How to Retain Subscribers with New Email Marketing Strategies

If you’re reading this, it’s probably safe to say you spend a decent amount of time trying to get new subscribers. But how do you successfully keep your mailing list opted-in and excited (yes, EXCITED) about your email content?

We know that 2020 (yeah– the whole year) has posed a tough challenge for us all, and adjusting marketing strategies has been crucial, especially when it comes to our DTC clients.

We’ve learned that refining online marketing strategies, especially as we continue to navigate through our ever-changing world, will positively impact our followers, subscribers, and audience. Instead of doing the bare minimum (like inserting creative copy, product shots, and discount codes to our emails), we’ve adjusted (and continue to adjust) with the times.

To keep your readers interested, we suggest you follow along and start implementing these next few tips for long-term engagement with your subscribers.

Think Carefully How Often You Send Emails

When customers start having too many emails flowing in their inbox, they will likely eliminate some subscriptions. One of the email lists they may unsubscribe from could be yours if you’re sending out unnecessary messages multiple times per week. We understand you want to keep your brand in the peripheral, but consider only sending emails when you have updated information or new releases to share. We also suggest creating a form when people opt-in that asks them the frequency at which they want to receive emails. Do the same thing when they’re unsubscribing, maybe you don’t have to lose a subscriber all-together… maybe you just need to email them less!

Communication is Key

Another way to ensure you’re providing value to your subscribers is to communicate with them. Sounds basic right? Well, yeah, but we’ve noticed that some brands don’t offer an opportunity to let their subscribers share thoughts. To engage with your customers and understand what they want to see from your brand, inspire better communication. Send emails with polls, quizzes, and basic questions they’ll want to share their answers to. We also love, and encourage, the trend of brand Founders emailing their lists for a more personalized email that subscribers can respond to.

Understand Who Your Audience Is and Segment

Some companies will send the same exact emails to everyone on their list when in reality, this isn’t the best way to retain subscribers. Start segmenting, seriously. The more personalized you can get with your list, the better. Here are some great segment ideas to get you started: Top spenders, Geolocation, Content Interest, Engagement (such as open + click rate), and more! This way, you’re sharing content with people who are most excited about it.

Make Your Emails Stand Out

Use eye-catching subject lines and preview texts to make sure your emails raise interest. Most people get multiple emails per day, so you want to keep your messages catchy so your subscribers gravitate towards opening it. If they don’t open it, they can’t engage with it, so be sure your subject and preview lines are top-notch. Tip: Use Emojis, but not too many, or else your email could come across spammy or (even worse) end up in spam folders.

Improve the Post-Purchase Experience

Optimizing customer experience for your clients should always be at the forefront of your marketing strategies. With that said, we suggest practicing checking ins with your customers via a communicative post-purchase email– there’s potential to stand out against competitors by doing this. Ask questions such as, “How are you liking your recent purchase? Did your order date match up with the shipping time?” Creatively incentivizing subscribers to respond, like encouraging customers with exclusive discounts and money towards a purchase, can really help amp up your customer experience. By focusing on the post-purchase experience you will generate loyalty– the ultimate goal.

By making these adjustments for your email marketing strategies, you can take advantage of a higher inbox engagement and retention rates. But keep in mind, what works for one specific brand or industry, might not work the same for another. We encourage you to test the waters (seriously though, A/B test your email content). You never know how your customers or team can benefit if you don’t try!