A big part of running a successful company is learning to get the word out about your business. To do that, you need a strong marketing campaign; one of the best ways to market your company is to use email marketing. Email marketing can be a smart way to reach your target market, and here are some great tips to have success.
Proofread everything you send out through email. You have to be sure that everything in the email is correct. Make sure you test out the format so it will work out and show up on the screen how you had imagined it. Additionally, if you use email links, make sure they aren’t broken.
Keep your content current and variable; do not just repeatedly send out the same five messages repeatedly. If you want to keep people’s attention, there needs to be something fresh, or their attention will go elsewhere. If they wanted round the clock commercials, they would just stay at home watching home shopping channels. Even if some of them do that, give them something different when they check their inbox.
Consider using text emails instead of graphically intense HTML emails for your campaign. You may be thinking that the graphics will engage your reader more, but it’s usually not the case. Many people today have trained themselves to delete emails with lots of imagery, assuming they are spam. As well, those images often trigger spam filters, meaning your message is never received by some people on your email list!
The more options you give your customers, the more effective your email marketing will be. They should be able to choose how many emails they wish to receive and how often, as well as how much personal information they will be giving you about themselves. Giving your customers more control over the process will make them more comfortable.
Make sure you are working off of a clean list. This keeps the time you spend directed towards targeted customers. Targeting the wrong customers will not help you, and a clean list can get you to more of the right customers much faster. Clean up your list, and get to the right customers!
Every email you send should have a convenient link that allows them to opt out of receiving further messages. Certain emails cost money, even though it may be a small amount. Email marketing campaigns that are targeted for unwanted mailings often result in bad reputations and blocked listings.
Balance when you send emails. Sending them too frequently can come across as spam and may cause you to lose readers. Not emailing frequent enough can make the recipients feel like they’ve wasted time signing up for emails that they’re not getting enough of. Remember your goals and audience so you can pick a happy medium for your campaign’s frequency.
The subject is one of the most important parts of your e-mail. If you do not have a subject that immediately grabs the reader’s attention, it is likely that they will not bother to read the e-mail at all. The best written e-mails can be completely worthless without a compelling subject. Make sure that all of your subjects are great!
Research shows that there are three emails that are the most important. The first offers an introduction and invitation to sign up and give permission to receive further communication. The second presents the customer with specific expectations such as coupons, discount offers or newsletters. The third email would deliver those expectations in the form of the discounts and other incentives.
Test and design your messages to be readable and functional even if the images and graphics get blocked. Many email clients do this automatically. Make sure that any images you do use have descriptive text substituted via the Alternative attribute that should be available in your email composition software interface.
To boost your potential customer base, make it easy for your existing subscribers to refer their friends or family members to you. The easier it is for people to share your messages with other people, the more likely it is that they will do so. This means more subscribers and more potential customers.
You can use a multi-part message to approach several topics in one email. Some readers turn off HTML in their email client. A multi-part email includes plain text along with HTML, so that such readers will still get the message. This will keep users happy, no matter what format they prefer to receive emails in.
Make sure your customers have an “opt out” option available on your emails. For whatever reason, you may get a reader that no longer wants to receive emails from you. Provide your end of the bargain in your emailing policy by allowing them to choose to end their subscription.
Have a professional-looking design to your email. Choose a color scheme that is appealing without being overwhelming or difficult to read. Keep your design professional, even if you are seeking an informal relationship with your customer base. People are less likely to trust you with their business (and money) if you do not appear to take your business seriously.
From time to time in your email marketing campaign, you should solicit active feedback from your subscribers. Ask them what they like about your emails, what new content they want to see, and how they think you could improve their experience. The information this process will bring you is truly priceless. Use it to refine your emails and make your subscribers happier.
In terms of overall strategy, try to focus your email efforts on bringing together the perfect customer with the perfect product. Do not be afraid to specialize and customize, even it takes more effort. Build up information on your subscribers and narrow down what you offer them. Your goal is to present them with an offer they will find irresistible.
Email marketing can be a boost to your business, or it can hurt your business. Use the tips laid out here to make sure that your email marketing plan does what you need it to do; apply them to your email marketing, build relationships with your customers, and raise your profits.
