mode.

Precious Abacan
Marketing Director, Softlist

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Avoid Vibrant Colors, Use Subdued Tones

Avoid using pure white in your color scheme if you can; I’d recommend going for something off-white or light gray where a lighter touch is needed. It makes a pretty significant difference for dark-mode emails while maintaining a relatively bright look and feel if that is part of your branding.

Generally speaking, you want to stay away from vibrant colors when planning content for dark mode, because they will appear overly bright and harsh against most dark backgrounds. Stick with using them for backgrounds, which works best as a little pop, in my experience.

Dragos Badea
CEO, Yarooms

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Design with Dynamic Backgrounds, Adjust Imagery

One actionable tip we’ve implemented with success is designing emails with a dynamic background. Instead of selecting a solid color background, we utilize a CSS trick that allows the background to automatically switch between light and dark themes based on the user’s preference. This ensures that the email’s background never clashes with devices set to dark mode, enhancing readability and overall visual comfort.

This approach not only elevates the user experience but also subtly underlines our brand’s attention to detail and responsiveness to user preferences. Another key aspect is the careful selection and adjustment of imagery to suit both modes. We’ve found that adding a white border around dark images or logos significantly improves their visibility in dark mode. This simple yet effective trick prevents images from blending into the background, ensuring they remain eye-catching and effective regardless of the user’s theme settings.

In our experience, this minor adjustment has led to higher engagement rates, as visuals continue to play a pivotal role in email marketing effectiveness. Furthermore, in our email designs for dark mode, we prioritize the use of softer, neutral tones for text to minimize eye strain. This adjustment aims to cater to the increasing screen time and the resultant user fatigue, ensuring that our messages remain engaging and accessible. Our A/B testing has shown that emails optimized for readability in both light and dark modes have a higher open rate and prolonged engagement, underlining the significance of thoughtful, inclusive design practices.

The journey to optimizing emails for dark mode is iterative, relying on continuous testing and adaptation to refine the user experience. Through these practices, we’ve managed to stay responsive to user preferences, ensuring our digital communication remains effective, inclusive, and considerate of our diverse audience’s needs.

Rex Liu
Chief Revenue Officer, GoSite

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12 Email Marketing Tips for One-Person Teams

Solo email marketers, brace yourselves for a treasure trove of wisdom directly from the minds of founders and marketing managers. From focusing on quality over volume to balancing customization with volume, discover the top twelve strategies and resources they recommend to elevate your email marketing game.

• Focus on Quality Over Volume
• Leverage Email Automation Tools
• Quantify Revenue Contribution
• Utilize AI for Refined Messaging
• Integrate SEO in Email Content
• Consider Outsourcing Tasks
• Use AI-Powered Writing Tools
• Maintain a Clean Email List
• Maximize Efficiency with Templates
• Avoid Over-Customizing Emails
• Embrace Scale in Email Marketing
• Balance Customization with Volume

Focus on Quality Over Volume

Simple. Focus on quality, not volume. Results, not campaigns sent. Spend your time wisely understanding the target demographic, creating an irresistible offer, and positioning the product or service in the right way, and you can outperform larger teams tenfold—every damn day of the week.

Casey Jones
Founder, Head of Marketing, CJ&CO

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Leverage Email Automation Tools

My top tip for a one-person email marketing team is to leverage automation. Email marketing automation tools can help you manage your time and resources efficiently, allowing you to schedule campaigns, segment your audience, and personalize your messages with ease. This not only increases your productivity but also enhances the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Ours is one such too, which offers robust features for managing and automating your email marketing efforts. It allows you to create automated sequences based on specific triggers, ensuring your emails are timely and relevant.

Additionally, continuously educate yourself about the latest trends and best practices in email marketing. Resources like the blogs of HubSpot, Litmus, and Smartlead offer valuable insights.

Remember, the key is not to do everything manually but to work smarter by leveraging the right tools and staying updated with industry trends.

Alka Gupta
Content Marketing Lead, Smartlead.ai

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Quantify Revenue Contribution

As a one-person email marketing team, I highly suggest quantifying how much revenue you generate through your email marketing campaigns and asking for a percentage as commission.

For example, if your goal is to generate email leads, find out what percentage of leads buy and what their CLV (Customer Lifetime Value) is. From here, you can say, “I generated 10,000 email subscribers, and because 1 out of 20 email subscribers end up buying and the average CLV is $300, I made $150,000 for this company.”

Even if your bosses aren’t willing to give you a commission on the revenue you generated, you can use this calculation to stand out when applying for jobs in the future.

Scott Lieberman
Owner, Touchdown Money

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Utilize AI for Refined Messaging

For a one-person email marketing team, my top tip is to harness the power of AI, like ChatGPT, to refine your messaging. It’s crucial to get feedback, and in the absence of a team, AI can provide valuable insights and suggestions to enhance your email campaigns. This approach allows you to continuously improve your content, making it more engaging and effective. Embrace AI as your virtual teammate to elevate your email marketing strategy.

Justin Silverman
Founder & CEO, Merchynt

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Integrate SEO in Email Content

One essential tip I’d offer to a one-person email marketing team is to prioritize the integration of SEO best practices within your email content. By ensuring your newsletters are rich in relevant keywords and valuable content, you’re not only engaging your subscribers but also increasing the odds of your emails being shared and potentially featured in online content, amplifying your reach.

To aid in this endeavor, tools like Ahrefs for keyword research and Google Analytics for tracking engagement can be invaluable. Consider crafting a comprehensive content calendar that aligns with your SEO strategy to maintain consistency and relevance in your communication.

Alex Taylor
Head of Marketing, SEO Specialists, Digital Signage

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Consider Outsourcing Tasks

Don’t hesitate to outsource. Being the only person on a marketing team doesn’t mean you must handle everything alone. I’ve been in that position, and trying to do it all just stretches you too thin. Honestly, there are times when you need additional assistance.

For instance, if you’re particularly good at something critical to your business, like writing or graphic design, then continue doing it. But for other tasks, it might be smart to bring in specialists.

In such situations, I recommend hiring freelancers or virtual assistants (VAs). There are many VAs available online who can handle repetitive tasks (like posting content on various platforms) efficiently and quickly. This approach can be cost-effective, as these individuals work independently, meaning you don’t incur office-related expenses!

Lucas Ochoa
Founder & CEO, Automat

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Use AI-Powered Writing Tools

For solo email marketers, my best tip is to take advantage of AI-powered tools instead of spending hours writing everything from scratch. Services like HoppyCopy can generate email sequences, newsletters, and various email campaigns really quickly with minimum guidance.

With everything that goes into marketing, this is the only way a solo marketer can compete with large teams and established brands. AI tools also allow you to A/B test your marketing messages to see what converts best.

Juliet Dreamhunter
Founder & AI Strategist, Juliety

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Maintain a Clean Email List

Building and maintaining a clean email list is crucial for the success of your email marketing efforts, especially for a one-person email marketing team! A clean email list helps improve deliverability, and when you regularly remove inactive or invalid email addresses, it reduces the chances of your emails being marked as spam, ultimately ensuring that your messages reach the intended recipients’ inboxes.

Cleaning your email list also helps reduce bounce rates. Bounces can occur when you send emails to invalid or non-existent addresses, so keeping your list up-to-date minimizes these bounces, contributing to better email deliverability.

It helps to dedicate some time each week to maintain your lists and to simplify some processes to make it easier when there is only one person monitoring. Implement an email verification process for new subscribers to ensure that the provided email addresses are valid. This can prevent issues with bouncing and improve deliverability. Also, provide opportunities for subscribers to update their preferences, including email frequency and content preferences. This helps you tailor your emails and retain engaged subscribers.

Lastly, providing opportunities for subscribers to update their preferences, including email frequency and content preferences, helps you tailor your emails and retain engaged subscribers.

Ray Wang
Principal, RW Digital

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Maximize Efficiency with Templates

One key tip I’d offer to a solo email marketing team is to leverage tools and templates to maximize efficiency. With limited resources, automation and pre-designed templates can be lifesavers. They should utilize email marketing platforms like Mailchimp or HubSpot for automation and A/B testing. This can save them time and help improve campaign effectiveness.

Additionally, they should also explore pre-made templates offered by these platforms or design resources like Canva to maintain a professional look without spending excessive time on design. By streamlining the processes, they can free up more time to focus on creating compelling content and nurturing customer relationships.

Johannes Larsson
Founder and CEO, JohannesLarsson.com

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Avoid Over-Customizing Emails

Don’t over-customize the emails. While personalization and customization are the keys to grabbing your target customer’s attention, taking them too far might lead you to the spam folder. Knowing too much about the reader might make them feel uncomfortable, leading to a negative perception of the brand. This can raise privacy concerns, which can lead to less trust.

There is a possibility that instead of clicking and being impressed by the email, they might mark you as spam. Create a thin line between customization and over-customization and know where to stop. This will help you take better advantage of customizing while making sure you convert your readers into customers.

Len Gauger
Owner, Connect Space

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Embrace Scale in Email Marketing

If you’re a one-person email marketing team, my biggest tip would be to re-evaluate your perception of scale and volume in your email marketing effort. Typically, the success of an email program has quite a bit to do with scale—things like the number of customers you have, how frequently you mail, the size of your email list, and so forth. The number you likely have in your head that you think is “big enough” to have results is probably one or two orders of magnitude too small.

Therefore, do not be afraid to aggressively grow your list or send out emails more frequently. While keeping quality high is really important, subscribers are not always as sensitive to volume as marketers fear. The lack of instantaneous feedback also means that it can take a while for everything to shake out and for you to learn what works and what doesn’t.

Focus on building and nurturing your list, experiment with your campaigns, and always be prepared to scale your efforts. By doing so, you’ll not only meet but potentially exceed the results you’re aiming for.

Blake Smith
Marketing Manager, ClockOn

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Balance Customization with Volume

If you’re solo-nailing it, by far your scarcest resource is time. Always give your hour an arbitrary number, and never do anything manually if there is a paid alternative that costs less. It’s a numbers game: If you hand-write perfect emails with a 95% open rate, it’s still not effective if you can only churn out a handful a day.

On the flip side, completely lackluster and generic campaigns that yield a 5% open rate burn through leads without squeezing enough value out of them. The sweet spot, obviously, is in the middle: Customize just enough to have an as-high-as-possible rate of contacts with as-high-as-possible open rates.

Instead of very few huge campaigns, run a lot more smaller campaigns where you experiment until you’ve found the right threshold for your audience.

Thomas Strobl
Founder, Fugoya

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6 Reasons Why Readers Unsubscribe (and What to Do About It)

Understanding why readers might hit “unsubscribe” can be crucial for maintaining a strong email list, so we’ve gathered insights from content marketers and digital strategists to help. From managing email frequency and being authentic to avoiding email spam triggers, explore six expert strategies to keep your subscribers engaged and prevent them from leaving.

• Manage Email Frequency and Be Authentic
• Provide Value-Driven Content
• Nurture Kindred Spirits, Avoid Sales Pitch Overload
• Personalize Beyond First Names
• Optimize Emails for Mobile Devices
• Avoid Email Spam Triggers

Manage Email Frequency and Be Authentic

One prevalent cause for email unsubscribes revolves around the sheer volume of messages bombarding inboxes. Surprisingly, 78% of users opt out when they feel inundated by emails, as per a recent study.

Businesses can avert this by meticulously managing their email frequency, allowing users the autonomy to select their preferred communication cadence. Moreover, a lack of authenticity in content can also lead to disengagement. This is where leveraging user-generated content (UGC) comes into play. Incorporating genuine content from users not only adds authenticity but also enhances the overall email experience.

Striking a delicate balance in communication frequency and integrating authentic content ensures not only subscriber retention but also establishes a more meaningful connection with the audience.

Adrija Milan
Content Marketer, Tagbox

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Provide Value-Driven Content

People unsubscribe because they don’t see value in your content. Always try to think of your audience first and what they’ll find valuable. It can be tempting to want to focus on your new product and all the fancy bells and whistles, but if you don’t relate it back to your audience and why they should care, you’ll lose them. Instead of ‘our product does X,’ reframe it as ‘we just solved your pain point.’

Liz Kelley
Content Marketing Manager, Focus Lab

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Nurture Kindred Spirits, Avoid Sales Pitch Overload

An unpopular truth is that not every lead is worth keeping. In chasing broad appeal, we water down our vision and strain to contort it for the wrong fits. Readers sense when our message rings hollow and tune out.

Rather than bend over backward trying to retain each subscriber, we should nurture only kindred spirits who resonate with our core ethos. This allows us to create truer connections and deepen engagement within that tribe.

Beyond that, readers flee from relentless selling. They seek enrichment, not conversion with each email. We prevent unsubscribes by leading with value, not pitches. Share what inspires you and brings more light to readers’ lives.

If your editorial calendar revolves around product launches, promos, and profit, expect bounces. Instead, cultivate engagement through impact and meaning.

Organizations so often obsess over scale when niche focus breeds truer success. Our tribe may be smaller, but engagement runs far deeper. And isn’t that what we’re all truly chasing?

Mona Kirstein, Ph.D.
Digital Strategist, Holistic Coach & Consultant, The Wholehearted Path

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Personalize Beyond First Names

A lack of personalization within the email is a huge reason why readers unsubscribe. While having their first name is a great start, software makes it quite easy nowadays to customize an email further, for example, to include content narrowed down to a topic of interest.

For our e-commerce websites and clients, for example, we ask the subscriber for the types of products they’re interested in and email them only about these products rather than a larger email with less personalization.

Germaine Muller
Founder & Managing Director, Futuretheory

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Optimize Emails for Mobile Devices

Not optimizing email correspondence for the requirements of mobile phones is one reason many internet users decide to unsubscribe.

Society, dependent on smartphones, values clear, immediate, and user-friendly communication. An individual has no time for second-guessing. So, if the message does not adhere to the specifications needed for display on mobile devices, one can be sure their recipients will lose interest in their content.

The market is saturated with businesses that want to captivate the audience’s attention. If you don’t want to lag behind due to unsuitable technicalities, consider hiring a professional. An experienced UX designer will optimize your content to meet the expectations of mobile users. They will ensure the message you want to share is legible and plausible at first glance.

Losing subscribers is the worst scenario for any marketer. Time is money, so make sure your correspondence does not require further deciphering.

Martyna Szczesniak
Community Expert, MyPerfectResume

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Avoid Email Spam Triggers

One main reason readers unsubscribe is when the email content triggers spam filters, making the whole email look like spam. To prevent this, focus on avoiding spam triggers in your email campaigns. Create concise and relevant subject lines, use a balanced mix of text and images, and avoid excessive use of all caps or exclamation points.

By being mindful of spam filters and delivering valuable, non-intrusive content, you can increase the chances of keeping your audience engaged and reducing unsubscribes.

Johannes Larsson
Founder and CEO, JohannesLarsson.com

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• The Do’s and Don’ts of Email Marketing – Westfield Creative

9 Best Practices for Promoting Affiliate Links in Your Email Marketing

To help you effectively promote affiliate links in your email marketing campaigns, we’ve gathered insights from ten marketing professionals, including founders, CEOs, and marketing managers. From adding authenticity and humor to offering exclusive bonuses, these experts share their top nine best practices for promoting affiliate links in your email marketing campaigns.

• Add Authenticity and Humor
• Be Transparent
• Share Personal Product Experiences
• Leverage the Post-Script Section
• Build Trust by Providing Value
• Ensure Contextual Relevance 
• Utilize Trigger-Based Campaigns
• Integrate Affiliate Links Naturally
• Offer Exclusive Bonuses

Add Authenticity and Humor 

Here’s a tongue-in-cheek best practice for promoting affiliate links in email marketing campaigns: Be as authentic as a unicorn riding a unicycle. Blend your affiliate links seamlessly into your content, making readers think, “Wait, did they just slide in an affiliate link? Sneaky, yet impressive!” 

Share your personal experience with products, dropping the bombshell that you might receive a small commission. Offer exclusive bonuses or discounts to make subscribers feel like they’ve found a secret treasure chest. Segment your email list, serving relevant offers based on readers’ interests. 

Analyze and optimize click-through and conversion rates, experimenting with humorous subject lines, irresistible CTAs, and captivating email formats. Embrace your inner humor and watch those affiliate links soar, while your emails entertain and conversions flourish.

Ntinyari Kimathi, Founder, XLURU.com

Be Transparent

If there’s one thing I would underscore, it would be this: transparency is key. Make sure to always disclose your affiliate relationships to maintain trust with your subscribers. Weave your affiliate links organically into useful content—don’t just drop a link without context. Keep emails interesting, engaging, and above all, valuable. 

That way, your subscribers will be excited to open your emails, increasing the chances they’ll click on your affiliate links. And remember, the most successful affiliate marketers are the ones who add value first, sell second.

Melanie Balke, CEO and Founder, The Email Marketers

Share Personal Product Experiences

In affiliate email marketing, being real and trustworthy is key. You are not just selling stuff, you are sharing valuable content to help your subscribers solve a problem. Make it really useful, insightful, and relatable. Don’t just say “This product is great”—explain why.

When you talk about affiliate products, get personal. Tell your readers how you used it and how you personally benefited from it. This real-life experience makes the product more genuine and sparks enough curiosity to encourage your readers to click that link.

Juliet Dreamhunter, Founder, Juliety

Leverage the Post-Script Section

One best practice for promoting affiliate links in your email marketing campaigns is leveraging the power of the post-script section, the “P.S.”

Why the P.S., you may ask? Often, when people skim through emails, the P.S. catches their attention. It’s like a bonus after the main content and arouses curiosity. You can take advantage of this to give one last persuasive nudge about your affiliate product or service.

When using the P.S. section, keep it concise and compelling. Use it to reiterate the benefits of the affiliate product, share a powerful testimonial, or highlight a limited-time offer. Link the product or service directly in the P.S. to make it as easy as possible for readers to access it.

Remember, even while using this strategy, transparency is key. Always disclose that it’s an affiliate link to maintain trust with your subscribers. An honest, strategically placed P.S. can boost your click-through rates and foster a loyal and engaged audience.

Will Gill, Event Entertainer, DJ Will Gill

Build Trust by Providing Value

Building a loyal audience comes before you can make your audience buy from your affiliate links. And when it comes to email marketing campaigns, you need to go the extra mile and focus only on giving value before you even talk about your products. 

Putting value on the top will help you win the trust of your audience. The audience will automatically connect with your business and brand if you can solve their problem. So, provide value and build a following of loyal audience. Once you do that, whether you are starting an email marketing campaign or not, your audience will buy from your affiliate links.

Ilan Nass, Chief Revenue Officer, Taktical

Ensure Contextual Relevance

One best practice stands out above the rest: contextual relevance. Ensuring that the affiliate links you include are contextually aligned with your content and offer products or services you genuinely support is paramount.

Contextual relevance not only increases the chances of capturing your audience’s interest but also enhances their trust in your recommendations. By featuring products or services that you would personally subscribe to, you convey authenticity and credibility.

Additionally, it is worth considering the power of offers. Affiliate programs that provide a “no-brainer” offer, such as a free item or a substantial discount code, can further entice your audience.

Finally, transparent labeling of affiliate links is a personal preference I appreciate. While not explicitly required, being honest and upfront about affiliate links fosters trust.

Rafael Sarim Özdemir, Founder and CEO, Zendog Labs

Utilize Trigger-Based Campaigns

The core concept of trigger-based email marketing campaigns is to send emails automatically based on particular client activities called triggers. Trigger emails are sent to the audience based on their behavior. 

The majority of trigger emails fall into two categories: segment-based and event-based. When your subscribers satisfy certain parameters, segment-based trigger emails are sent, whereas event-based trigger emails are sent when they opt-in or make a purchase. 

Trigger emails are used to provide consumers with assistance and nurturing so that they can reap the maximum benefits of a product or service. They are also used to deliver vital updates and to inspire positive behaviors. 

Triggers are extremely efficient for marketing affiliate links since they track the behavior of clients and send customized triggers to them, causing them to perform the desired action like clicking on the links and making a purchase.

Marco Andolfatto, Chief Underwriting Officer, Apollo Cover

Integrate Affiliate Links Naturally

Natural integration of affiliate links in your email marketing campaigns is vital for maintaining a positive user experience and establishing credibility. By seamlessly incorporating relevant recommendations within valuable content, you can enhance engagement and increase the likelihood of conversions. 

Techniques such as contextual storytelling, value-driven recommendations, and personal endorsements contribute to a more authentic and trustworthy approach. Natural integration benefits both you and your subscribers by providing valuable information while also presenting affiliate products as genuine solutions.

Natural integration benefits both you and your subscribers. It enhances the user experience by providing valuable content beyond promotional messages. Your subscribers will appreciate the informative and engaging emails, resulting in higher engagement rates and reduced chances of them unsubscribing.

Sreejith Sreekumar, Email Marketer, Changing Tree

Offer Exclusive Bonuses

When you’re promoting affiliate links to your email list, you can add even more value to your subscribers by offering an exclusive bonus for purchasing through your affiliate link. 

For example, you can offer one of your related products as a bonus, an hour of your time for some personalized strategies, or even store credit they can use in the future. 

Offering a bonus for using your affiliate link shows your subscribers that you stand behind the product that you are promoting, and that even though you’re promoting someone else’s resource, you are still invested in helping them make the most of it.

Anna Crosby, Owner, Geni Collective

How Do You Know If Your Emails Are Going To Spam?

From discovering low open rates to receiving automated reactions, here are eight answers to the question, “What are a few important indicators that your emails are going to spam?”

• Low Open Rates
• High Bounce Rate
• Inconsistent Sending Patterns
• Blacklisting
• Low Engagement Rate
• Poor Sender Reputation
• High Unsubscribe Rates
• Receiving Automated Reactions

Low Open Rates

Low open rates can be a clear indicator that your emails are going to spam. When I notice that most of my recipients are not opening my emails, I usually wonder if my messages are even getting delivered to their inboxes.

It’s important to remember that spam filters are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and they can easily flag your emails as spam if they contain certain trigger words, excessive use of capital letters, or come from an unverified sender. 

If I notice low open rates, I typically review the content of my emails and ensure that I am not using any spam-triggering words or phrases, and I also check if my email is properly authenticated to avoid being flagged as a spammer.

Natalia Brzezinska, Marketing and Outreach Manager, ePassportPhoto

High Bounce Rate

A higher bounce rate can be a solid indicator that one’s emails are going straight to the spam folder. Bouncing, of course, implies that the server itself rejected the emails because of their contents. 

When one server rejects emails as spam, it is highly likely that others will follow suit. Adjusting the content accordingly and following HTML best practices is a simple remedy for this ailment.

Max Schwartzapfel, CMO, Schwartzapfel Lawyers

Inconsistent Sending Patterns

Sending emails inconsistently could cause your emails to be marked as spam. Spam filters examine patterns in the frequency and timing of emails to assess whether they are real. If you suddenly start sending more emails than normal, or if you go for lengthy periods sending no emails, they may tag your emails as spam.

Max Whiteside, SEO and Content Lead, Breaking Muscle

Blacklisting

If your domain or IP address has been blacklisted by email providers, it signifies that recipients or email providers have identified your emails as spam. 

This can happen if your email practices violate the restrictions of your email provider or if you send emails to invalid email addresses. To resolve this issue, I believe that contacting your email provider to see why your domain or IP address was blacklisted and take corrective actions to enhance your email practices.

Rasa Bernotiene, SEO Specialist, No Win No Fee

Low Engagement Rate

You are sending enough emails to customers, yet the engagement rate is still so low. What could be the reason? It is possible that your emails are going to spam. A low engagement rate is a clear sign you need to work on your email strategy again. Spam filters can detect whether your recipients are engaging with your emails, and this is a common reason emails go to spam.

If recipients are not responding to your emails, they are more likely to be flagged as spam. When you receive low engagement from your email recipients, start working on content strategies to make emails more engaging and effective. This will help you increase the engagement rate.

You should stop sending emails to the same addresses that are not opening your emails after several tries. Take the help of some tools to easily find the reason behind email spam. This way, you can save time and leap from a low engagement rate to a high engagement rate.

Yogesh Kumar, Digital Marketing Manager, Technource

Poor Sender Reputation

I believe your sender reputation impacts whether your emails are labeled as spam. Your sender reputation is a score granted to you by email service providers that shows your sender reliability. 

If your reputation is bad, it might impair email delivery and cause it to be labeled as spam. Maintain a strong sender reputation by adhering to proper email practices, avoiding spamming activity, and cleaning your email list regularly to remove incorrect or inactive email addresses.

Matt Magnante, Director of Content and SEO, Fitness Volt

High Unsubscribe Rates

A clear sign that your emails are being spammed is a high rate of unsubscribes from your email list. This is especially true if you see more than average compared to what you typically expect. Typically, people flag intrusive messages as spam before eventually unsubscribing. 

So, if you’re noticing a sharp increase in your unsubscribe rate, it could indicate that your emails are ending up in the wrong places.

Karl Robinson, CEO, Logicata

Receiving Automated Reactions

Email providers’ automated answers, such as “undeliverable” or “blocked,” can indicate that your emails are not reaching the recipient’s mailbox. In my opinion, this is a clear sign that your emails are being routed to spam. To remedy this issue, contact your email provider to see why your emails are being blocked and take the necessary steps to enhance deliverability.

Adam Crossling, Head of Marketing, Zenzero