Wondering if you might need to engage in an email marketing audit?
Come with me down memory lane to the early aughts.
Remember those little digital keychain pets that were hot back then? You started with an egg, and with a ton of consistent button-mashing, you’d end up with a thriving little pixel pet.
On the flip side, if your attention strayed for too long, and your little friend didn’t get water or food… game over.
Email marketing can be a lot like that. One day you’re growing your list and sending out messages to engaged subscribers. And then a few months go by, and your list is stagnant and open rates show little skulls with X eyes.
Major shifts in iOS and email tracking haven’t done us any favors. We can no longer relying on open rates to understand the health of our email marketing efforts.
Read on for some telltale signs your list is suffering from neglect, and how to fix it!
You Have No Idea What Your Metrics Look Like
Let’s say you were a farmer. You wouldn’t go out into a field every day, plant seeds, and then never go back to see what crops you’ve sewed.
Your business is the same. You’ve gotta know what’s working and what’s not.
This is why keeping a pulse on your email metrics is so important. What are people responding to? What gets felt cold?
So, take the extra 10 percent of effort to do regular check-ins on your email marketing metrics!
Your Engagement Rates Are Dipping
If you DO have your thumb on the pulse of those open rates and clicks, and they are dipping … eek … there could be a few culprits to blame.
First, keep in mind those iOS shifts I mentioned earlier.
An article from Oracle Data Solutions Experts at Webbula notes, “Even if every iOS 15 user immediately switches from the default to the new privacy settings), we will still be able to measure opens for at least 50% of subscribers. Of course, this will vary depending on the make-up of your subscriber base — less if it skews towards Apple, more if not.”
The quick and easy insights we used to get from open rates are now skewed. Better metrics are click rates and recent site or purchasing activity related to your messaging.
If metrics are still fizzling, consider a content strategy audit to understand if you’re making some big email marketing mistakes.
As you work to build your list, remember that some people will never convert to paying customers. There is no sense in keeping folks on the list that have no interest in being there. Cut the dead weight. Your engagement rates will better reflect what is resonating with an audience that finds value being there.
Your List Growth is Stagnant
Maybe your current list is engaged, but the size has hovered in the same range for a while and you have goals of increasing that number.
Remember, size isn’t the most important metric here. Small but engaged and interested is going to out-perform huge and woefully disinterested.
If strategic and meaningful growth is your goal, you once again need to consider an email marketing audit. Are you working to remind people of your list and its value? When was the last time that you re-assessed any lead magnets you have and how you’re promoting them?
Consistent nurturing and thoughtful attention can do wonders in garnering positive results. Unlike that early aughts digital pet … email marketing takes a lot more than consistent button mashing.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your email marketing and marketing funnels, book a call to chat about how I can help!
