Frequent interaction with clients or customers is a vital part of establishing an Internet presence. You can accomplish this through email marketing campaigns. Here are some excellent ways to use email marketing effectively.
Develop a consistent format and schedule for your marketing emails. By doing this, your customers will learn when and what to expect. Find a professional template that suits your business and used it every time. Alert your customers to the most relevant information at the beginning of the email.
Even though it should be obvious, it is important enough to state over and over: Never send unsolicited emails. You should have explicit permission from everyone you send marketing emails to. This is about more than trying not to upset them; a recipient who considers your email spam can cause trouble for you with your service provider.
Try different email formats. The beginning of your emails should include new information and offers. Though, it’s important to try our various styles to see which types have the best response. When you have a layout that is very effective, stick with it. This will help your customers know what to expect from you and know where to look for the information they want to read more about.
If you have images or graphics, put them on the left side of the email message. Make sure that your call to action element is always on this side. Research has documented that this location produces almost double the number of clicks to your product, service or website than placing these elements anywhere else does.
Don’t use too many graphics in email marketing materials. Many email readers block graphics, causing some people to miss the information which is not available in text format. As well, emails that are heavily laden with graphics are often seen as junk or spam mail by email programs, meaning your email could land in a junk folder very easily.
Do what you can to make your email go into your customers’ inboxes. You must work to get your email to pass ISPs and not get tagged as spam messages. If they get tagged as spam messages, your recipient may never see them. Check with customers to see if they are getting your emails, or if they’re no longer interested.
To make a clear and memorable impact with every email, keep your marketing messages short and sweet. Every email should have a very clear message and should only include information, media and links that are completely relevant to that message. A succinct but convincing email will be easier for your readers to absorb than a windy message that tries to force too many points.
Do not send any emails that use images to get critical information across. A lot of email clients will block images right away. This could possibly make for ugly messages or ones that are unreadable if they rely too much on images. Put information that is the most relevant in text and use alt tags for images.
To avoid complications resulting from being identified as a spammer, notify your ISP of your email marketing intentions in advance. If any unhappy reader ever reports you, this will give your ISP the head’s up that your marketing efforts are legitimate. Your ISP may also be able to suggest an upgraded account that eases your email marketing operations.
You may find that it is a good idea to devote a small portion of every marketing email you send out to briefly reviewing what your subscribers can expect from you. By demonstrating that you have a plan for your emails and you are sticking to it, you can encourage your readers’ trust and make them less likely to grow tired of your messages.
Allow for conversation through your email marketing message campaign. Ask questions of your subscribers, or posit thought provoking queries. The responses will make your readers feel like they are part of a relationship instead of marketing targets. The responses you get will help you know where you are going right, and you might discover useful information about your base.
Try using A/B testing for your email marketing campaign. This basically entails creating two very different versions of the same email (A and B) and sending “A” to half of a small test group and “B” to the other half. Whichever half receives the most positive response is the one that you should be using for your campaign.
Try combining your email campaigns with the major social networking giants that include Facebook and Twitter. Customers can share your information with their friends this way and you will be able to expand your email list by engaging your social network visitors and getting them interested in your content.
A sound marketing strategy is key to business success. Email marketing campaigns have become essential tools in today’s marketing environment. Use what you’ve learned in the above article to make your business successful and profitable.