Email marketing remains a powerhouse in the digital marketing arsenal, boasting an average return on investment (ROI) of $42 for every $1 spent. Yet, many campaigns fall short of expectations. If your email efforts are underperforming, it's time to diagnose the issues and implement effective solutions.

• Problem: Lackluster Subject Lines

  Solution(s): 

  • Lower Lift Strategy: Craft concise, compelling subject lines that follow the CURVE method. Curiosity, Urgency, Relevance, Value, and Emotion.  Using 2 or more words from this construct can yield fantastic results. (Follow Alex Williams on Linkedin for more on this method)

  • Advanced Strategy: Paired with the methodology above, craft several versions of the same subject line for variant testing.  Ensure you compare variations that are almost identical except for one specific element. For example, test a sentence phrased as a question versus the same sentence phrased as a statement. This approach isolates the impact of tone and structure, giving you clear data on what resonates best with your audience.

• Problem: Poor Segmentation

  Solution(s): 

  • Lower Lift Strategy: Consult your available data, and segment your audience.  E.g. Demographics, purchase history, or engagement levels. Tailored content increases relevance and engagement. 

  • Advanced Strategy: Pair your segmentation with dynamic content.  If your ESP has the functionality,, whether it be Drag-and-Drop, SFMCs AMPscript, Marketos Tokens, Brazes Liquid etc… use it! Each segment will then see only the content relevant to them, bringing the entire email a KPI lift.  

• Problem: Ignoring Mobile Optimization

  Solution(s): 

  • Lower Lift Strategy:  Commit to a Mobile-First design. With ~70% of users on average, using a mobile device, it does make some sense.

  • Advanced Strategy: Ensure your emails are coded responsive and render correctly on all devices. 

• Problem: Overwhelming Frequency

  Solution(s): 

  • Lower Lift Strategy:  Find a balance in your sending frequency. Setup a visual timeline with tools like Miro, Google Slides, or Powerpoint.  Focus on quality over quantity, and monitor engagement metrics to adjust your strategy. 

  • Advanced Strategy:  Just ask. Setup frequency preferences for users, if you have a preference center set up and the ability to quickly spin up new segments. E.g. “3+ a week, 1 a week, 1 a month.”

• Problem: Neglecting Analytics

  Solution(s): 

  • Lower Lift Strategy: Regularly review metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. Use this data to refine your strategy. Monitoring tools can help track spam reports and delivery issues, providing insights for optimization

  • Advanced Strategy:  Keeping up with your weekly performance is difficult. Having worked in SFMC, Braze, Iterable etc… noone has seemingly mastered trends and real time changes in performance.  Using our Journey Performance Analysis Tool, track your entire Journey in one place to quickly notice positive and negative changes in your performance, and what it’s traced back to.