Email isn’t any less personal than any other form of communication. It may feel that way because, unlike a telephone or a face-to-face meeting, there isn’t any direct and immediate feedback. But your inbox is your inbox. Which means, you don’t want to spend your time sifting through hundreds of unsolicited and incomprehensible messages any more than anyone else.
Which brings us to email marketing. Having a successful email-marketing campaign means putting yourself in your contact list’s shoes. If you were on the other end of the send button, would you be interested in what you are sending out? If not, it’s time to rethink your email strategies.
Here are a few things to remember when launching an email-marketing campaign …
Get Permission and Be Specific: The first, and most obvious way, to improve the reception of your emails is to get the recipient’s approval in advance. If you’re only emailing a list of people who’ve asked to receive your emails, you’ve already improved the chances of your message being read. So ask potential subscribers to opt in and let them know what they’re going to get at the same time. That means, get specific about what you’ll be sending and how often. Once they’ve opted in, confirm it. Now you’ve got a mailing list that’s receptive and willing.
Focus and Customize: Now that you’ve got a list, think a little about what you’re going to send them. After all, having a confirmed mailing list doesn’t mean they’re going to stick with you regardless of what you’re sending them. Make your messages easy to read and focus on one particular message. There’s no better way to be ignored than to send out 1,000 words of meandering sales talk and desperate pleading. Make your emails interesting and useful and make sure to customize them. If an email looks like spam or too much work, it’ll be treated as such. Use the recipient’s name and make it appear less like a mass marketing blast and more like you’ve sent it to them specifically because you thought they’d be interested.
Use Social Media: If you’re using social media for your business, you should use it in your email-marketing campaign too. Include links to your various social-media pages and profiles in all of your emails. Not only will it encourage your contacts to visit and learn more about you and your business, it’ll likely boost the number of fans and followers you have online. That means, building opportunities to communicate and interact with your clients, contacts, and partners. It also means more contacts, word-of-mouth, and potential business.
The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com