Improve Your Email Marketing With These Tips From The Pros

Updated August 19, 2026 — Email marketing remains one of the highest-ROI digital marketing channels, with studies showing an average return of $36-$42 for every $1 spent. The pro tips in this article are as relevant today as when originally written.

Even though it has now been around for decades, email marketing is still one of the least expensive, most effective forms of digital marketing. That's good news because it means you can connect with your target audience without breaking the bank.

You already know the basics of email marketing, but you may not know how to get the most for your email marketing investment. Here are tips from email marketing pros to help you.

Maintain Your List

Email list hygiene is a must if you want to avoid wasting money. Some people aren't going to open your emails. Others may abandon email addresses or provide fake addresses when they complete your opt-in form. Either way, cleaning up your email marketing list can help you save money.

You can do it by using a two-step subscription process where leads must enter their email address and then confirm the subscription by clicking a link. Research shows that this process increases open rates. For existing subscribers, send an email asking them to opt in for further emails – and delete anybody who doesn't respond.

Send Emails Regularly

You may have heard this tip before, but a lot of companies follow it imperfectly and it hurts them. When experts suggest sticking to a regular email schedule, they don't mean "send an email two or three times a week and don't worry too much about the timing."

What they mean is that you should create an email marketing schedule where emails are sent on the same days, and at the same times, every week. If you decide you want your B2B emails to show up at 9:00 am on Mondays, that's when they should go out every week. That way, your subscribers know that they'll be hearing from you. We are all creatures of habit – so let people know what to expect by sticking to a strict schedule.

Reward Loyal Subscribers

While email has a higher ROI than many other types of marketing, that doesn't mean you can take it for granted. You probably have some subscribers who open every email you send – and they should be rewarded for that!

Every once in a while, the pros recommend sending out a special discount code or coupon that's just for people who open your emails regularly. That means you won't hype it in the subject line. It's there for the people who open your emails even when there isn't an obvious reward. The benefit is that a casual opener will see it too – and may be more likely to open your emails in the future.

Give Subscribers Control Over What They Receive

Even people who love your emails probably see an occasional message from you that doesn't apply to them. Allowing them to self-segment and choose what to receive can increase your open rates – and conversion rates – by making them feel like they're in control.

Segmentation can be handled easily with a robust marketing email solution. You can send a survey that allows people to opt in to various topics or types of emails, or you can allow them to opt out by including a link to your segmentation survey at the bottom of every email.

Don't Sweat Unsubscribers

Speaking of putting users in control, a lot of business owners fret when people unsubscribe from their lists. Pros don't sweat it because they recognize that hanging onto a bunch of uninterested subscribers doesn't help them.

When people don't open your emails, they're more likely to get flagged as spam. Ultimately, you want your emails to be going to the people who are eager to get them – and thus, more likely to buy your products or sign up for your services. When someone unsubscribes, let them go. They weren't helping you anyway.

Use Alt Text

It drives us crazy when we get a marketing email and the images don't load – especially if there's no alt text to tell us what we are missing. Don't make that mistake.

Every image you include in a marketing email should have alt text attached that describes what's in the image. That way, users with a slow internet connection can see them. It also helps vision-impaired people who may be using a reader. The reader can understand alt text, but it can't understand images. This is an easy fix that ensures every recipient will be able to understand your content.

Use Link Tracking

If you include links in your marketing emails, you'll need to track them to find out how many of your readers click the link. Most email automation services include a link tracking option.

Tracking links can help you fine-tune your email marketing campaigns and include links that are relevant to your readers. Without tracking, you won't be sure whether your links are getting any traction at all – and that's a mistake.

Make Your Emails Mobile-Friendly

More people read their emails on mobile devices than on computers, therefore every marketing email you send must be optimized for mobile users. That means:

• Single column content that can be easily scrolled
• Buttons that are large enough to be tapped by a finger
• Subject lines of no more than 25-30 characters
• Pre-header text that shows readers what's in the email
• CTAs that are easy to find

You should use responsive email templates that adapt to any mobile device. That way, a user can access your email on a laptop, tablet, or smart phone and get the same experience each time.

Keep Files Small

Are you attaching photos or files to your emails? If so, keep the file size as small as possible. This step is extremely important for mobile users. If they're using data to read your emails, you don't want them to blow through their monthly limit because you couldn't be bothered to resize an image or zip a file.

You should always look at the total file size of the email and adjust it accordingly. As a rule of thumb, you should aim for images to be under 1 MB.

FAQ

How often should I send marketing emails to my list?

Consistency matters more than frequency. For most local businesses, sending emails once per week on the same day and time is ideal. This builds expectation and habit with your subscribers. Sending too frequently leads to unsubscribes; sending too infrequently causes subscribers to forget who you are.

What is a good email open rate?

Average open rates vary by industry, but most local businesses should aim for 20-30%. If your open rate is below 15%, focus on improving your subject lines, cleaning inactive subscribers from your list, and ensuring your "from" name and email address are recognizable and trusted.

Should I use a single or double opt-in for my email list?

Double opt-in is recommended. While it may reduce your total subscriber count initially, it significantly improves list quality. Double opt-in subscribers have higher open rates, lower unsubscribe rates, and are less likely to mark your emails as spam because they've confirmed they actually want to hear from you.

How do I reduce my email unsubscribe rate?

Segment your list so subscribers receive content relevant to their interests, maintain a consistent sending schedule, craft compelling subject lines, keep content brief and valuable, ensure emails are mobile-friendly, and always include an easy-to-find unsubscribe link. A clean, engaged list outperforms a large, disengaged one every time.

As a business owner, you need to make the most of your marketing budget. These email marketing tips from the pros will help you do that – and in turn, increase your ROI and profits.

Want to chat with one of those marketing pros one-on-one? Just book a time on Ian's calendar to discuss the issues you're facing – he's one of the best in the marketing business and loves to help business owners like you thrive in your industry.