You’ve heard of spam, but do you really know what it is? Even more important is knowing how to avoid the perception that your email marketing campaign is spam. If you’d like to learn how to create emails which market your products without being thrown into a junk folder, read on.
Minimize traditional email marketing activities during the holidays. Customers are preoccupied with family and friends, and are less likely to be paying attention to business email. Your odds of ending up in the spam box are considerably higher, which could have longer term implications for your bottom line. The major exception to this would be a business directly related to the holiday activities. Otherwise, give yourself a break and enjoy some downtime yourself. Business will be back on track in a day or two.
Only use email marketing to target people who have give you permission to contact them. Sending emails to people who have never heard of you or what you have to sell is spam. They’ll be wondering if they know of you from somewhere and whether they care about what you’re attempting to sell to them. This ambiguity can lead to a deletion of the email, which is a loss of both the customer and time.
To get the best results from your email marketing campaign, test your messages thoroughly before you send them. Do not just type up a quick message and blast it out to your subscriber list without checking it carefully first. Preview it in different email programs and on different platforms to make sure it will display properly for everyone.
When it comes to sending out effective marketing emails, you need to be your biggest critic. You should read every single email that you add to the rotation. If you find it hard to finish an email, then how can you expect potential customers to be inspired by it? Also, keep longtime readers engaged by adding and updating your emails often.
You may find that it is a good idea to devote a small portion of every marketing email you send out to briefly reviewing what your subscribers can expect from you. By demonstrating that you have a plan for your emails and you are sticking to it, you can encourage your readers’ trust and make them less likely to grow tired of your messages.
Rather than purchasing or renting a mailing list, build your own from the ground up. You can do this by including opt-in forms on your website, gathering business cards at conventions or other industry events, and encouraging your subscribers to share your emails with others, which can garner even more subscribers.
There are zombie email addresses, and people do sell them. This not only wastes your time, but it keeps your messages from getting to the right targeted customers. Make sure you know what you are getting into, and make sure you are sending messages to people that could actually do business with you.
Emphasize the benefits of your product or service whenever possible. Subscribers will want to know what’s in it for them, so tell them–in the subject line, in your links, and in your content. Your subscribers will be much more interested in your message if they feel that it can help them in some way.
Keep the subject line brief and to the point. Your subject line should have no more than 60 characters to optimize the chances that it gains your customers’ attention. Emails with brief, captivating subject lines are much more likely to be opened by customers than emails with wordy, protracted subject lines. Keep in mind that longer subjects will be truncated, so keep your most important information at the start of the subject.
Solicit feedback in your emails. Ask a thought-provoking question and ask your readers to respond. This will engage those on your list, and they will feel like they are having a more personal experience than they otherwise would. You will also glean valuable feedback that you can use to adjust your emails if needed.
To boost your potential customer base, make it easy for your existing subscribers to refer their friends or family members to you. The easier it is for people to share your messages with other people, the more likely it is that they will do so. This means more subscribers and more potential customers.
Avoid using the character string “$$$” in your marketing messages. Many spam messages use this character string either in the subject line or body of their emails. If you use it, people and email servers may treat your emails as if they were spam, too. Your emails may end up ignored or even blocked.
Use plain text. Plain text emails will be received as more personable and HTML can be more difficult for some people to read. Some email readers may even prevent the delivery of HTML, depending on user settings. Plain, simple text will always be easy to read and very well received.
There is nothing wrong with composing your marketing emails in HTML, but you may find it rewarding to give it a break from time to time. A simple message composed in plain text will be taken as a little more intimate and a little less formal by your subscribers. If you exercise moderation, sending plain text emails can encourage loyalty and draw your readers closer to you.
Now that you know how to create a well-received email campaign which will bring your sales pitch to your target audience, go for it! Use all of the techniques you’ve read here and you’ll be well on your way to increasing profits and driving traffic to your site again and again.
