Lessons from Sending 100 Million Emails: Noah Kagan’s Top Insights
Noah Kagan, the founder of Sumo and AppSumo, has sent over 100 million emails throughout his career. His extensive experience has uncovered two major insights that can significantly impact email marketing results.
1. Segmentation May Not Be Worth the Cost
- The Assumption:
Segmentation, or dividing your email list into smaller targeted groups, is often seen as a way to increase engagement and conversions. - The Reality:
After investing substantial time and money in testing segmentation, Noah discovered that the returns didn’t justify the costs. - Personal Data Insight:
- Segmenting emails ended up costing him 3.19 times more than sending non-segmented emails.
- Despite the additional effort, the incremental gains didn’t outweigh the increased expenses.
Takeaway:
- If segmentation isn’t providing a clear ROI, it might be better to focus on creating high-quality, universally appealing content for your audience.
2. Place Your CTA at the Top of the Email
- The Problem:
Many companies bury their Call-to-Action (CTA) at the end of their emails. However, most readers don’t get that far. - Key Insight:
- On average, 80% of readers only view the first screen of an email.
- Placing your CTA at the top ensures more people see and act on it.
- The Impact:
- Emails with CTAs placed at the top can generate up to 4x more conversions compared to those with CTAs buried at the end.
Takeaway:
- Position your primary CTA in the first screen of the email to capture the attention of the majority of readers.
Additional Tips for Effective Email Campaigns
- Focus on Simplicity:
- Overcomplicating email campaigns (e.g., excessive segmentation) can drain resources without delivering proportional benefits.
- Optimize for Skim Readers:
- Use concise headlines, subheadings, and clear CTAs to engage readers who skim through content.
- Test Placement:
- Experiment with placing CTAs in different positions and monitor the results to find what works best for your audience.
Conclusion
Noah Kagan’s experience demonstrates that simplicity and strategic placement often outperform complex strategies in email marketing. By focusing on universally engaging content and making CTAs immediately visible, businesses can maximize conversions while minimizing unnecessary costs.
Source: BigCommerce.com