|
|
 |
10 Essential Steps to Developing a Successful E-Mail Marketing Campaign
Developing and executing a successful e-mail marketing campaign is becoming more challenging. The SPAM problem isn't improving and laws are tightening their grip on e-mail marketing. So, you need to carefully develop your e-mail marketing campaign with great care. Here are 10 steps you can use to develop a successful e-mail marketing campaign: Step #1 - Define the purpose of your e-mail campaign Whilst this step may seem pretty obvious, you will be surprised at how many e-mail marketing campaigns are carried out without a clear purpose or goal. This is especially prevalent with online newsletters or e-zines - many don't provide the reader any valuable or useful information. So, start your e-mail campaign right - by first defining a clear purpose or goal. Step #2 - Develop a clear call to action A call to action is a specific set of instruction(s) contained within the e-mail with the sole purpose of leading the reader to take a specific action. Here's an example of a call to action: "Click here to download your f~ree Special Report" With the introduction of the CAN-SPAM act and advancement in SPAM filter technology, it is difficult enough these days to get your e-mail pass SPAM filters, yet alone opened and finally read. It would be a sheer waste of time for both your reader and yourself if you didn't create a clear call to action in your e-mail. Step #3 - Personalize your e-mail message Use your full name in the From: field rather than your company's name. And use your recipient's name in the subject line. This will increase the "open rate" of your e-mail (The "open rate" is the percentage of e-mails opened against e-mails successfully delivered), because recipients will more likely open and read e-mails from people they recognize. Personalization will also reduce the probability of the e-mail being mistaken as SPAM. Step #4 - Develop an interesting subject line It's true. First impressions DO count in e-mail marketing! If you have an important e-mail you want your reader to open and read, you need to develop an interesting subject line to woo your readers attention. The reason's really simple. If your subject line does not appeal to the reader, your e-mail will not get opened and your e-mail campaign will fail miserably. And remember not exceed 40 characters when developing your subject line. Step #5 - Remind your subscribers where and when they opted-in If you do not e-mail your subscribers very often, say once every fortnight, it would be good to remind them where and when they opted-in, right at the top of your e-mail. In e-mail marketing, the popular axiom, "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" bears much truth. Don't expect your subscribers to remember where and when they opted-in to receive information from you if you're not in frequent contact with them. If they can't recall when they opted-in to your list and you fail remind them - don't be surprised if they scream "SPAM"! Step #6 - Provide an unsubscribe link In e-mail marketing, you should never ever hold anyone hostage. You'd rather settle for happy unsubscribers than angry subscribers, right? So, provide your readers with an easy and convenient method to unsubscribe. They'll sleep more soundly at night and so will you. Step # 7 - Check and test your e-mail You've spent a great deal of time crafting your e-mail. So it is a good practice to check through your e-mail to make sure you do not overlook the following: 1) Spell check your e-mail 2) SPAM check your e-mail 3) Test all e-mail links 4) Double-check mail merge codes (if any) e.g. $firstname$ vs. {FIRSTNAME} (especially if you're sending out the same e-mail using different autoresponder software) Step #8 - Use fixed-pitch font and proper formatting Use a fixed-pitch font like Courier and perform a hard carriage return at the end of each line at 60 characters to avoid formatting problems. Step #9 - Track all e-mail links This is an often over-looked step. Tracking your e-mail links will allow you to gain valuable insights and discover what works and what doesn't. Use the tracking information to refine your future e-mail marketing campaigns. Step #10 - KISS (Keep It Simple and Short) Lastly, keep your e-mails simple and short. The more e-mail content you create, the higher the chance of triggering the SPAM filters. If possible, use e-mail marketing to Pre-Sell, not Sell. Follow these 10 steps in your next e-mail marketing campaign and watch your campaign results skyrocket! Copyright 2004 Fabian Lim About The Author Fabian Lim is a Management & Internet Marketing Consultant. He helps organizations and individuals succeed online. He is also editor and publisher of "BizSuccess Tips", a No Hype, No B.S. internet marketing newsletter. Visit his website at http://www.BizSuccessOnline.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Email-Marketing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Why You Need Run Survey Do you have a list of e-mail addresses of your customers or prospects? Do you have a list of e-zine subscribers? If you have their permission, send them an e-mail survey to conduct market research. See if customers are satisfied with your products or services, or see if they enjoyed their visit at your web site. Use Autoresponders, to Build Relationships In Your Affiliate Marketing It's true that "content is king," but equally important to success in online marketing of any kind is contact. Not just the one time "flash in the pan" type either. Having an Opt In List As an Affiliate Marketer Is Crucial What is an Opt-in List and what is its significance in Affiliate Marketing? This may be the question playing in your mind, especially for Affiliate Marketing neophytes; and it is a question worth asking.Opt-in list building and lead capture is one of smartest and most effective strategies that affiliate marketers can use. Creating Demand With Email Newsletters You've launched your web site. You've implemented a public relations campaign and spent oodles of money advertising in trade journals, magazines and newspapers. Run Profitable Contests Using Autoresponders Running a contest for your e-zine subscribers or web site visitors is one way you can generate interest and give more exposure for products or services you want to promote.A contest could be as simple as spotting a word or a set of words within an e-zine's issue or searching for a graphic on a site. To Get Your Email To Stand Out From All The Junk We know that email marketing is a cheap method to reach our customers, prospects and subscribers. However, the increasing amount of unsolicited commercial email is clogging up the inboxes of everyone. Consumer Thinking and Email In an article based on research done by emaillabs, MarketingSherpa reports that on average, readers spend between 15-20 seconds reading email they chose to open.The article also reports, readers span about 50 words, fewer if there are graphics to view. Guarantee Recipients Opening Your Emails With These Secrets To Successful Subject Lines! You've done the hardest part; you've captured your prospect's email address. Now it is time to send your email to them. Email Etiquette V Further to my previous issues this subject continues - as per request from a reader.This month I'll share on Setting up Mail groups and creating signatures for your email. Spam Check Your Newsletter for FREE Spam is a bigger and bigger problem nowadays. Recently Ralph Wilson, Paul Myers, and other Internet marketing gurus have written about the problems that spam is causing honest, hard working Internet marketers. Lesson #7: Three Extra Tricks That Can Boost Your Bottom-Line! Let's recap what you've learned so far.. Online Marketing Through Newsletters So you want to start publishing an online newsletter? Why? Because that's what all the online marketing experts and gurus said to do. You've been told you'll pull in lots of new customers if you just start publishing an online newsletter AND purchase their list magnet ebook. A Review on Email Go Getter System (EGGS) A Review on Email Go Getter System (EGGS) by Martin LeeEGGS is a new autoresponder system that I have started to use recently. The main difference between EGGS and other commercial autoresponders out there is that EGGS is hosted and run entirely on your own web server. Click for Success! Being online for the last five or so years has made me realized that many persons are seeking a magic button to success. What is even more interesting is that they really believe that it exists. Can You Win The Battle By Using A Toothpick? Every business needs a low cost way to reach targeted customers.Email marketing is by far one of the most effective and inexpensive methods of advertising available to you. Ten Tips to Building Your Opt-in List. To build and maintain your opt-in list requires constant attention.As either a bricks and mortar or a cyber space business it is always easier and more cost effective to promote to your warm market. 7 Key Items To Include In Your Email Signature File One of the most important and often overlooked methods of promoting your on line business or service is your email signature file (sometimes called a "sig"). There are two types of signature files, one is the more simple one at the close of each email, the other might be attached to writing or discussion group posts, etc. Lesson #1: Autoresponders 101 What the heck is an autoresponder?An autoresponder is much like a fax-on-demand system, where you call a number - or, in this case, email a specific email address, fill out a form on a website or do something, like buying something online - and get an instant reply.Internet marketing and online business people agree that email autoresponders are the greatest marketing tool ever invented. How To Get People To Constantly Open Your e-Mail Promotions Or Your Newsletter In this article I'm going to talk strictly from a subscriber's point of view. If you're marketing online, what would you do to find out how people think so you can target your e-mail promotions or a newsletter better?Well, here's your opportunity. Email Etiquette: How To Send Emails People Will Read You may remember a time before there was email?a time when communications within most organisations were more formal and followed strict lines of protocol. Email has done wonders to break down some of the communication bureaucracy and hierarchy within organisations; today virtually anyone can speak to anyone (and everyone) within an organisation with the click of a mouse - which can have both exciting and devastating implications! Email has brought with it a new informality to business communications and a new short-hand vocabulary and style of communication - but it didn't come with instructions.
|
|
Home | Marketing eCourse | Online Marketing Kit | Web Hosting | Links | ClickBank Portal Advertising Information | Blogging & RSS | Branding Information | Copywriting | Traffic Building Email Marketing | Ezine Publishing | Site Promotion | PPC Advertising | E-Books |
| Copywrite © 2006 www.AdAdvantageSuccess.com All Rights Reserved. |
