Too many people reject the idea of email marketing because they have a close mental association between it and email spam. You should work toward creating email campaigns which the customer not only enjoys looking at, but will also act upon. For great ideas on how to accomplish this, read on.
Don’t use images for important information in email marketing. Most email clients that are out these days will filter out images automatically. Your message will become impossible to read if the images are not displayed correctly. Use clear, plain text to convey the most important information, and use descriptive alt tags for any images that you include.
Use A/B testing to see which emails are successful and which ones aren’t. Pick one email message, divide up your mailing list in two and send them out with the different subject lines. This allows you to determine which subject lines are successful and which ones are simply ignored.
Always obtain a customer’s permission before you start sending them emails. If you send anyone messages without their consent, they may complain that you are spamming them and will not look at your email. If many people view your emails as spam, they will start to opt out and perhaps even report you to their ISP.
One of the things that you could do to get a list of people that you could send emails to is by having an option for them to sign up on your mailing list. Provide links and sign up boxes on your website, social media and even on email receipts.
Make sure that your website has multiple links where a visitor can subscribe, but don’t do it in a way that will cause them to feel pressured. You need to make it clear to potential subscribers that you will not sell or rent their information to third parties and that there is something in it for them, if they sign up. Customer information is the lifeblood of any successful email marketing campaign, after all.
View your emails on different platforms to see how they look. Once you’ve perfected your design, test it across many platforms and systems. An email will look much different when viewed in Gmail than it does in Microsoft Outlook, for example.
Do not limit your email messages to a simple sales pitch. Emails should be newsletters that carry pertinent information about your niche, the industry or your business. By using only a sales pitch, you will turn off potential customers and they will most likely unsubscribe from your email list in dissatisfaction. Though the ultimate purpose of the newsletter format is to make sales, it is important to offer customers something more than just blatant selling tactics.
When following up with new customers, send them an email containing an endorsement. Use the message to tell them about a special offer or other benefit they can receive right now. A link at the end to quickly order would be prudent.
If your company already has a certain brand associated with it, be sure the emails utilize that branding. It is important that all your emails use the same format, logo and color scheme. If your prior business and marketing efforts have built you a trustworthy reputation, feel free to make use of it by tying your new email to your recognizable brand.
Be considerate of your consumers and always ask for their permission before adding them to your company’s email list. People may just consider you as a spammer if you do not do this, and that will make them ignore and delete your emails. Even worse, when your email provider collects so many spam complaints about you, they could cut you off for failing to abide by their spam policies.
Do not send emails out without having the recipient grant their permission. Cluttered inboxes full of unwelcome offers can be annoying to most people. Sending mail that is unwanted can really harm your business. Keep your relationship with your customers positive with honest, permission-based marketing efforts.
Ensure you do not add an email address to your email address list unless you have authorization from the person to whom it belongs. Many people will regard such actions as a betrayal of trust and may cease to be clients. Others who have opted in may also be put off by these actions. You will find perhaps you may be banned from sending emails.
Try sending follow-up emails to new clients with a coupon offer. Put a link to the coupon inside the email, so that the client has to visit your website to get his special offer. Use the ending of the email to remind them that they have a chance for big savings if they check out your special offers or coupons.
Proofread your emails before you send them out. You need to make sure all emails and newsletters are correct. Prior to message distribution, test email layouts so you know for sure that all the text and elements show up in your preferred way. Additionally, if you incorporate links within your message, test them for functionality.
On your opt-in form on your website, give details about what you will send to subscribers and how often you will send it. Display your intentions to your customers. Detail the frequency and the general make-up they can expect of your future email transmissions. This helps to avoid surprising your new subscribers with the content or quantity of your emails.
Every email you send should have a convenient link that allows them to opt out of receiving further messages. You do have to pay for email marketing, but it is cheap. Not only that, blowback and negative attention spammers get are terrible for the company’s business and can ultimately result in black listings or blocks.
Your audience must be your focus as you take the knowledge you’ve gained from this article and build it into a campaign. Consider what will appeal to them visually. Think about what they would like to read. What will it take for you to convert those thoughts into sales opportunities? Apply what you’ve learned here, and start building your business.
