How to effectively present email marketing audit findings and evaluate program maturity?

Key findings

• Balanced reporting: Include both positive aspects and areas needing improvement to provide a complete picture of the email program's performance.
• Comprehensive analysis: An audit should thoroughly examine all components, from content and data quality to technical configurations like DMARC configurations.
• Clear signaling: Utilize a simple, visual system, such as green, yellow, and red indicators, to quickly communicate the status of different elements within the email program.
• Strategic context: Position the audit findings within the broader business objectives, explaining how email performance impacts overall company goals.

Key considerations

• Risk assessment: Incorporate a detailed risk analysis, outlining potential issues and their impact, alongside proposed solutions and their associated costs.
• Growth stage evaluation: Assess the current stage of the email program's growth in relation to the company's overall development. Identify areas that, while not immediate problems, will require attention as the company scales.
• Actionable recommendations: Ensure that audit findings translate into clear, actionable recommendations. This helps stakeholders understand how to diagnose and resolve issues and what steps are needed to improve performance.
• Audience tailoring: Adapt the presentation of findings to the audience, whether it is senior management, marketing teams, or technical staff. For general guidance on audits, you might consult resources like InboxArmy's guide to email marketing audits.

Key opinions

• Positive framing: It is crucial to begin audit presentations with compliments, acknowledging areas where the email program excels, whether it be content quality, data accuracy, or email design. This sets a collaborative tone.
• Holistic reporting: A thorough audit should cover all aspects, good and bad, ensuring transparency and comprehensive understanding of the program's state. This allows for informed decisions on how to improve inbox placement.
• Maturity assessment: One important aspect is explaining how a company's email marketing program might be lagging behind its overall business growth. This highlights the need for a more mature email strategy.

Key considerations

• Business alignment: Before evaluating, marketers should first understand the company's business model and the strategic role of email within it. This helps define objectives and the scope of the audit.
• Value proposition: When a company has a minimal or non-existent email program, the audit should clearly articulate the value and potential return on investment of developing one. This involves identifying how email can generate revenue or provide other strategic benefits.
• Risk of inaction: Explain the risks of not addressing identified weaknesses or not developing a robust email program. This includes potential impacts on customer engagement and retention, as discussed in topics like re-engaging inactive subscribers. A complete guide to email marketing audits can be found on The Digital Bloom.

Key opinions

• In-depth risk analysis: Experts perform thorough risk analyses, explaining not just what issues exist, but why they are occurring, what better alternatives are available, and the associated costs and risks of implementing changes versus maintaining the status quo.
• Highlighting strengths: It's important to include elements where clients are performing well in their email programs. This balanced perspective validates efforts and provides a foundation for improvement.
• Growth stage context: Experts contextualize findings by explaining the current stage of email program growth. They clarify that certain issues may not be problematic currently but will need addressing as the company expands. This proactive advice helps with future deliverability strategies.
• Strategic questioning: A common starting point is to ask fundamental questions such as, "What is email's role for your company?" and "How do you use it, and how do you aspire to use it?" This ensures that recommendations are relevant to the business model.

Key considerations

• Business model integration: Before diving into email specifics, understanding the overarching business model is paramount. This enables experts to evaluate whether an email marketing program will genuinely add value and contribute to revenue, as opposed to being merely an expense.
• Value versus cost: Experts weigh the potential returns against the investment and effort required to establish or significantly improve an email program. If the projected revenue gain doesn't justify the expense and pressure, it might not be the right strategic move at that time.
• Reputation management: For some businesses, the risk of even minor errors in email can lead to significant reputation damage or public scrutiny. This impact on sender reputation needs to be factored into the decision-making process. Ongage also offers insights into email marketing audits and tactics.

Key findings

• Structured evaluation: Documentation outlines systematic steps for conducting audits, ensuring all critical areas, from strategy to technical setup, are thoroughly reviewed.
• Data-centric insights: Emphasize the use of analytics and performance data as the primary basis for audit findings. This includes metrics like open rates, click-through rates, conversions, and subscriber engagement.
• Iterative improvement: Audits are not one-off events, but rather a component of a continuous improvement cycle, allowing for regular adjustments and optimization of the email program.
• Compliance and deliverability: Key findings often revolve around adherence to email regulations (like GDPR, CAN-SPAM) and technical configurations that impact deliverability, such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

Key considerations

• Scope definition: Clear definition of the audit's scope and objectives is crucial for effective evaluation and focused recommendations.
• Benchmark establishment: Establishing clear benchmarks and KPIs beforehand allows for objective measurement of program maturity and performance against industry standards or internal goals. You can test your deliverability using seedlists.
• Actionable recommendations: Recommendations should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART), enabling practical implementation and measurable impact.
• Documentation examples: Numerous resources, such as Mailjet's email marketing audit guides, provide detailed checklists and best practices for conducting comprehensive audits.