10 Rules for Successful Email Marketing
We believe that successful email marketing starts with 10 easy-to-follow rules that help you maximize your results while avoiding those “rookie” mistakes that damage your reputation and eat into your profits.
10 Rules for Email Marketing
1. Keep It Relevant
It is imperative that you get to know your subscribers and tailor your messages to their individual needs. Irrelevant and therefore unwanted emails will damage your reputation, reduce open rates, and potentially drive recipients to unsubscribe or, worse still, mark your campaigns as spam.
2. Remember That Less Is Definitely More
Email marketing campaigns are best kept short and to the point. You should try to keep any scrolling to a minimum and, through the use of clear calls to action (e.g., Buy Now or Learn More), direct recipients to your website as quickly and efficiently as possible.
3. Consider Frequency and Timing
The relevancy of your campaigns will nearly always be more important than the number of messages you send. The optimum delivery time will vary depending on your target audience.
4. For Subject Lines, Think Headline News
Think of your subject line in the same way as a newspaper editor does a headline. It should tell the full story and entice the subscriber to read more. Because of this, you should give your subject line as much thought (if not more) than your body text.
5. Take Time for Text
Make good use of real text (not graphics) at the top of your email. A graphic-heavy email will appear blank until the subscriber has selected to download the graphics. Real text in the message will remain visible even in HTML emails and will entice subscribers to open the complete email.
6. Automate, Schedule & Mobilize
Use your email marketing software to automate and schedule email campaigns to reach your lists at a time that best suits your subscribers. You can also use autoresponders to set up a series of emails that roll out over a specified period of time following an event (such as a subscriber joining a list).
7. Get Social
To encourage your subscribers to socialize your email content and to share your email marketing messages via their social networks, add social media sharing buttons to your emails and landing pages.
8. Test
Take time to split test your subject lines, designs, body text, frequency, time of send, etc. Split testing does not have to be complicated. Create two different emails, and send one to 10% of your list and the other to a second 10%. Monitor the response, and send the most successful email to the remaining 80% of your list.
9. Understand Your Return on Investment (ROI)
Free online tools like Google Analytics can help you understand your ROI from all online marketing activity as well as help you optimize your campaigns and website to deliver more positive results.
10. Cleanse
Remove bounced email addresses and names that have not opened any of your emails over a significant period of time. Remember, you are paying to target a list of people who want to receive your emails.
Start Your Free Account
Try iContact email marketing today with a 30-day trial. No credit card required.
Or sign up with your social network
iContact allows emails to be sent to only those who opt in to receive them.
© Copyright 2003-@@CurrentYear iContact, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Anti-spamTerms & ConditionsPrivacy