Email Marketing: 8 Tips For A Successful Campaign

Although many shy away from email marketing, it is now one of the most effective ways to reach your target market. With a plethora of SPAM emails clogging inboxes globally, the challenge today is providing useful information that your clients/prospects really WANT to receive and understanding how to provide that information in such a way that it is not considered SPAM . While there is no universal solution, the following tips and tricks will help you boost your readership and keep readers coming back.

Get on the White List- When building an email address database, make sure that all subscribers know to add the incoming email address to their white list. This should be addressed on the eNewsletter’s Subscribe page. The white list is a setting within an email program that will allow the administrator to choose which emails are allowed in the Inbox.

It is All About the Title- Are you using meaningful words in your email's subject box? Words such as Sale, Deal, or Click Here might get you a first-class trip to the Junk folder. Create compelling titles that appeal to the interests of the recipients, including geographical locations, member organizations, and/or target-specific hot topics. This plays on the interests of the recipient and increases its chances of being opened.

Personalize It- Even though you may create an email that may go out to thousands of people, add a personal touch. Include your name and contact information, text such as “Please contact me anytime,” or “I’d love to speak with you sometime, ” and multiple links to specific areas of your Web site that may interest them. These items make a mass email appear that it is written specifically for that recipient.

Space Them Out- A monthly newsletter can be a great way to continuously touch base with your target market. However, sending email blasts too often can annoy recipients into putting you on the black list or just ignoring your messages altogether.

Make it Count- Include relevant content in your newsletter. Meaningless, boring, ill thought out articles (especially ones with grammar, spelling, and spacing errors) will cause subscribers to lose interest in the publication. Sending quality content confirms that you are an expert in your field and will help build trust within your subscriber list. Once trust is established, eNewsletter patrons will become promising leads down the road. It does take time - sometimes as long as a year - to get payback from this mode of email marketing. Be patient, it's worth it if you persevere. It's all about building your reputation as a dependable expert in your field.

Build Your List- Although buying a list of email addresses may seem like an easy way to get high readership, it can often be a waste of time and money. Depending on the quality of the list, those email addressees may not be interested in your area of expertise and most will disregard your messages. You can build a qualified prospect base by building a list of email addresses organically. Start by advertising your newsletter and its topics through Google. Starting a Google Adwords campaign is a great way to get sign-ups. Also, be sure to mention your newsletter in all marketing materials and press releases. Last but not least, include Subscribe boxes on every page of your site for easier sign-ups.

Give it Away- It is easier to get someone's attention when a prize is involved. Offering a free prize or entrance in a drawing is a proven way to build a successful email list faster.

Test it- Don't forget to run an internal test blast before the real thing. Always proof and test send your newsletters and email blasts. A broken link, poor formatting, or misspellings could discredit you and your organization.