From email messages they open right away to those that go directly to spam, we’ll uncover the good, the bad, and the undeliverable—and how you can use this intel to fine-tune your own email marketing strategy.
This week, we're diving Inside the Inbox of Ashley Davidson, a CycleBar Studio Manager who loves receiving emails from her favorite fitness brands but isn't afraid to click "delete" if something isn't tailored to her needs.
How many unread emails are currently in your inbox?
Takeaway: Focus on your subject line and preheader text
Which emails have you opened recently?
Laura Lea Balanced: "Laura Lea is a local chef and nutritionist, but she’s also just a really fun person to follow! She’s always talking about things I love, and her “current obsession” email newsletters are full of great recommendations I trust."
Pure Barre: "This one caught my eye because they’re currently doing a double-punch promotion! I almost always open Pure Barre’s emails because they usually provide an incentive inside, and they’re always relevant to the location where I attend class."
Takeaway: Build brand loyalty with relevant offers
22 Days Nutrition: "This business sells protein powders, but the subject line, 'What will your mystery offer be?' really got me. They will send you a 'mystery product' with any purchase. The suspense was killing me—how could you not open that?"
Whole 30: "I’m a sucker for anything that sounds like good news, and that’s exactly what this was: 'Happy Birthday to the Whole 30 Slow Cooker Cookbook.' It’s a simple and email based on a cookbook I purchased, but I love feeling like I got to be a little part of the celebration."
What about the trash?
National women’s clothing brand: "They email me too much! I get way too many emails from them in a week, and they’re all basically the same with a lot of information. Not to mention there's so much small print at the bottom that it makes me feel like the coupons won’t work for anything I actually want!"
Emails from my apartment complex: "Especially since these emails contain relevant information, I wish they’d get to the point in the subject lines. 'Window washing on Tuesday' would be a lot better than 'Good morning.' I don’t have time to see if something is urgent or not!"
Anything good in your spam folder?
Personalized shopping recommendations: "I am always looking out for these emails because it tells you when your favorite brands are on sale at various stores. You can even let them know when you’re looking for a particular item for an event or season change and they’ll send you recommendations—however, there are so many images that it gets sent to spam a lot, and even then, the images don’t render."
Wellness blog newsletter: "These are really good emails that I would love to be seeing, but they keep going to my spam! There are great offers inside but I miss out on them."
Takeaway: Prioritize deliverability to make sure you reach the inbox.
What’s the last thing you remember buying because of an email?
Takeaway: Segment your sends to improve engagement.
How often would you say you check your email?
Choose three adjectives to describe your ideal email experience.
What do you wish email marketers knew about you?
Takeaway: Know your customer and meet their needs.
Wrap up
About the Author
More Content by Kaitlin Wernet