We all want the same thing when it comes to delivering emails to customers: good engagement that actually leads to conversions. From the moment your email reaches a customer’s inbox, it needs to capture their attention and guide them towards taking action.
Developing a compelling email strategy can be intimidating. Where do you start? How do you know if your strategy is effective? Enter our latest guide, Email Manners: A Tale of Two Senders!
We have the unique ability to see how varying approaches to email impact success in the inbox (in addition to experimenting with our own strategy!). We’ve found that email manners and etiquette are key to optimizing conversions.
In creating this guide, we wanted to develop a fun, visual way to think about email best practices. We worked with an independent artist to design some awesome images inspired by the classic Highlights comic Goofus and Gallant to contrast email strategies. In Email Manners, each image depicts two different approaches to email told through the fictional perspectives of Jerry and Olivia.
Set the right expectations at opt-in
Jerry sends irregular and unscheduled emails to his entire email list. Rather than telling his subscribers what types of emails he’ll be sending and when, he chooses not to provide this information up front because he doesn’t want people to unsubscribe.
Olivia provides her subscribers with information about the types of emails she’ll be sending during their first interaction. Once new subscribers have completed their opt-in form, they receive a welcome email confirming what they can expect from her emails and when they will be sent.
Think of the opt-in experience as the digital version of setting expectations at the beginning of a healthy relationship. Give subscribers the opportunity to indicate what they’re looking for, and then respect their preferences when sending your emails. In our 2019 Email Benchmark and Engagement Study, we found that participants strongly preferred to indicate their email preferences during opt-in.
Whether you’re an email pro, or you’re just getting started, Email Manners: A Tale of Two Senders is a must-read when you’re looking to improve your customers’ experience with your emails.