Unfortunately, when someone hears the term “email marketing”, the word “spam” comes to mind, which is really off-putting. It is your responsibility to come up with email campaigns that your customer will like, look at, and act upon. The tips in this article will set you on the right path to the perfect email campaign.
Put many links to your subscription form on your website, but don’t cram it down visitors throats. You need to make it clear to potential subscribers that you will not sell or rent their information to third parties and that there is something in it for them, if they sign up. An e-mail marketing plan that is successful depends on the ability to get customer information.
Find out who your audience is and then target their wants and needs. Once your list has grown a little bit, try to entice your current readers to refer new readers. Be sure to consistently include a link to subscribe in any email you send; hopefully, recipients will forward it to their friends that may be interested in the things that you offer. Your subscription list will automatically grow as more people who are interested in your business sign up.
Anything that you email you should proofread first. It’s essential that your emails or newsletters are correct, especially if you want to appear professional. Before sending out your email, test the layout in a few different email clients to be sure it can be read the way you would like it to be read. Test any links within the context of your email, so that you know they work.
Use A/B testing to test subject line variations. Split your email list in half and send emails to the two groups of addresses using different subject lines. This will let you see which types of subject lines increase your open rates and, conversely, which types of subject lines get ignored in the inbox.
Test email formats. Your email should be like a funnel, with the most important items at the top and the least important items at the bottom. But you should try different formats to see which one gives you the most responses. Then, when you figure out what works for you, you want to use it to your advantage. When you do this all of your customers know where they need to look for when searching for information they are interested in reading.
Keep your emails consistent. Always make sure that your emails contain the same business logo, colors, and font style. Always use a legible font. Your recipients will be more aware of the appearance of your messages and focus on them. Familiarity is a crucial factor to the success of your email marketing campaign, and your overall business.
You should always ask for permission before you add someone to your mailing list. Very often individuals consider unsolicited emails as junk mail and do not open them. Violating your ISP or web host’s policies can lead to major catastrophe.
Be sure you get a subscriber’s permission before emailing. If you start sending unsolicited messages, you will be unlikely to be taken seriously. It may even cost you clients and customers because they may not appreciate it.
You should have people who would like to receive your emails double opt-in. It may seem like overkill, but by doing this, you can be sure that a person wants to receive your emails and that will make it harder for your email provider to get into trouble.
Sending an email to your list more than once every seven days is a bad idea. Remember that your subscribers are busy, and that they probably receive a lot of email each day. Once you start sending more than one email per week, you may find that people don’t bother opening them, or even delete them. This is a waste of all your hard work.
Try not to send out important emails on or around any major holidays. Because people tend to be out of their offices and away from their computers, your emails will probably go unnoticed. There are exceptions, of course. Black Friday, for example, is one occasion where a date relevant campaign is warranted.
Utilize the least amount of graphics in your email as you can without making it look bland. A lot of email services don’t allow photos, so a photo dependent approach is not effective. If your email contains graphics, it is also much more likely that it will be sent to a junk folder instead of to a potential customer’s inbox.
For the most effective email marketing campaigns, provide customers with plenty of choices. Let your subscribers decide on the the number of messages they receive, how often they get them and what information they want to disclose. When your customers feel that they are somewhat in control of the process, they will be much more satisfied.
It’s important that you build your brand when sending emails to your mailing list. Therefore, it is important to invest enough time to create a template that permits you to use your corporate logo, theme colors and custom fonts that you have already used on a website or in ancillary materials. Doing so can help your readers to recognize your company instantly.
It’s an excellent idea to have a link where customers can unsubscribe from your email listing. Do not forget to provide a link to unsubscribe and make sure it is obvious. You should strive for your readers to feel that they are in control and that you’re not controlling them.
Get an object lesson in how not to run an email campaign by deliberately burying yourself in spam. Sign up for a free email account, post your new address around the web, and watch the spam roll in. Make note of why these messages aren’t effective and use that knowledge to make sure you’re not spamming people in the same manner. Taking measures to stand out from spammers will boost the credibility of your brand.
Know your audience in order to have a marketing campaign that is successful. What do your clients want? What would they want to read? What will it take for you to convert those thoughts into sales opportunities? Remember the tips in this article to increase your customer base.