Get it right and Business Email broadcasting is possibly on of the most successful method of engaging existing and new customers.
Why? Simple! You are communicating with them exactly where they visit each day -- their inbox.
Create Your Email Campaign
Winning email marketing campaigns begin with great design. Some of the main steps to consider are:
- Create and segment your contact list.
Always select an opt in email approved data list that complies with anti-spam conventions and a list that is relevant and targeted to your message. You may want to segment by, geography, sex, product type, age, time etc - Develop your message content.
Who exactly is your audience? If global what language must it be written in? Write your headline based on the AIDA principle. Think precisely how the message flows from title to the actual message content, and call to action to ensure you get a click-through. - Consider the online experience.
The whole reason for the email campaign is to translate your prospective audience into customers. Therefore the landing website must follow the same design scheme as the email to ensure customers make the connection.
It is essential the online message and content is as considered as the original message email to guarantee the visitor continues with the flow and purchase or complete whichever call to action you require. - Setting up your metrics.
Ensure that your email system records bounces (failed deliveries), email opens and click-through.
But campaign creation is just the start...
Let's Make Sure The Email Is Delivered
It's all very well getting the design and content of the email correct but that will all be in vain if your prospect doesn't receive your email.
- Bounces.
People are prone to change Email addresses regularly without notice. To help tackle this insist on double opt-in by asking visitors to opt in online as they proceed through your system and then again when you send an email with an email opt-in confirmation link. - Spam Filters.
Most emails must get past two spam filters; the customer's server spam filter and their individual computers. It's vital that you Test your email messages against popular server filters to ensure they get through. In addition, provide instructions during the opt-in process to specify that your email address is allowed. - Image Blockers.
Some email servers block all images from being displayed in email, to reduce pornographic materials. Make sure that your message still makes sense even without the images.
Test Your Email
The fantastic thing about email marketing is that you can always tell when it works, because you can test it. Test every email campaign before you send:
- User experience.
Test for correctly formatted links in several email programs and that the landing pages are correct. Then test that the experience continues from the landing page through to conversion. - You have a delivery.
Send the test email to numerous email systems to check that the message is not blocked as spam. - Best response?
Create a few versions of your test email and send them to a small number of your data contacts before the mass email, so that you can evaluate which one gets the best response rate.
How you tried your hand at email marketing? What tip did I miss?