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Hannah, our fearless leader, recently said, “Email is not a science, it’s an art.” I think that’s true, but there’s a pretty vast cavern between finger painting and the Mona Lisa. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how to approach the art of email scientifically. If you made it through middle school, chances are you’ve heard of the “scientific method.” Using it can improve your chances at an email masterpiece and help you leave the days of email messes in the dust.

Traditionally, the scientific method is composed of seven steps. That may be a little arduous for most of us, so I’ll boil it down to a few potent points.

Ask a question: Determine your goals. What result are you angling for?

Collect Data: What’s worked in the past? What do you know about your audience?

Hypothesize: This is where it really gets fun. “What if…“ is a great way to start a sentence. Take your facts, figures and goal, mix ‘em all together and come up with a plan.

Test: Try it out! This step is far less scary after you’ve done your homework. It’s also a prime reason to outsource your email projects. Agencies (*ahem* Paramore|Redd *ahem*) have a lot of experience testing. We’ve got a solid understanding of what works and what doesn’t. Learning from mistakes is all well and good, but learning from other’s mistakes is gold.

Analyze: Look at your email results. Were your goals met? What could you do to improve those results? Record your data and remember it next time.

There you have it. Science and Art, a match made in heaven.

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