5 Tips for More Successful Email Marketing Campaigns

It’s Not About Perfection: Many of us believe that it’s better to have 100 or more emails before starting an email campaign. I’m here to tell you it’s not true; don’t wait! The number of emails on your list can grow later; the key is to start an email campaign now. Think of how many friends, family and customers you currently have and start there. You can always add a box to your email campaign where your receipients can click, “forward to a friend.” That’s how you can add more emails to your campaign list. As your list gets larger, you can segment your customers into the different services you offer. The bottom line is that you do one thing; take action by hitting the send button!

Follow the Rules: When gathering your email contacts for your campaign, make sure you get the permission, explicit permission. If there is no relationship with an email address on your list, work to develop one, but do not include that person in your current email campaign. This is called “spamming.”

Now you may be thinking, what about that business card you received from someone you just met, but forgot to ask if you could add them to your email list? Should you include them in your current campaign? I’m not a lawyer; however, normal protocol is that you can add them to your list. Why? Simply because when someone hands you their business card, his/her email address is published in the act of your exchange (note: the email address must be listed on the business card). So technically you can; however, it doesn’t mean the person who gave you their business card will be happy about getting your email. That’s important. Be smart, unless there is a stronger relationship and you actually asked for permission, do not add them to your email campaign. You will have a better response if your email list includes contacts who gave you “explicit” permission, meaning that person has agreed to receive information from you and expects to; you have their permission. If you are not sure whether to email a contact or not, ask yourself two questions:

1) Does this person know you?
2) Does this person really care about my product or service?

If the answer to the questions above are no, then get that email address off your campaign list. It’s best to “court” that contact a bit longer to determine any further interest in your product or service. (Click here for more information on the law with the Federal Trade Commission: http://bit.ly/sxFJR)

Make a Connection: In your email campaign, specifically the email itself, a good rule of thumb is to talk about what the customers want to hear, not what you want to tell them. If you know your customers, then jump in their shoes, and offer the most compelling offer that is of value to you from that perspective. That will be your answer. If your do not know your customers, get a survey done as soon as possible, and get to know them a little better. Constant Contact (www.constantcontact.com) offers a 60-day FREE trial to develop a survey and send one out to your customer base to become more acquainted with them. I don’t get paid for saying this; I simply believe they have a great service.

Timing is Important: After making a connection, know the best time to reach your customer before you send out your campaign email. You want your customers to be at their computers, not at lunch, and not when they are home sleeping. For business people, a good time to send your email is Tuesday to Thursday from 10 a.m.–12:00 and 1:30-3:30 p.m. It’s not in the morning rush when your customer or prospect gets to his/her computer, and it’s not at lunch time.

Keep It Simple: I believe in brevity here. It’s a good idea to keep your message and service offering easy to understand, not too wordy, very precise. Have your email answer the following: who, what, where, when, and why? Make your VOICE consistent and familiar to your customers. Don’t be afraid to add a little punch to your words, and make sure that your words are not too flowery that the message or offer is lost. For the most part, it’s not about how beautiful your words are here, it’s about how clear your language is for your customer to comprehend, easily and effortlessly. Your goal is to make it easy for your customers to stand by you for years to come.

I hope this sheds a bit of light on a few areas that I found helpful myself.

Remember, don’t forget to ask for permission the next time your handed a business card!

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