Ten Email Marketing Best Practices
Email marketing is one of the fastest growing and cost effective means of communicating with your clients or members through well designed and planned delivery of relevant information or offers. It's measurable, fast and effective. Consider these important points before you start.
1. Avoid the Spam Filters
Spam filters generally "rank" each email by a number of different criteria, and, if that email rates above a certain level (such as 10 spam points), then it is flagged as spam and deleted. To make sure your emails don't get flagged as spam - and deleted before they even get to your subscribers - avoid using words such as 'Free', '$$$', 'Save', and 'Discount' in both the subject line and the content of your email.
2. Maximize Click Through Rates
Numerous research papers tell us that the majority of Internet users respond better to a plain, bold, text link as opposed to a banner or button. So, if you're going to include links in your emails, make sure they are bold and underlined. This will mean that more subscribers click through, meaning more sales for you.
3. The Power of Personalization
If you were standing in a crowded mall, which of these would get your attention: "HEY, YOU!" or "HEY, JOHN!" (assuming your name is John). In fact, by simply starting your email with "Hi [subscriber name]" instead of the boring "Dear Subscriber", you can increase both your reading and click through rates by up to 650%. Your subscribers will feel like they already have a relationship with you as you've addressed them by their first name.
4. One-Click Unsubscribe
If you want to grow your mailing list, then there are 2 things that you absolutely must have: a double opt-in process, and a quick way to unsubscribe. In Canada, it's required by law that every email has an unsubscribe link in it. The unsubscribe link should take the recipient directly to a page where they are then removed - courteously - from your mailing list.
5. Sign Up Confirmation
Don't get accused of spamming - always use a double opt-in confirmation process. Double opt-in means that after your visitor initially enters their email address to subscribe to your list, you should then send them a "confirmation" email. This email should contain a special link back to your email marketing program, which will then verify that this visitor did indeed sign up to your mailing list.
6. Repeat Email Communication
An auto responder is an email that is scheduled to be sent at a certain time interval after someone subscribes to your mailing list. Auto responders are a great way to automatically follow up with your subscribers or provide them with more information on your products/services.Auto responders help your subscribers build trust in both your company and your brand, and this can help make it easier when trying to close sales in the future.
7. Consistency is the Key
If you're running a newsletter or frequent email publication, make sure you keep the look and feel consistent from issue to issue. By keeping the look and feel consistent, you help to maintain and strengthen your brand and your image to your subscribers, which again will make it easier to close sales when you need to.
8. The Half-a-Second Subject Line
When your email arrives in your subscriber's inbox, you generally have about half a second to catch their attention with the subject line of your email. In your subject line, try and specify a benefit that the subscriber can expect by reading your email. For example, instead of using 'OurSite Newsletter Issue #1', use 'OurSite Newsletter: 10 Tips for Financial Freedom'.
9. The Free Bonus Hook-In
Free is overused these days, especially on the Internet. However, if you're looking to grow your subscriber list, then create or source a product of value to your visitors (such as an eBook or discount coupon) and offer it to them for free when they signup for your newsletter.
10. Keep It Short
You may be tempted to include all kinds of information in your newsletter - but keep it brief. Your subscriber is most likely to read what's shown in the preview pane; then lose interest as the email continues. If the email is too long, they may think that your newsletter is too much work and unsubscribe.