How much spam do you get? My inbox is flooded daily with newsletters from the dozens of online marketing updates I subscribe to (much of which repeat each other…..). I scan them all in the preview pane before clicking any of the links, if any. Like you, and your clients, I’m busy. When I check my email, I’m working and a have a To Do list as long as my arm to plough through – so an email has to be darn interesting to draw in my focus.
Why do you think spam is called spam? It’s mass-produced, over processed rubbish much like the tinned ‘meat’ it shares a name with. There’s nothing interesting or personal about it, it’s stinky, and looks revolting. Your marketed emails should land in someone’s inbox like a hot medium rare eye fillet, fresh from the farm: high quality, good looking, tasty and satisfying.
Launching in to a regular email marketing campaign is an effective and affordable way to reach your clients. How can you make your email marketing meaty? Avoiding these common mistakes is a good way to start making the most of your email marketing efforts.
One decent email a week with several concise points to make is a much better idea than daily updates about your every business move. Don’t spam people by contacting them too often, they’ll feel harassed and be clicking the unsubscribe button faster than you can say ‘spam’!
If you have committed yourself to weekly or even monthly emails and are struggling to find content, don’t fill the email with cotton padding: it will be blatant to every reader that it is unsubstantial filler. A good way to bulk up mass business emails is to relay the latest news and events in your industry, and in your community if your business is local.
Of course not! So don’t come across that way in your mass business emails. It does sound professional to sign off your emails as being from Your Business Name, but it’s a lot easier for people to relate to you if the emails are direct from the CEO. Include a scan of your signature to insert as an image at the end of the email and write the material as if directly from you.
Most people scan their emails in the preview pane rather than opening each one and reading it through with rapt attention. Accept that your emails won’t be read thoroughly, and write for scanning eyes and busy brains: bold your main points, bullet-point nbsp; facts and tips so they will be absorbed faster. And format your emails so that they appear readable in the preview pane format.
But it’s worthless if it can’t be seen. Most email programs, including those that are web-based, do not display pictures automatically. The email-absorption process needs to be as easy as possible for your busy readers. Host the images on your own website so they’re quicker to download and will get past spam filters. Never deliver an email marketing campaign with all your info as images: very few people will bother downloading it.
Spelling mistakes happen easily, but give a terrible impression to business clients. You want to come across as accurate and intelligent as possible, so always spell check your copy and double-check your facts. Dates, prices, and the names of people and places are most vital here.
Send your email to a friend with an iron-tight spam filter program before you even think about releasing it to clients. If you have a hotmail or gmail account, send the email to your business address (which is surely spam protected, right?) to test it. It would be devastating to put all of that work into an email campaign only to not have it delivered to half the recipients.
No email marketing message is complete without a call to action. Spattered through the text and displayed at the top and bottom of the email should be your latest offer, with a hint of urgency to encourage readers to click now! It could be a 24hour deal or a promo code for the first 50 respondents to receive a discount. Not only will this lead to more sales, but it rewards your readers for their valuable time.