Six Do’s & Don’ts to Email Marketing
By definition, a spammer is someone who sends a large number of unsolicited emails to multiple recipients. When one is on the receiving end of spam it is easy to develop a distaste for email marketing. Email, however, is a wonderful marketing tool when used correctly for both businesses and subscribers alike.
Email provides the potential to build valuable, long-lasting relationships. Through email marketing businesses can educate, share, gather information & encourage discussion with their customers. Good email marketing should bring value to the reader which, after all, is why they signed up to receive the emails in the first place.
Who Qualifies as a Subscriber
Often times the subscriber did not make the conscious decision to receive emails. Just because a customer shared or revealed an email address with you does not mean they agreed to be bombarded with junk mail. Business owners need to be protective and respectful of their clients. Abusing this privilege will only burn bridges.
Notification Abuse
Harassment via notifications is on the rise and has alienated more people than it has captured. The service is marketed under the guise of keeping you informed when in reality it has little to do with giving and more to do with receiving. Do not automatically sign new subscribers up for notifications.
Offer the Opportunity to Unsubscribe
Email subscribers should be able to readily unsubscribe if they wish – omitting this option or obscuring it only worsens the problem and will prompt some users to have your email address permanently banned.
Provide What you Promised
If the reader signed on to receive occasional informative newsletters please offer the same. If instead, the subscriber is spammed with weekly promotions they will opt out, and rightfully so. Email marketing is about more than promoting your own services – it should add interest and value.
Personalize the Message
Be sure that your database is accurate and that your clients are properly addressed. Email recipients want to be treated as people not as click-through statistics.
Proof Read
While HTML based emails are graphically appealing and have a higher rate of effectiveness they are often sabotaged with broken links and blocked images. Test your email before sending it out to be sure that it looks and functions as you intended.
Here’s a great article from Vertical Response on the Anatomy of a Great Email. Enjoy!
