The DO’s and DONT’s of Email Marketing

Email marketing can be tricky. The last thing you want to do is send something that is meant to promote your services and convey your expertise, but instead seems like spam or just another junk mail. Marketing your business through email blasts to potential clients is a very valuable tool but you have to go into it with a strategy.

Create an Email Theme

A cohesive theme to your emails is important. Maybe you are establishing yourself as an expert in your industry, and will present a short informative opinion piece each month. Maybe you’ll present “Top Tens” each week, or you’ll let people know about upcoming events in your industry, making you a go-to for this type of information. Just promoting your services isn’t enough– the emails should have a what’s-in-it-for-me aspect for the recipient. Even if they don’t sign on for your services or buy your product right away, if the content has some value for them, they’re likely to open more emails in the future and begin to think of your brand name, or you individually, as a solid knowledge source.

How Often to Send An Email

You may decide to send an email once or twice a month to the same group of people, or break down a big list into once a week emails and then a follow-up phone call and mailing, making the email just one step in a larger marketing strategy. Don’t bombard people’s inboxes– think about how often you have pertinent information to give out, and what makes sense for your target market.

A Good Subject Line is Key

Don’t underestimate the power of the subject line– it has the capacity to determine whether the email will get opened or moved directly to the trash. It needs to be interesting, but not promise something outlandish that you can’t follow through on. I’ve found a great way to do this is to ask a question that presents a need. If that need is something the recipient feels, they are likely to open.

While solid content is vastly important, so is the look of the email. Too many images can seem overwhelming, while none may seem boring or empty. Think about who your audience is, and don’t be afraid to sound personal while still being clear and straightforward with what you’re conveying.

Email Marketing Software

Using an email system that tracks open rates and statistics by send is invaluable. Try testing out different subject lines and writing styles on different prospect groupings if you have a big list to work off of. Simply see which styles or subject lines get the best open rates. Once you know your open rates, identify how to make them even better. One way is to avoid using spam words, because spam filters are getting more and more sensitive. Avoid using words like “free,” “cheap,” “click here,” and “discount,” as they are spam red flags.

Multimedia is a great way to add an element of entertainment to your email. If you have a quick, pertinent video, embedding it into your email is a great idea. It usually takes a few attempts at communication with a prospect before anything really comes of your efforts. Be patient and be consistent, working to build a trust along the way by providing useful information and not being pushy.

With social media becoming more and more prominent in many communication forms, it’s important to provide links to your business or franchise social media pages. Marketing your business through email blasts to potential clients is a very valuable tool but you have to go into it with a strategy.

Even if they don’t sign on for your services or buy your product right away, if the content has some value for them, they’re likely to open more emails in the future and begin to think of your brand name, or you individually, as a solid knowledge source.

You may decide to send an email once or twice a month to the same group of people, or break down a big list into once a week emails and then a follow-up phone call and mailing, making the email just one step in a larger marketing strategy. Don’t underestimate the power of the subject line– it has the capacity to determine whether the email will get opened or moved directly to the trash. Using an email system that tracks open rates and statistics by send is invaluable.