Email is the number one online activity and the effectiveness of a well executed email marketing campaign cannot be disputed. As an email marketing consultant, clients are surprised to find out how quickly and inexpensively a campaign can be set up and how much return they can get on their time and investment. There is simply no better way to build and maintain relationships with your customers and prospects.
Of course, all of the above statements are true if, and only if, your email marketing campaign is set up, executed, and managed properly. Following these email marketing tips and suggestions will help ensure your campaign is on its way to success.
1. Avoid the Spam Filters – Most Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) employ pretty rigorous SPAM filters. One sure fire way to impede the success of an email marketing campaign is for your emails to be flagged as SPAM and deleted before they even get to the intended recipient. To make sure that your emails aren’t immediately flagged as SPAM, avoid using gimmicky words like “FREE”, “$$$”, “SAVE”, “DISCOUNT”, etc in both the subject line and in the content of the email.
2. Remember the Preview Pane – Most email clients, like MS Outlook and Thunderbird, give users the option of turning the preview pane on or off. This is the function that allows users to see what is in the email message without having to double-click and open the message. Most people have this turned on. When writing the copy for your email, keep this in mind. Put your most compelling offer and exciting information at the top of the email where it will be visible in the preview pane. It is this information, combined with the subject line (See Tip #8) and the “from name”, that most people will evaluate to determine whether or not to read the email or delete it immediately.
3. Create a Clear Call to Action – I know this sounds obvious, but you would be surprised at how many emails I get that simply don’t tell me what it is they want me to do next. The content may be great, and the design may be beautiful, but if your reader doesn’t know what you want them to do or how you want them to do it, then it is all for nothing and will be deleted. As such, a clear call to action should include exactly what it is you want the reader to do and what they will get in return. For example “Click here for 20% off your next visit.” Be careful not to distract readers with too many offers. Having too many calls to action can be just as confusing as not having any call to action. If you have more great offers, save them for another email.
4. Be Consistent – If you are running a newsletter or sending out frequent emails, you want to make sure that your message is consistent. Create an email template that closely matches the look and feel of your website so that people automatically associate the two. Use this template every time you send an email. This will help strengthen the image of both the email and the website. If you are sending out a monthly or weekly newsletter, make sure you send it out on the same day and time every time (i.e. Third Tuesday at 4:30PM EST). Your readers will come to expect and recognize your emails.
5. Personalize the Email – Instead of using the boring and generic “Dear Sir/Madam” (I hope no one uses that), use your recipients name whenever possible. You will most likely be sending emails out in bulk and not individually typing them to each subscriber. An email that addresses your customer by name feels less bulky and makes them feel less like a number. Using your customer’s name helps establish that you already have a relationship and, as such they will be more likely to look at your email and click through to your offer.
6. Make Unsubscribing Easy – The only thing worse than no subscribers are unhappy subscribers. Subscribers who are not interested in your emails are worth nothing to you and the resources for mailing to them are wasted. If someone no longer wants to receive emails from you, it is imperative that you make it easy and painless for them to unsubscribe. Always include a personalized unsubscribe link that takes recipients to a short form that politely and immediately removes them from your mailing list.
7. Send on Tuesday or Wednesday – Studies have shown that afternoons on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days to send your email marketing messages. People are more receptive on these days and are more likely to read your email. Mondays are no good because people are trying to get caught up and organized from the weekend and are typically looking to quickly purge their inboxes of unnecessary emails. Thursdays and Fridays are difficult because many people are already thinking about the weekend and are just trying to wrap things up.
8. Use a Compelling Subject Line – It is said that when an emails arrives in someone’s inbox, they usually decide in less than a second whether or not they will read it, save it for later, or delete it. Tip #2 already mentioned the preview pane. In addition to that, the subject line is probably the most crucial component of any email campaign. Don’t use boring or generic subjects like “XYZ Company Newsletter.” Instead try thinking of a benefit that your offer provides that makes the offer compelling “10 Ways to Increase Email ROI.” You can also search Google News (or any news search engine) for topics that relate to your offer. Take note of the headlines that grab your attention and tailor your subject line accordingly.
9. Always Include a Signature – Always include a signature at the bottom of every email you send out that includes your name, your web address, your email address and maybe even your phone number. This gives people a few other ways to connect with you should they be interested in your offer but for whatever reason do not want to click through the email. It also helps make the email feel more personal as it is coming from a real person and not just some automated system.
10. Monitor the Statistics – Most email services provide statistics that can be used in conjunction with your website analytics to measure the effectiveness of your email campaigns. Monitoring stats like open rates (percentage of people that opened the email), click-through rates (percentage of people that clicked-through to your offer), and conversion rates (percentage of people that completed the sales process) will allow you to more effectively tweak your campaigns for maximum performance. Test things like the subject line, the offer, the placement of images and text in the email, the placement of images and text on the landing page, the day you send it, the time you send it, etc. Over time, you will find a system that works for you and maximizes the effectiveness of your email marketing campaign.
These 10 tips will help you strengthen the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns and increase the return on your email marketing investment. Keeping these suggestions in mind will bring your email campaign to a whole new level and help you build and maintain loyal customer relationships.
Thanks for trying to find solutions. I find this info useful. e-mail is a rightful means of communication. I use Outlook as my e-mail client and with the help of Email Sorter Wizard, an Outlook add-on, I file all my e-mail fast and with ease. I’m sure people will benefit from your blog.
Thanks Jenna. I appreciate the feedback and the heads-up on the Email Sorter Wizard. How exactly do you use it?
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Could you recommend any specific resources, books, or other blogs on this topic?
Off the top of my head, I do not know of any specific resources to recommend. If I come across any I will be sure to add them here.
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