Tag: email marketing

Navigating Google’s Email Authentication and Privacy Update: What Marketers Need to Know
By Kristen Marie

Navigating Google’s Email Authentication and Privacy Update: What Marketers Need to Know

Email marketers, brace yourselves for a significant change in the digital landscape. As of February 1st, 2024, both Google and Yahoo will implement stringent measures for bulk email senders to enhance authentication, simplify the unsubscription process, and maintain a low spam rate. The new standards, encompassing email authentication, easy unsubscription, and a spam rate threshold of under 0.3%, are designed to improve user experience and fortify email security especially with the Gmail privacy update.

Gmail Privacy Update: Next Steps

A crucial aspect of this update is the mandate for email authentication. Bulk senders are required to have DMARC, SPF, and DKIM verification in place. To ensure compliance, marketers can either inspect email headers for “PASS” indications or use tools such as EasyDMARC’s domain scanner for a comprehensive analysis of their email domains. Nonprofit organizations, while granted a reprieve until after the End of Year (EOY) fundraising season, are urged to prepare for the imminent changes.

gmail privacy update

For those in the email marketing sphere, adopting these measures is more than a compliance necessity—it’s a strategic move. Authenticated emails not only enhance security, making it easier to thwart phishing attempts but also contribute to a more credible and brand-aligned communication. This principle extends to URLs, emphasizing the importance of maintaining authenticity across all facets of communication.

To facilitate easy unsubscription, marketers must incorporate a one-click unsubscribe mechanism, supported by the inclusion of a List-Unsubscribe header in their emails. This header allows email services to seamlessly integrate unsubscribe links into their interfaces, streamlining the process for users. While many modern email platforms have already implemented this feature, marketers should verify its presence and functionality with their service providers.

Two-Day Honor Period

Ensuring compliance with the two-day honor period for unsubscribes requires meticulous management of email tools. Marketers should confirm that their systems promptly exempt opt-outs and extend this practice across all platforms in use. The emphasis here lies on integrating the tech stack to create a centralized system for collecting consent, sending emails, and managing opt-outs efficiently.

Managing the spam rate threshold of under 0.3% necessitates leveraging tools like Google’s Postmaster Tools to monitor and enhance email deliverability. By sending emails exclusively to engaged contacts, marketers can reduce spam rates and concurrently boost engagement metrics. This update demystifies email deliverability processes, encouraging marketers to acquaint themselves with the associated terminology, organize their systems, and commit to improved email practices. In the grand scheme, these changes are not just about meeting requirements—they’re about elevating the quality and security of email communication for marketers and recipients alike.

Podcast #2 – Email Marketing – How to Decrease the Number of Unsubscribes
By Kris Marie

Podcast #2 – Email Marketing – How to Decrease the Number of Unsubscribes

                                                                                        See the transcript of the podcast below:

Email! People are more attached to their email now than ever. With the smartphone, alerts come in quickly. With the average millennial checking their phone 150 times per day, your email will be seen. But, is it being read? Is it relatable and relevant?

This is the Feeling the Vibe Media Podcast #2!

A new study from Engage Hub has revealed 90% of consumers unsubscribed from retailer email lists within the past year. Continue reading →

[4 Email Marketing Tips] Don’t Land in the Email Promos Tab on Gmail!
By Kris Marie

[4 Email Marketing Tips] Don’t Land in the Email Promos Tab on Gmail!

Are you noticing lower open rates on your email blasts?
Changes to some of the major email service providers have caused many emails which used to land in the primary inbox, to landing in the spam and or promo tabs.  Gmail is one that is notorious for this.  Google decided to create three main tabs in the Gmail inbox instead of everything landing in either the main inbox or spam.  Spam still exists in gmail, for the record.

Your email marketing blasts land in the promo tab or in spam.  Did you know there are ways to help your email marketing regain the open rates it used to see (or close to that) with Gmail recipients?  Read the tips below and start implementing them.  We have done this with clients and they are happily enjoying the positive results. Continue reading →

By Kris Marie

Daily Digital Marketing Tip #20 – Increase Your Email Capture Rates

Helpful tips and advice on a yellow office noteWe all know as marketers, we want to communicate with our customers to know what they want.  The more we are in communication with them presenting them with valuable material, the stronger your community will be of dedicated customers.  Did you know there are some easy steps you can take to help increase the rate at which people sign up for your mailing list?

 

1.  Top Level Form

 

Sites which include an email form in the first three fields to fill out on a checkout saw an increase of 14.6% in email capture rates.

 

2.  One is Better than Two

 

WebsItes which use one checkout page capture email addresses at a rate of 16.7% higher than those with two or more pages for checkout.

 

3.  Signup Forms

 

Signup forms with fewer fields to fill out capture emails much better than those with more.  While it’s helpful to have more information on each subscriber, that first interaction they have with you to join your list should be a very easy one.  One study saw an increase in email capture of 28% when they decreased the form fields from five to four.

 

4.  No Phone Numbers

 

Required fields can be helpful but think twice about making the phone number required.  One company saw a 275% increase in email capture when they didn’t have the phone number field required.  If that field is not mandatory for your business, try making it an optional field to see if it can work for you.

 

By Kris Marie

Daily Digital Marketing Tip – #19 – Best Time of Day and Day of Week for the Best Email Results

Helpful tips and advice on a yellow office noteThere are so many people do not realize how important email marketing truly is . They somehow think it has gone the way of the dinosaur .  This could not be more untrue.  Email is actually a somewhat untapped yes fantastic way to stay in communication with your clients and potential clients .

 

 

Let’s get down to it . There are two main KPIs you need to pay attention to. They are:

Open Rates

Click through rate

 

What is the major factor for converting open right? It is your subject line . There are many do’s and don’ts for the subject line but we’ll get to those in another post.  Just know the subject line makes a big difference as to whether your email is opened or not.

Once they read your email you will want to be sure of two items:

  • The content matches and expands upon your subject line.
  • The content is compelling enough to make someone click.

Does the time of day matter and when you send your email? Absolutely!

Does the day of the week matter for your send to be successful? Yes again!

You want to be sure that you send your email during the day.  The time of day may vary depending on where you’re sending your email so keep that in mind in regards to timezones.  You don’t want to send emails late at night or overnight simply because people are asleep and they won’t be able to actually read your emails. Most likely if an email is received overnight it will be lost in the inbox by the time the person begins to read your email.  Send your email during the late morning early afternoon .  This can also depend on who you’re targeting.  If you target teenagers and 20-somethings in college, it is best to send those emails later in the day or even night when they are home from school.

 

In Summary:

Send your emails during the day between the hours of 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. if you are sending to working age adults .

Send your emails between the hours of 6 pm and 11 pm if you are targeting teenagers and/or college students.  Reserve the later part of the night (8:00 – 11:00) for older teenagers and college students

Days of the Week to Not Send Email Blasts

Which days of the week work? Word to the wise , skip sending emails on Mondays. Why?  Most people aren’t in the best of moods on Mondays knowing the weekend is over . Most likely working adults are facing very busy inboxes and your email might hit the trash before it’s opened . Another day to skip? Actually two, the weekend, skip Saturdays and Sundays . Most people are not putting their focus on email over the weekend  and instead running errands.

Best Days of the Week to Send Email Blasts

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays. These days have been historically known to give the best results for sending an email blast.

 

There you have it if you’re going to send emails to professional adults, send them from 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.

 

If you are sending email blasts to teenagers and college students send it between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays .

 

The days and times above have been found to be the best for results across many industries. However, it is always important to test your particular target market and see their behavior.

 

Bonus Statistic !

23% of email recipients open their emails within 60 minutes of receiving them . There are a number who do not open their emails for a day or two.  If sending for an event, make sure to send it at least 3 – 5 days in advance.  Keep watching for more!

 

 

By Kris Marie

Digital Daily Tip #4 – Email Marketing

Helpful tips and advice on a yellow office noteTop KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) to Know if Your Email Marketing is Working

 

 

 

 

Open Rate

 

Formula: The number of Opens / Number of Subscribers Email is Sent to

 

Click through Rate

 

Formula: The number of clicks / Number of Opens

 

Number of Opens

 

No formula for this one, it should be available in your email vendor.

 

Conversions

 

You will need an extra step or two for this one.

First, know your goal.  If it’s to have someone sign up via a form or it’s to have someone purchase a product, these are your conversion goals.

Your email vendor will offer you a piece of code to place on your website so they’re able to connect conversions on your website to the email you sent out.  (Please note:  You may need a web/IT specialist for this one) Very important metric.

 

Unsubscribe Percentages

 

Whenever you send an email, especially as your list size increases there will be people who decide they don’t want your email in their inbox.  Don’t take it personally, it may just not be the right time for that person.  However, you should take notice of the unsubscribe numbers after each email send.  If that number appears to stay steady or decreases, you’re fine, if it’s increasing, you better take a look at your content.

By Kris Marie

Digital Daily – Tip #3 – Email Marketing

Helpful tips and advice on a yellow office noteOne of the best ways, yes, this still applies to 2015, to communicate with customers is through email.  People subscribe to your list because they’re interested in the information, service, or product you have to offer.  They subscribe because they want to hear from you.

 

The subject line can be one of the top most important components of email marketing.  It is the doorway to having your email opened.  Here are a list of words to AVOID in your subject lines so they don’t get marked as SPAM.

 

Free

Help

% Off

Sale

Reminder

perfect

good

wonderful

Internet slang – bae, fleek, ftw

report

webinar

Exclamation points (symbols)

 

Want to know how to combat these words, and what to use in their place?  Watch for the next Email Marketing tip.