Email is a popular way to reach large audiences because the cost is so much less expensive than printed direct mail alternatives. However, this fact has given rise to over crowded inboxes, fake addresses, spam filters and blacklists. To be effective with email marketing, you need to prepare, execute and follow up just as carefully as you would with a more expensive advertising campaign.
The most critical element to any email marketing program is your list, which is the collection of email addresses you’ve acquired for the purpose of messaging to them. While there are places that will sell or rent third party lists to you, these are usually of limited effectiveness because the recipients are not already familiar with you and will therefore likely treat any email they receive from you as spam or Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE). Sending email to people who haven’t already given you express permission to do so can cause you to run afoul of legislation like CAN-SPAM, and cause more headaches than any value you might get from the campaign.
Because of the need to get recipients’ permission before you email them, an email blast is not well suited for acquiring new customers who have never interacted with you before. Instead, email is better suited for warm leads who have already expressed an interest in you, and for keeping in touch with previous, existing or even recently lapsed customers to retain their ongoing interest. For this reason, it is best to build your own email list and continue to refine it over time. Another option is to work with an affiliate who can promote you to their own email list.
Of course, the other basic element to an effective email campaign is the content. No one wants to receive a message in their inbox that is irrelevant, confusing, or just plain boring. Most recipients even use systems and providers that prevent email from even showing up in their inbox if the content looks too much like spam, and this can cause Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block any future messages sent from your domain. So it is essential to know how to write content that is not only compelling but also avoids some of the common pitfalls that can cause problems down the road.
There are seven steps to follow to be effective with email marketing.
- Build your list
- Segment your list
- Plan your calendar
- Write relevant content
- Send with care
- Analyze your results
- Scrub your list
Growing your email subscription list and communicating meaningfully with your audience is a key step in developing an ongoing relationship with them, and cultivating their loyalty to your brand, product or cause.
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