Saturday, March 24, 2012

7½ Simple Rules to Email Marketing Success


If you’re considering email campaigns for your marketing mix, follow these 7½ simple rules to help ensure success:

1. Get a Plan. One email blast will not generate quality leads or drive customer loyalty. Draft a plan to continuously engage prospects and customers. Send to prospects and follow up within 3 to 4 weeks with those who did not respond to your first message. Engage customers with a periodic e-newsletter to nurture the relationship, seek their input and drive up-sell opportunities.

2. Get Delivered. Keep your email file size small – 40K or under is recommended, but definitely no more than 300K. Avoid spam-trigger words like “free” and “offer.” Limit use of images, which can raise your spam score. Include a physical address and an opt-out link.

3. Get Help. The e-marketing landscape is littered with failed in-house initiatives. Invest in help from a trusted advisor with the tools and track record to help ensure your success.

4. Get Read. Keep your message and design simple. Recipients will not scroll through lengthy adjective-laden paragraphs. Give them one compelling thought with a link to read more. Too many images can distract from your message. Keep them to a minimum’a logo or one relevant image. Strive for one screen, no scrolling, with important links at the top.

5. Get It Together. Integrate your online and offline campaigns to leverage branding as well as to track offline campaign results.

6. Get Feedback. Encourage recipients to respond via links, surveys and forms. Encourage click-throughs, especially e-newsletter signups and forwarding to friends.

7. Get Results. Track deliveries, bounces, opens, click-throughs, forwards, and act on those results. Move hot leads directly to sales reps. Nurture the not-yet-hot leads as well as your valued customers.

7½. Get Delivered! This one is so important it deserves repeating. Nothing happens unless your messages get through to your targets. Reread Rules No. 2 and 3 to drive results and return on your e-marketing investment.

1 comment:

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