Tuesday, 13 April 2010

10 useful email marketing tips gleaned over 10 years of trial and error

Posted by Unknown at 11:42 am Labels: , , , , ,
It’s been 10 years since email marketing came on the scene, popularised by the growth of online communication. It was a very different entity back then with mass emails being sent out on the on the expectation that ‘with all these, someone is bound to reply!’ only to find that they were easily sidelined into spam boxes. 

In the intervening period of trial and error, message based marketing efficiency has greatly increased with respondents being much more thoughtful. Email marketing has consequently become a highly valued way to reach consumers.
Some of the changes in the email marketing industry can be read in this article by Wendy Roth which will, no doubt yield you some big results when allied to the following tips from the past 10 years :

1.    The way to measure success is by the activity of your mailing list and NOT the number of subscribers. So the thing to consider is how productive your list is - not how large it is.

2.    Every messages should be personalised. You will find that recipients respond to a personal message - so always use targeted e-mails as this will encourage interaction. Invite feedback from your subscribers and ensure that you always act upon that feedback to create a dialogue with your readers.

3.    Be respectful of the wishes of internet service providers. Be responsible when e-mailing – honor all recipient requests, act on complaints, obtain addresses in an honest and fair way. If you do these things, ISPs will respond by being more likely to cooperate with your email marketing campaigns.

4.    Always remember that there are many different ways of viewing email. There are many different users with many different browsers. There are also a myriad of personalised settings - some of those do not allow graphics, some of them peak at your newsletter through their preview pane, some will disable HTML. It’s a good idea to keep this in mind when creating and delivering your message.
5.    There are a plethora of Smart-phones giving the ability for their owners to check their e-mail from almost any location and as these download and display messages much differently from computers, it is wise to design your e-mails accordingly.

6.    Before you send your message, give some thought to what you want to achieve -  the purpose of the message!  Make your subscribers appreciate the value of belonging to your mailing list.

7.    Target each of your customers! Gather data on every e-mail recipient then tailor your messages to fit those preferences.

8.    Measure success not by the number of people who have read your message, but their reactions after reading it. Do they just delete the message, or do they take some time and maybe click through to your website? gaining the involvement of your recipients is paramount.

9.    Involve yourself in social media - but do it productively give your readers some incentive to become followers.  Why should they follow you on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook? Offer discounts, downloadable coupons, special offers or breaking news to the ones who show their loyalty through social media.

10.    Ensure that all of your marketing channels are working in cooperation. The most rewarding marketing departments are run like well-oiled machines with all e-mailings, websites, printed material and broadcast marketers working in unison. Coordination leads to greater profitability!

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