New business owners are often unaware that there is a level of etiquette that must be applied to an email marketing campaign. Keeping your email communications professional is key to building strong relationships with your customers. Below, you will find some helpful tips on email marketing etiquette.
Make sure that your customers give you permission before sending them correspondences via email. Without permission, you run the risk of losing potential customers and being labeled a spammer. In addition, you could find yourself blacklisted by an ISP, which can be catastrophic for your business.
The best time to take advantage of your email marketing list is during holidays and other special times of year. Plan for these by using a yearly calendar so you are always prepared. Create relevant campaigns for special retail holidays like Valentine’s day or Christmas, or any other crucial dates. You can also encourage sales at otherwise slow timed with increased marketing.
Personalize your emails to current customers. You can notify your customers about discounts or sales. Let subscribers know when you have new products in which they may be interested based on their purchasing history. A customer that trusts you enough to purchase once will be more likely to purchase again.
Do not send emails that use images to convey the most important information. Some modern email clients might automatically revert to a format that doesn’t display images. Image-heavy messages may appear unattractive or unreadable if the client does not display the graphics. Always use clear text for crucial parts of the newsletter, and include descriptive alt tags for images in case some readers cannot see them.
Avoid sending more than one marketing email per week. Most of your customers probably receive multiple emails each day, and are too busy to constantly open message after message. By bombarding them with multiple emails, they may quickly begin to disregard your messages without even reading them.
Target your audience. As you increase your readership, encourage your subscribers to have their friends opt-in to receive your emails, too. You should imbed a subscribe link within your email. If your customers are forwarding your emails to friends, these friends may be intrigued by your offerings as well. Your customer base will grow easily and effectively.
Create email lists organically. Never purchase an email list. Use business cards to build your email lists, and use sign up forms for followers. By doing things this way, your email list will better match contacts that are likely to result in returns.
Make each message personal when using email marketing. When you sound more personal, people appreciate this and are likely to receive what you send with a more positive mindset. This can provide positive replies as well. You can further increase the impact of your emails by sending them out from someone with an important position in your company, like the president or owner.
Use A/B testing to view the subject line. Split the mailing list in half. Use a different subject line for each half of the list, while keeping the rest of the email the same. This provides a simple way of seeing which subject lines garner higher open rates and which ones were simply ignored in subscribers’ inboxes.
Be sure to keep the appearance of your emails in line with your other company communications. Use the identical color scheme already in play, and include your company logo with each and every message you send out. When you develop a positive reputation through your brand, your emails are likely to be received with higher success.
When your customers are opting in to your list, make sure you at least get their first names. By doing this, you can customize all your recipients’ emails individually in order for it to address them on a more personal note. Taking the time to address your potential customer by their name will cause you to stand out from the others.
Your messages should remain as brief and on the point as possible. Nobody will read more then a paragraph or two within your email marketing message. Everyone is busy, and no one is as interested in your viewpoints as you are. Make your point quickly and allow your reader to move on.
Stay away from including emails on your emailing database that have not been directly opted-in by the specific subscriber. Adding random emails to your list will not only draw the ire of the owner of those emails, but other customers, as well. Your email provider or web host might kick you off their service, leaving you without email or a website.
Ensure that every link in the messages you send is working and leads to the proper page. If the links don’t work, the customers are much less likely to end up on your site to make purchases. You will also lose the trust of your customers, since you are unable to provide a valid link.
Carefully select the best time to send your messages, based on the needs of your readers. Unsurprisingly, business newsletters are most successful when they are sent on business days. Leisure related emails should be sent on weekends.
The best way to avoid sending emails that are spammy is by studying spam emails firsthand. Get a free email address, post this address all over the Internet, and watch how much spam you receive. Learn from what those emails do wrong, and adjust your own email campaigns accordingly. Make yourself stand out from spam to improve your reputation.
Don’t send important information out around a major holiday. Because people are not checking email as frequently around these times, your email is more likely to be ignored. There are times, however, when this may not be true. These emails can be things about Black Friday or other holiday sales your company may be having.
This article has shown you that it is necessary to have the right etiquette when it comes to email marketing. If you’re not polite with customers, they will unsubscribe from your list. Use the tips you have just read to send out the best emails possible.
