1. Keep it simple.
Keeping it simple when it comes to your email marketing can save you a lot of headache. There are a lot of things that can go wrong with email, especially when it’s sent to a large group of people. This is why many marketers choose to use a template-based email builder, like Emma, that’s easy to customize without any technical know-how.
When creating your email, keep in mind that different versions of Outlook will render emails differently. For example, older versions of Outlook will treat emails as Word documents and may break them down into pages if they’re too long. This can cause some issues with email formatting, especially if your email uses tables.
Also, if you’re using GIFs or animation in your email, it’s important to remember that some versions of Outlook will only show the first frame. This can be frustrating for subscribers, so it’s best to avoid them if possible. Additionally, newer versions of Outlook will take into account how a subscriber interacts with your email when deciding whether or not to move it to the Focused Inbox tab.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.
In today’s dispersed work environment, it is more important than ever to ask for feedback from those who know you best. It’s not always easy, but it is necessary for you and your team to get a better sense of how your strengths and weaknesses are developing.
Asking for feedback can be a scary prospect, especially when you’re asking your most trusted colleagues to speak frankly about their experience working with you. To help ease the stress of asking for constructive criticism, try to think of your colleagues as a source of knowledge rather than an ego-boost.
Also, be prepared for the reality that email clients don’t all display your images and other design elements exactly as you intended them to. The best way to know if you’re running into this issue is to use your marketing automation platform’s device report. It will tell you what percentage of your recipients are using Outlook and its various versions.
3. Make it personal.
Email is a personal way to stay in touch, and it’s important that your emails feel authentic and are relevant to your recipients. To do so, avoid sending generic messages such as “Hey,” or “What’s up?”. Instead, use names to address your audience and start conversations in a more personal manner.
Another tip is to make your subject lines short and to the point. Long subject lines can be confusing and a red flag to spam filters, and shorter subject lines are easier to read in a quick scan of an inbox.
You can also make your emails more personalized by using the new @mention feature in Outlook to share an email with a specific person. This works a bit like tagging someone on social media, and will automatically show the recipient in the inbox preview. Additionally, using alt text on all of your images is a great way to help recipients know what the image is about without having to download it. This will improve the user experience for those with screen readers as well.
4. Keep it relevant.
Emails that start with a wall of dense text are a turnoff for subscribers, so make sure your subject lines and pre-header text are brief. This helps readers quickly find the content they’re looking for and increases their likelihood of taking action after opening your email.
Using a lot of li> and ul> tags in your email will cause Outlook to break your layout into multiple pages when opened on a device with a smaller screen resolution. This will prevent your emails from looking as professional and can also make your links unclickable.
Emails that contain a lot of images can be overwhelming for recipients, especially those with vision impairments or other conditions. Try to limit your use of complex graphics and busy patterns, as they can tire eyes out. Instead, use image formatting to highlight important information and make the email easier for your audience to consume.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals.
Referral programs should be a part of your overall marketing strategy. They can help you reach new customers and grow your business in ways that you might not have been able to otherwise. However, you need to keep in mind that not every customer will be a great candidate for your referral program. Make sure that you’re asking for referrals from those who love your brand and are willing to spread the word.
For example, don’t end an angry customer call with a request for referrals. Instead, try sending a follow-up email or offering an incentive that reflects the level of satisfaction with your company. You can also buy Outlook accounts in bulk for email marketing from BulkAccountsBuy.
Another way to keep it simple is to offer a unique link in each email you send. This allows you to track each recipient’s progress and ensure that your incentives are being delivered as promised.
Additionally, you can use merge tags to insert the subscriber’s name into the link for even more personalization. This will increase the likelihood of a recipient opening and acting on your email.
