Email Marketing done the right way!

Sadly, I receive,  almost daily, an array of email marketing  junk, much of which I didn’t ask for. I didn’t subscribe or give these people permission to send me mass emails, ever! Many of us find this upsetting after a while; having our business email accounts filled with worthless junk we didn’t ask for and having to sift through our mail to find the good and important stuff.

Even more upsetting, is the fact that many of the people sending us such emails have no idea what they’re doing or how Email marketing should be done. They don’t even know what TO:, CC: or BCC: fields do. I receive emails with, in some cases, 100′s of email recipients where all our individual emails are in plain view for anyone receiving it. FYI: Anyone receiving that email can copy the list and sell it or use it for themselves! When I receive such emails, I get quite angry and reply to whoever sent it in a very rude way and tell them to REMOVE me from their list ASAP. This would not be necessary if said people knew how to properly work with Email Marketing, ie: Mass Emails.

Now that I’ve vented my frustration by putting it in writing, let’s get to how it should be done. But just before I start, allow me one more indulgence and let me at least tell these people that if they used BCC in the contact field to insert everyone’s email, no one would be able to see everyone else’s email address and copy it. It is not the case for TO or CC fields, only BCC hides the recipients email addresses.

Ouuuffff, deep breath…

Email Marketing done the right Way!

The Basics

₪First of all, the people whose emails you add to your Email Marketing list should have consented to receiving emails from you or your company, I think this goes without saying.

₪You should be clear as to what they can expect to receive; Information, Promotions, etc…

₪They should have some kind of idea as to the frequency of those emails, and if possible, give them options to receive them as they come, by weekly digest, monthly digest etc. (this last may not always be possible as it depends more often than not on what platform you use (Constant Contact, Icontact, Personal email or automated self hosted service platform).

₪It should be clear to them that you will not share, sell or use their emails for any other purpose. This can go in the Privacy Statement part of your website and at end of every email and perhaps in your initial email invitation for them to subscribe if you go that route.

₪You should give everyone an easy unsubscribe option on your website as well as within each email they receive from you. Their email should also either be automatically removed or you should do so promptly.

₪Your emails should contain no more than 3 different sections (themes, articles, promotions etc.) at a time. This does not include your welcome introduction.

₪Your content and/or promotions should be of value, well written and well presented always keeping your branding in mind.

*Click -> here to view & download CAN-SPAM Compliance Guide for Business pdf. This pdf comes from The Bureau of Consumer Protection-Business Center Website

Make your Email Marketing count

The Specifics

For quite some time now, I have been subscribed to HubSpot newsletters and find that what I have received from them was very much worth my while. What I’m going to share next are the highlights of a pdf that you can download -> here.

**Note: You will have to subscribe (free) to get the full version as I don’t have the rights to publish it in it’s entirety.

₪Define Your Objectives

• Do you want more leads?
• Do you want to inform and educate your audience?
• Do you want to renew relationships with existing clients?
• Do you want to introduce your offerings or enhance your brand and reputation?
• Do you want more sales?

₪Manage Your Lists

• How to Build Strong Contact Lists
• Should you buy a list?
• Co-Sponsored Email Marketing Opportunities
• Pulling Leads From Lead Directories and Databases
• Different Ways to Segment Your Lists
• Different Messaging for Clients and Prospects

₪Craft Compelling Content and Offers

• How to Create Valuable Content
• How to Craft Calls-to-Action That Generate Responses
• The Ever-Important Subject Line
• Should you use content from other resources?
• Keeping a Consistent Voice Throughout Your Email Marketing Content
• Optimizing Your Email’s Design and Layout for Maximum Results
• Creating an Editorial Calendar for Email Marketing Campaigns

₪Follow Email Marketing Best Practices

• How do you keep your email out of spam folders?
• What is the CAN-SPAM Act?
• What does opt-in mean?
• How often should you send emails?
• When is the best time and day of the week to send an email?

₪Choose a Professional Email Service Provider

• How can an email service provider help with your email marketing strategy?
• Things to Consider When Choosing an Email Service Provider

₪Measure Your Results

• Important Email Marketing Metrics
• Leveraging Your Email Metrics Across Other Marketing Initiatives
• Successful Subject Lines
• Popular Downloads
• Effective Calls-to-Action

₪Maximize Your Content

• On Your Website
• On Your Company Blog and Social Media Sites
• In Trade Magazines and Industry News Sites
• For Webinar Content

Happy Email Marketing trails…