Email Marketing: 4 Tips to Getting Your Message Across and Not Junked

OK, so this is not a topic generally covered by this site, but recent events have me thinking on this, so I thought I should throw out a few tips (especially since its a slow day in CSE Land)

I have heard a lot of discussion on email content, and dollar for dollar, this is usually the leading marketing tactic available to merchants and businesses. Often over looked, but hugely valuable, check out these tips:

1. Customize the campaign and content

Make sure the information is relevant to the receiver. For example, if you have a great lead database with information on profession or position in the company, target by that variant. Don’t send a tech heavy email to the marketing department, and don’t swamp an operations exec with detailed micro-management information it would take half the year to implement. Make sure the content is relevant to the person receiving the information, and if you can’t divide up your lead base, at least make sure the entire base shares something in common you can target. Otherwise, the lead base will optimize itself by opting out-

2. Layout

People understand numbers from 1 to 5 in general. Give them 7 things to remember or deal with, and we will all get confused. Take this principle and apply it to design by segmenting the format into 3 or 4 sections. Don’t include too many sections or information or the layout alone will make things impossible to navigate through. In general you have between 5-8 seconds to grab the viewer, so things must be segmented clearly with large, actionable titles. By actionable, I mean a line that grabs attention but can also reveal content in a only a few words. The titles should be following by a smaller font summary to read a little further. After a few more words, the reader should have to click to view more, and then bingo - you got’em. So, summary:

+Clear layout: 2 - 3 columns across, and then continuing down to many rows if necessary

+Bold Titles: must be able to get an idea of the content in 5-8 seconds

+Summary information available: Quick details enticing the reader to click to view more

+ Call to action: Always make the email or message lead to something - always build with the purpose in mind

3. Subject Line!

Learn how to write a catchy subject line. Maybe you and I know the details you are tyring to communicate, but always keep the subject line simple and to the point. This should say what the content is about and why it matters. Examples:

Trim product count to increase ROI

3 Steps to Better Optimization

Winners and losers in email marketing: What to do and what to avoid

Reading over these, I have at least a small idea of what is in the emails, but I need to read them to know for sure. Try sending some emails to people outside of the office and see what they think. If your guinea pigs didn’t even see the email come through, then this will be a good exercise for you-

4. Forgotten opportunites

Don’t forget the usually forgotten messages. Use autoresponders, sign-up verication, and other basic emails to lay a foundation. Many times these are moments to introduce ideas and intiatives instead of just acknowledging your reader.

July 23rd, 2007