Frequently Asked Questions About Email Marketing

We receive lots of questions about email marketing so we thought we'd address some of the most common in this post. Let’s get started.

Is it better to rent / buy a list or to create it myself?

It is absolutely, positively better to create the list yourself. No one ever opts in to having their email address sold over and over again. Lists that are bought or rented are typically of poor quality and dozens of other companies have probably purchased or rented that list. Plus, the owners of those email addresses did not give permission for them to be sold or transferred to any other company. Building your own list ensures that you have obtained the email addresses legitimately. It means you can confirm that opt-in procedures have been followed and that the people on your list really do want to receive marketing messages from you. In no case is buying or renting a list better than creating your own.

When is the best time to send an email newsletter?

This question is bandied about quite often and it’s difficult to settle on an answer that is accepted industry-wide. According to MailChimp’s Email Genome Project open rates peak between 3 PM and 4 PM and that mid-week mailings see the most opens. However, the better answer is: it depends on your campaign. The best way to determine the ideal time for you is to survey your subscribers and ask them what time of day they would most like to receive emails. Give them a few different time periods to choose from and use their responses to schedule future mailings.

What is considered a good open rate and a good click through rate?

The answer to this question will depend on the specifics of your campaign but there are some studies that can provide some insight. According to a 2012 report by Silverpop, the median unique open rate in the US was 14.7%. The same study reports that the average click through rate (CTR) in the US was 5.4%. These rates can vary tremendously by industry. For the travel and leisure industry, for example, the median unique open rate was 13.2% and the median CTR was only 1.8%.

What are some quick tips on how to comply with the CAN-SPAM act?

1. Don’t use misleading, deceptive or false information in any part of your email message (subject, from, etc.)
2. Include your company’s physical address in every email you send.
3. Include an easy to find unsubscribe link and honor unsubscribe requests promptly.
4. Use a reputable Email Service Provider (ESP).

When / how can I acquire my customer’s email addresses?

There are several opportunities during the sales process when you can obtain list sign-ups. The first, yet sometimes least obvious way to get an address is to ask for it during the sales process (or registration process). Be sure that you have a newsletter sign up on your website. That is often the first place people look when they want to opt-in to your marketing messages. Social media is another great way to build your email list. Give your “fans” and “followers” a way to sign up for your newsletter on Facebook and Twitter. Regardless of how you obtain the addresses, be sure to employ a confirmed opt-in procedure (sometimes referred to as “double opt-in”) so that you can ensure that each subscriber does indeed wish to be on the list.

If you would like additional information about email marketing or just about anything else digital visit our website at http://www.wddonline.com