But only if the message is well-structured and looks good...
Did you get that?
Even if the content quality is off the chart but the structure, formatting or readability aren't up to scratch... itgets trashed. Pronto. I like professional.
Your readers are customers (they consume your information and you want them to continue reading).
Your message content is a product.
So, the former certainly deserves respect from the latter. Quality.
I've received all types of email that couldn't be opened, didn't show the images or included lines that went off the page, lines that were missing, broken links, terrible spelling, etc. And there's only one place for email like that, right? The trash bin. There's a potential buyer lost.
Use these 6 best-practice tips and you'll be marked out as a quality email marketer (they'll greatly increase your email click-through rate, too).
1. Never buy a list... always build your own
No matter how cheap. Spam complaints can kill your email marketing capability. Communicating with someone who hasn't asked for your information is such a 'throw enough at the wall and let's see what sticks' approach, it's pointless... particularly as you don't truly know their interest.
Building your own list may take a little longer but through judicious use of free offers, autoresponder services and useful content, you'll increase your list of readers rapidly. You've heard the term, "the money is in the list". It's true, as long as you have a real list of potential buyers.
2. Make your message stand out with your subject line
With so many messages, information and applications competing for attention on the desktop, don’t waste your readers’ time. Your recipient may only ever see your subject line before deciding to read your message or not, so you can’t afford to waste time. Get your message opened! Make sure that your email shows right away why it's worth reading.
Some marketers use a short table of contents to help recipients decide whether they should read on or not. If the email client (software) uses preview panes, which only show the first few message lines, you can see the purpose behind this choice.
3. Make sure everyone can open and read your message
Don't be seduced into sending HTML email. Just don't! Look, I know it looks great when it works but you can't guarantee it will look the same to all recipients. With everything from Yahoo!, Gmail, AOL, Windows Live/Hotmail, MS Outlook, Apple Mail, Opera and other email clients to cater for, is it worth the risk? In a word, no!
I absolutely hate it when HTML email is all over the page. Misaligned or non-existent images (image blocking is common) and broken links are the major culprits. This leaves your HTML message looking very un-professional. Plus you'll need to include a "click here if you can't see or read this message" link! In doing this, you've already accepted a certain percentage of your list won't be able to read your message. Hmmm. Maximize opportunity and don't allow 'slippage'.
4. Formatting is crucial to enticing people to read on
If your message isn't easy on the eye, forget about links being clicked. The best way to make certain all recipients get the same, readable message is to use Windows NotePad. I know, I know, it's a simple program... but that's the point. The clue is to have only ASCII characters (trust me on that one) and no more than 60 characters per line in your message (some say 55 or 65 but I find 60 is optimum).
What do you mean 'Word-wrap'? Seriously, that's a no-no. Lines stretch the page and make it look unsightly (in some email readers, text even disappears) and, worse, any links you entered in a word-wrapped line won't be linked. So be sure to enter your links in full, like this - http://www.yoursite.com. You'll thank me for it later!
Length of message is also a success factor. There are two schools of thought on this, though; keep it short (300-400 words), or make the message a story and go long. I prefer short and sweet. After all, if your recipient gets bored before you've convinced her to click a link for more information, you won't have a sale, will you? If you insist on going long, make sure it's a riveting story that emulates the long sales page. But I don't believe an email message is the correct medium for the long sales page. The message should make you want to read a sales page on a web site.
Plus, check everything; spelling, grammar and working links.
5. Focus your message on one product or service
A poorly focused message will almost guarantee your recipient doesn't respond at all. Offering a range of products in the same message actually defeats the object of sending it.
A potential buyer needs a well-thought out message, which gives a reason to click the link for more information with the call to action. You, the email marketer, can only achieve this goal by keeping the potential buyer's mind on one product.
Your message objective, then, is to provide information that will 'presell'. So when your recipient does click the link, she is in the best state of mind to receive the sales message... a focused state.
Also, putting too many links that lead to the same page looks... well, desperate. People know what a link is for. If they like what you have to say, they'll click. Generally, 2-3 is enough.
6. Get the contact frequency right
Frequency of contact can be a tricky area. Over-contact can lead to someone unsubscribing from your list. Under-contact can lead to someone not remembering who you are or why you are contacting them, because they've forgotten the reason they subscribed (and don't be afraid to remind them in each message).
"But, how many times do I need to hear from you?"
Here's a good rule of thumb when, a) offering a 7-day email course, clearly one message a day is expected (unless you've stated 7-part with a different frequency) and, b) sending a series of unrelated messages, setup your autoresponder to send one every day for the first three messages and after that 1-2 times per week.
Remember, most people won't buy from you until they've received at least 7 messages.
Think about your content and give special thought to this area.
Finally, test everything. Take a look at Campaign Monitor to get the latest statistics on email usage and trends.
Chin chin!
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