Whether you are using email marketing to simply gain some extra recognition for your home business or employing an all-out marketing campaign intended to reach millions, it can be a very effective form of marketing. This article will provide you with some great tips for having a more successful email marketing campaign.
Develop a consistent format and schedule for your marketing emails. By doing this, your customers will learn when and what to expect. Find a professional template that suits your business and used it every time. Alert your customers to the most relevant information at the beginning of the email.
Steer clear of renting or purchasing lists to pad your email marketing database. Not only do you not know if the emails you have purchased are truly your target market, but the lists can actually hurt your deliver-ability rates and ultimately your reputation. As much as possible, build your list organically.
Be persistent in your attempts to reach customers. You don’t have to send emails daily, but keep in mind that you may not capture a customer’s attention, or business, until he or she has been exposed to your brand or products several times. Touch base often, but not so frequently that it seems too annoying.
While online promotion is essential, don’t overlook the opportunity to promote your mailing list offline. To build both new subscribers and potential clients, look for any opportunity possible to get the word out. Some great opportunities to build your business can be found at networking events, trade shows, conferences and local gatherings.
Do not annoy your subscribers with an obnoxious “Buy now!” approach. messages. People may view your emails as being spam-like and not want to purchase from your company any longer. Your subscribers are savvy, and they know that your goal is to sell products, so focus on building a stable, professional reputation and relationship with them. They will appreciate this a great deal and will be more likely to purchase from you.
Post a version of your newsletter with graphics and animation on your website. Then send your email list a plain text version of the newsletter with a link to the web version. This keeps your emails simple enough to stop them from being diverted to the spam folder as well as encouraging your customers to visit your website.
Try to educate yourself on how not to be considered spam. Get a free email address, put it all over the Internet, and see how much spam you receive. Learn from this spam to design email that look as professional as possible. You need to be different than the spammers!
Do not restrict yourself just to email marketing. As you identify your core clientele that trusts you, see if you can get phone numbers and physical addresses. Build on your relationships by expanding your communications with your loyal core base by contacting them through these mediums as well as email.
Put real consideration into where you place links in your marketing newsletters. For example, you don’t want to send readers away from your email before you give them their call to action. You also don’t want to put your priority links at the end of an email where they may be overlooked.
Use the right font for the right message. Your font should be indicative of your style and email message, and not convey a message that you don’t wish to send. Choose one that is simple and popular, rather than one that you think is really cool, but not everyone may have.
Getting permission to send emails is not difficult to get. You can use discounts, coupons, special offers and even flyers given out in trade shows to get customers interested enough to receive your emails. They can sign up on your website among other methods. By being friendly and offering a good incentive to sign up, customers may even give you access to personal information and their personal preferences.
Be persistent. Studies show that it takes a minimum of 7 to 8 impressions before your advertisements will take effect on a potential customer, and it could take many more. You need to touch base with your customers at least once every few weeks, and assume they will not buy your product or even click your links for several iterations of messages.
Try getting inspiration from your competitors or other people in your niche. Try signing up for their email campaigns to see what is working for them. This can give you a better idea of what you’re up against and why something may or may not be working for your own campaign.
If you are following up with your customers, you can send a follow-up email to them that includes a warning. Attach a line in your message that allows them to sign up. The closing postscript can include a phrase that this can be a very low investment on their part.
Do not depend on images too much. Images can enhance the look of an email; however, the information in your message should be readable, even if the images are not displayed. Many clients will disable images from new email senders for security reasons. You need to ensure that your message will come across clearly whether they see the images or not.
You should use feedback to improve your email marketing campaign, indirectly as well as directly. How your subscribers respond – or don’t – is valuable data, too. You can categorize your subscribers based on what links they’ve clicked, what purchases they’ve made, and when and how they’ve communicated with you. Tailor your subsequent emails to fit your different subscriber categories.
Now that you are equipped with some effective and proven email marketing tactics, it’s time to get out and use them! The tips above will help turn your bland marketing schemes into successful ones by using email and the internet to reach limitless audiences and get your message out there.
