 Have you ever sent out an email campaign and thought that was the end of your task? I know a lot of people who have, but in actuality the real work only begins after launch! I say this because you only find the truth to your campaign after you’ve done your digging – that is, digging into your reports. So let’s prepare to dig dig dig!
Email Delivery
On the first layer of the dig you find the very standard information. Does your campaign show as being delivered? If it has a high delivery rate, then you can check to see what your open and click rates look like. But if your delivery rate is low, then you’ve just got to keep on digging because that means you have a high number of email bounces. If that’s the case, in the next part of your excavation you have to look at the details of those bounces.
Email Bounces
You’ll find there are numerous possible reasons for bounces, such as:
-
Invalid email addresses: There’s a possibility that your bounces are mostly due to invalids, in which case you should never send to these folks again - ISPs will recognize if you do, and they don’t like it!
-
Full inboxes: If the same addresses tend to bounce due to full inboxes, consider taking them out of your next mailing - it’s possible those people may no longer be nurturing their inboxes.
-
Spam complaints: What if you find that you have blocks in place due to high spam complaints? This should probably serve as a red flag telling you to clean your data ASAP. Then contact your ESP so they can try to find a resolution with the ISP.
Get my drift, right? Digging into your bounce reports can tell you oodles that you may not have known about your data. And more often than not, having high bounce rates means you have to clean your data.
Email Opens & Clicks
Ok, so you’ve dug through your delivery and your bounces, now what about your clicks and opens? Did your campaign perform as expected? If you aren’t happy with your opens, then consider doing some subject line testing. And if you’re not happy with your clicks, then see which links were successful and which weren’t. Don’t be afraid to analyze your links to understand which are worthwhile to keep and highlight, and which you can toss. This will help reduce the clutter in your email content and leave only engaging information. And of course, don’t leave out the option of testing. Maybe it wasn’t clear that the recipient could click there, or maybe you just need a better call to action. You’ll never find out unless you try!
Unsubscribe Rates
So now you’re dripping with sweat from all the labor you’ve just put in the quest to find the truth to your campaign, but don’t forget to delve into your unsubscribe rates too! Unsubscribes are just as important as the rest of your finds. A high unsubscribe rate can mean that the information you are sending isn’t relevant to the people receiving it. Or it may mean that they don’t even remember subscribing to your newsletters or offers. Regardless, remember to honor your unsubscribes promptly. And if high unsubscribe rates seem constant you’ve got another new excavation to plan for – reviewing your subscription methods, your mailing frequencies, your content, etc.
I know, some of you didn’t think you could gather so much from one simple email marketing campaign. But the truth is, if you dig, you shall find.
###
About The Author
Ghia Espino is an account manager at Lyris. She strategizes with clients to improve their online marketing performance and works as their Lyris advocate.
Related Resources:
|
