email marketing

Ten months ago, Apple rolled out its Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) update for users of its iOS15, iPadOS 15, and shortly after, macOS 12 Monterey operating systems. At the time, many panic-stricken marketing pundits described it as yet another email marketing extinction event (will they ever learn?). At emfluence, we preferred to position it as an evolutionary step in the ever-changing world of email marketing.     The email marketing experts at emfluence aren’t prone to panic. We’ve seen these “extinction events” before and know that email nearly always emerges […]

Great email marketing campaigns don’t start with a killer subject line or a compelling call to action. Instead, they begin with an objective. The fact is, if your email marketing strategy doesn’t have an objective, you’ll never know if it’s been successful or not.     When you set those objectives, you’ll need something to measure them against accurately. Even if you already consider your email marketing campaigns successful, anecdotal evidence isn’t good enough to justify the time and money you are investing in any marketing strategy. If you are looking […]

With so many people in the email marketing industry focused on list size, it’s sometimes difficult to remember that email success is primarily based on sending the right message to the right person at the right time. This means getting personal.    But what does it mean to be personal in today’s email marketing world?    The Importance of Email Marketing Personalization Email marketing personalization is all about building a better relationship with your subscribers. This approach is important because your email marketing campaigns have a lot of competition and […]

Email is more relevant and engaging going into 2022 than it has ever been.     As the new normal set in for 2021, marketers continued to send email (not surprising). They have set goals for 2022 and plan to evolve their marketing programs.     Success is dependent upon what your objectives and KPIs are. They are unique to each email program and having the right tools in place will help you achieve success.     What will email marketers be doing and where will they spend their time? […]

When a marketing technology has been around for as long as email, it’s all too easy to visualize a sudden change in the eco-system, such as Apple’s recent iOS 15 Mail Privacy Protection update, as a potential extinction event. However, if we learned anything from previous “catastrophes,” such as the implementation of Gmail’s promotions tab in 2013 or GDPR in 2018, we should already know that email marketing is far more resilient than that.   Thankfully, email marketing is not a dinosaur, and Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection update is far […]

by Ken Magill for emfluence   The idea behind BIMI, or Brand Indicators for Message Identification, is pretty simple: An organization buttons up its email security. Then the organization can have its logo displayed in the avatar box next to the from line on mobile inboxes or in the messages in web browsers in participating email inbox providers.   (Google)   What is BIMI? BIMI’s aim is to drive the adoption of DMARC, the scheme under which domain owners authenticate their servers using the SPF and DKIM standards, and then […]

Today, conventional banks and credit unions have an ever-growing pool of competition. Thanks to the emergence of more and more challenger “banks” like Simple, Chime and Card, as well as the growing prevalence and usage of payment apps like Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo, Cash App and Zelle, consumers are presented with more options for fulfilling their monetary needs than ever before.   The increase in competition has made it harder than ever to acquire a new customer or gain a new account – which means that when you do, you […]

Good news for email marketers: according to a 2019 Twilio study, email and SMS are customers’ preferred methods of communication. The survey, which covered about 2,500 global buyers, showed that 83% of consumers preferred emails over other communication channels (although texts were more popular for urgent messages like delivery notifications or appointment reminders).   While the study is definitely favorable for email as a channel, it uncovers quite a few warning signs that can help guide email marketers through shifting strategies during a crisis—like the one we’re currently experiencing with […]

Marketing departments within healthcare organizations face a unique challenge: balancing the need for personalized communication without running afoul of HIPAA guidelines. Often, the challenge isn’t one of not having enough information, but one of too much – most of which you shouldn’t use. The following is a quick guide to help you organize your email strategy so that it is effective and compliant with HIPAA requirements.   The good news for marketers using the emfluence Marketing Platform is that our software is HIPAA compliant. That means we adhere to a […]

In the last few weeks, companies everywhere have had to make important decisions on how to adapt their marketing strategies to the rapidly changing circumstances surrounding COVID-19. Email, in particular, has been heavily relied on to communicate a lot of information with customers and clients. It’s important to note that in many situations, not sending at all is better than coming across as insensitive or tone deaf during a global health pandemic. However, in the event you have important information you must relay to your clients during this time, here […]

Congratulations, you’ve taken the first steps to taking your manufacturing business to the next level with the use of email marketing! That’s right, email is still a thing. In fact, email marketing is used by 92% of manufacturer marketing professionals according to the Content Marketing Institute.   How the Manufacturers Can Incorporate Email into their Marketing Strategy In an industry where each purchase can be an intense and expensive, long drawn-out sales cycles that involve multiple stakeholders and other decision-makers, having a well-thought-out email marketing strategy to provide support is […]

Crafting the perfect email for your campaign can be tough. Great results depend on coming up with the right words to say, what to offer, how much content to include, etc. You could take your best guess, or you could let your audience decide!

Looking for a way to easily and effectively communicate with your prospects and clients? Email is the perfect channel for the job!   When used correctly, email can serve as a valuable relationship-building tool for every step of your customer journey. In the buying process, email is the third most influential source of information for buyers, listed only behind direct referrals and influencer advice, and with an estimated 122% ROI on total spend, email drives an ROI that’s four times higher than other marketing formats. Tack onto that that 47% […]

It’s Tuesday morning. You’re in the heart of the B2B Sales pit. No, you ARE the heart of the B2B Sales pit. You’re half a cup of coffee in and reviewing your pipeline when a HOT lead comes in from Marketing. Marketing assures you that this lead is qualified. They are excited. Practically bouncing on their toes excited. So excited in fact that after emailing you the information they are standing at your desk checking to see if you got their email. They also sent you a message on Slack. […]

So you’re thinking it’s time to evaluate your email marketing program. Maybe you’re concerned that trends have changed, your content is outdated, or that you’re missing opportunities by not having a firm understanding of what’s working to drive results. It can seem like a daunting project. And depending on how complex your email marketing campaigns are, chances are, it’s unlikely that it’s a simple task.   There’s a lot that deserves regular review. Email marketing is a symphony of data, technology, content, strategy and workflows. If there’s any area that’s […]

Still using standard, static header images in your emails? You’re allowed to have more fun than that.   In email marketing, personalization is one of the keys to a successful engagement strategy. Often when we talk about personalization, we’re talking about: Content personalization—variables that insert text based on the recipient’s profile (think “first name” or “company.”) Timing personalization—you could think of this as segmentation as well. In short, the recipient receives an email based on an action (or inaction) they have taken. Preference personalization—this could be referred to as your […]

Email marketing and search engine marketing are the top channels for driving highly qualified traffic to your website, and they are excellent ways for prospects to easily engage with and consume your content. Both SEO and email marketing are highly dependent upon a content strategy that focuses on relevance and quality. If you are not offering highly relevant and high-quality content, email subscribers will lose interest and search engines will stop giving you the credit you deserve.   There are a lot of synergies between your email marketing strategy and […]

Email isn’t dead and it’s far from being dethroned as the most effective tactic for marketers. Despite social media being the newer, shinier tool for marketing, which may seem like the best way to build your brand awareness and capture new leads, convincing your social media followers to volunteer their email addresses is still the best way to own your audience.   How powerful would it be if both tools were integrated to work towards your overall marketing strategy? With both channels using different tactics, you can extend the reach […]

When considering an email marketing or marketing automation platform, it’s easy to get analysis paralysis comparing features, promises and pricing tiers. With so many options, where do you start?   Whether you’re shopping for an alternative marketing automation platform, preparing an email or marketing automation platform RFP, or just starting to consider which platform might be right for the next level of your marketing efforts, the following questions can help you choose the right marketing automation platform for your digital marketing needs:   Be Selfish for a Minute You are, […]

Featuring an average open rate that can be eight times higher and an audience that requires a broad opt-in policy, it’s no wonder that transactional emails have sparked your curiosity. You’re probably here because you’re looking for transactional email best practices—the rules on what you can—and can’t—do in a transactional email, and you’ve come to the right place.   Let’s dig in:   What Is a Transactional Email? Let’s start with the groundwork. If you haven’t read Dave Cacioppo’s post on The Art of the Transactional Email yet, click on […]

“If we have data, let’s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let’s use mine,” former Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale emfluence partners with our customers on a breadth of digital marketing initiatives, from website development and SEO to email strategy and delivery. In every engagement, we encourage customers to establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). In Business to Business marketing, with longer, complex sales cycles, the right KPIs provide early indications of success and can raise early alerts that it’s time to recalibrate the marketing if a campaign appears […]

GIF usage continues to flood every corner of the Internet, and while their popularity can be attributed to the fact that they inject more fun into our content, marketers can also utilize them to better engage their readers.

If you have Gmail, then your inbox just got more visual! You may have noticed that Google has made some updates to their Gmail Promotions Tab recently that allow for marketers to display their deals and discounts in a way that may have a better chance at grabbing subscriber’s attention.   Visuals for Your Gmail Promo Tab This update is also geared to adding value in an efficient way to your subscriber’s inbox. Here’s how the update works: Gmail already uses machine learning to identify what it considers to be […]

Your website and email strategies support each other. One of your website tasks is growing your email list – with email signup forms, gated content, etc. – while your targeted email campaigns drive traffic, engagement and transactions back on the website. Without mutual support and close integration, they’re not as successful.   To give you some examples – here are 10 specific ways they can integrate to grow your audience, drive more impact and create efficiency.   Automated Content Distribution If you have regular communications going out with the same […]

We’re all about easy—this running list is designed to be your go-to cheat sheet for the latest email designs by the numbers. Bookmark this page as you plan out your next email campaigns.   What’s the Best Width for an Email? If you want a safe bet, shoot for 600 pixels. 600 pixels is the standard width for email, and while there are exceptions (including options that allow for up to 960 pixels), 600px will keep you well within the bounds of the majority of inboxes. If you want to […]

By now you’ve mastered the art of sending a weekly newsletter to your entire subscriber list. Your newsletter is an easy to read email that has established and maintained customer-brand relationships directing traffic to your website ­­– each section of the email dedicated to a particular topic (read more about the elements of a successful newsletter here).   But what happens when your newsletter’s open rate starts to decline and you realize that your audience isn’t all the same, therefore should not be targeted the same? How do you use email […]

First impressions are everything. That first point of contact is your chance as a brand to really shine and impress current and/or future customers. That’s why a welcome email series is so important to have in place! In this blog post, I’m going to cover some of the best practices and most compelling (if not obvious) reasons why you should be incorporating a welcome email series into your new customer or lead acquisition strategy. Be Prompt with Your Welcome Email Don’t keep people waiting. I recommend sending your welcome email […]