No one likes a boring email hitting their inbox. If you want to keep your marketing fresh and your subscribers engaged, you’re going to need to make an effort to update your content — and your content strategy regularly.

We’re all sending a lot of emails. And we mean a lot. Three hundred billion every single day and more than a hundred trillion a year, to be exact. Not staying up to date with modern tactics will make it tough to stand out, and it will also almost inevitably lead to a loss of subscribers. If you want your emails to make a sustainable impact, then you have to be willing to change and adapt, which often requires a refresh of what you’re sending out and how you’re doing so.

Of course, it’s hard enough to devise the perfect email once, let alone reinvent it on the regular. But if you want to be a welcomed presence in your subscribers’ inboxes (and trust us, there are a lot of reasons you do), then you’re going to have to step back every once in a while and rethink your approach. Here are some ways to do it.

1. Become a Subscriber

When you become an active participant in the world of email marketing as a whole, you give yourself more opportunity to find inspiration and encouragement. For that reason, it’s important that you subscribe to other brands’ newsletters — yes, even those (especially those) of your competitors. 

Think of this strategy as a way to be a fly on the wall on other marketing teams’ planning meetings. You’ll get to see what companies are doing to appeal to their audiences, as well as how often they mix it up themselves. In turn, you’ll be able to gather a wealth of ideas that you can try in your own email marketing campaigns.

2. Read Content

Dedicate some time to reading content that’s being published. As you can tell from our blog, there is certainly no shortage of information out there on email marketing tips and trends. And, keeping up to date with modern best practices should be a priority since the industry is constantly changing and adapting. 

Put together a list of credible online sites and business blogs that you can visit for the latest content on email marketing, and make a point of checking in regularly so that you’re always on top of what’s going on. Carve out an hour or so a day to catch up on what’s being circulated so you can make it apart of your regular schedule.

3. Attend Webinars and Take Online Courses

The best way to succeed in something long-term is to take on the role of an active learner. And thanks to the internet, you don’t have to leave your office when you want to take a take a crash course in email marketing.

Both webinars and online courses are great tools for tapping into the ideas and expertise of thought leaders in real-time. Be on the lookout for any on email marketing practices, since they tend to offer really valuable hands-on tips and takeaways that you can run with post-broadcast. You may even be able to find online courses and tutorials that will teach you how to improve the design and templates of your emails, plus ways to enhance your skills and keep your emails looking great.

If you’re not sure where to start with webinars and courses, think of the area of email marketing that seems the most tricky for you. Is it design? Content? Promotions? From there, look for resources that focus specifically on those topics, and absorb as much as you can so that you can feel inspired.

4. Hit Up Social Media

Social media and email are two different forms of marketing, but there’s a lot you can learn for the latter by looking at the former. See what people are engaging with and how they’re engaging with it on social media. Then extrapolate whatever lessons or ideas you can and apply them to your emails.

The best social media sites for email marketing inspiration tend to be ones that are inherently focused on creative design, such as Pinterest and Instagram. Discovering what it is that people love about particular posts will give you some insight into what they might love in emails, and can be used as a jumping-off point for informing your next email marketing step.

Keeping emails fresh doesn’t have to mean reinventing the wheel over and over again. Instead, think of your email strategy as a journey with plenty of new adventures along the way. As your brand grows and adapts, your emails should too. Do it right, and your subscribers will be happy to stay on for the ride.