This post was updated on July 15, 2019. It was originally published in September, 2016.
Manners matter in email. The evolution of email marketing includes consumer protection laws (such as an unsubscribe button) as well as industry standards of email etiquette.
Good email etiquette has three primary traits:
- Transparent
- Authentic (not spammy)
- Accessible
When your brand achieves all three, you build trust and affinity with your email list, protect your brand reputation with subscribers and spam filters, and even increase your revenue potential with every email. There really is no downside to employing all three, and there are tools to make doing so fast and easy.
![Tools for good email etiquette](https://media.emailonacid.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-10-at-9.04.25-AM.png)
Be Transparent
Transparency is the first step to building trust with subscribers. It lets them know you won’t abuse your privilege of emailing them.
Being transparent is as simple as using a double opt-in or a well-crafted welcome series. Even checking in on low-engaged subscribers to see if they’d like to remain on your list goes a long way. Plus, it keeps your email list tidy and healthy.
Double opt-ins
We cannot emphasize enough how important it is for brands to have a double opt-in measure in place. A slip of the finger causing a typo in a new subscriber’s email address is so easy to overlook. It can also be a detriment to your deliverability rate, since without a double opt-in, your email will bounce from an invalid email address, triggering spam filters for other subscribers.
Welcome series
A welcome email or welcome series is low-hanging fruit for brands to get on a new subscriber’s radar. On average, 74% of new subscribers expect an instantaneous welcome email, which typically enjoys 4x the open rate and 5x the click-through rate than other emails.
This is your first opportunity to put your best foot forward. Let your new subscribers swoon over your beautiful design, exciting promotions, and maybe even five-star customer reviews.
Re-engagement email
It’s the nature of email marketing that not every subscriber is going to open an email. Some may never open a single one. That’s okay, it’s the email marketing game we’ve all elected to play.
Sending a follow up email to a ghosting subscriber is a good way to try and win back their interest. Maybe this is done with an promotional incentive, or perhaps even just a “we miss you” email.