Are you still emailing like you did in 2015? Or even 2022?
If so, we’re sorry to inform you that your emails are living their lives in spam city – a land where much time and money goes to waste.
There are new email rules and updates that have changed the game. And not knowing about them, or ignoring them, has landed many in Google’s spam jail or email never-never land.
But it’s not too late to change that and it’s worth fixing.
Because done right, email marketing can still return up to $36 for every dollar spent. Of course, the key phrase here is “done right.”
So consider this your wake-up call on how email marketing is done right in 2025. We’re going to talk about how to stick your landing in the inbox and mistakes that can sabotage your success once you get there.
1. Aim for the inbox
Remember when you could just write an email and hit send, trusting it’ll get there? Those days are long gone, unfortunately. Last year, Gmail and Yahoo (where most of your customers get their email) decided to shake things up with new rules for bulk senders.
The new rules of the road mean you need to:
- Prove your identity (through domain authentication)
- Follow the rules of the road (stricter anti-spam measures by Google)
- Give readers an easy way to cancel their journey with you (one-click unsubscribe)
Here’s a resource explaining the technical steps or you can call us for help. Just know that skipping these steps will label your emails as spam.
2. Open rate 2.0
The open rate used to be a good basic measure of how well your emails perform by measuring how many people open them.
But with Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection feature some of the open rate data is now concealed or protected, making this number less reliable.
Email marketing apps have tried to adjust for this, but we suggest tracking your click-through-rate instead. This measures how many people opened your email and clicked the link in your call-to-action. That’s why telling them what to do next (below) is important.
Are you seeing low open or click-through rates? Your subject lines might be putting people to sleep. Or your link might be hard to spot.
To get better results:
- Write subject lines that make people curious (without being clickbaity)
- Test different sending days or times (Monday at Noon doesn’t work? Try Thursday or Friday)
- Segment your email list (Customers vs. prospects? By location? By buying history? You decide.)
- Make your call-to-action more prominent
3. Tell them what’s next
Picture this: Your customer or prospect opens your email (success!), reads your well-crafted message (fist pump!), then… nothing happens. Why not? It might be because you forgot to tell them what to do next.
This happens fairly often. We see beautiful emails with no next step or instruction. Every email needs a call-to-action: a button or link that guides them along.
It gives people direction. And it can be as simple as:
- “Check out our latest project”
- “Book your spot”
- “Get your free consultation or guide”
- “Tell us what you think”
It’s also an easy way to avoid leaving money on the table. Just make sure it’s impossible to miss.
4. Test emails save face
That “Oops, here’s the correct link” email might look cute the first time you do it—if you include a joke maybe. But after that it just looks unprofessional. And turns readers off.
If you have 30 seconds, you can avoid this with a test.
Every email program lets you send yourself a preview or test email. Use it. See how it looks on your phone (where 60% of your readers will see it), check the photos and click every link. Your future self will thank you.
RELATED: Other Email Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
5. The secret weapon that most overlook
Want to know an insider tip? The secret weapon is triggered emails. They have a 70.5% higher open rate than regular emails and lead to 53% more conversions, per a market study (pdf).
These are emails that go out automatically after a customer action:
- Someone joined your list? They get a welcome email.
- Did they buy? A thank-you email is on its way.
- Cart abandoned? Time for a follow-up email.
- Inactive for a while? Re-engage by email.
These are general examples. But the real magic happens with more specific triggers.
- Want to email lapsed customers who haven’t purchased in x months? It’s doable.
- How about those who click a link or download content but don’t buy? Send a follow-up message.
- Or those who bought item x and would be perfect targets for complementary item y? Send an offer.
The beauty of triggered emails is that they go out to prospects at the time people are showing interest. And they’re automatically sent while you do other things.
It’s like having a super-efficient assistant waiting to follow up 24/7.
6. Tools matter
Using basic email tools is like trying to build a house with just a hammer. Sure, you can do some things, but you’re making it harder than it needs to be.
And the super-efficient assistant we mentioned above? They don’t come with basic tools.
A good email marketing system is an investment that can bring in thousands in revenue when used right.
Look for one that offers:
- Templates that make your emails look good without a designer
- Ways to split your list into meaningful groups or segments
- Automation that works while you sleep
- Numbers that tell you what’s working (and what’s not)
- Mobile-friendly everything—because it’s 2025
Ready for emails in 2025?
We hope finding the right tool is on your list this year.
Because while others may still claim that email marketing is dying, you now know the truth. It’s not dying. It’s bad email marketing that’s dying.
Take this advice to get on the path to good emails—the kind that actually reach your customers and drive results.
Need help setting it up? That’s what we’re here for. Drop us a note, and we’ll talk about making your email marketing work harder for your business.
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