The same way a pilot runs through a checklist prior to take-off, a savvy email marketer will ensure that his or her campaigns are checked prior to clicking the "send" button. Here are some key items for your "email marketing checklist."
1 - From Field - Together with the subject line, this is the main driver that ensures a high open rate. If people know your business name, then make sure it appears in the from field and if they only know your name, then that must appear there. Avoid email addresses such as "info@mycompany.com" - people like to receive emails from people, not "infos."
2 - Subject Line - If the subject line can't answer the WIIFM question (What's In It For Me?), then the email will not be opened. What's more inviting to read?
- October Newsletter
or
- Secrets to Running Effective Meetings
Guess which newsletter has the higher open rate?
3 - CAN-SPAM Compliance - CAN SPAM is the acronym for the set of federal laws that govern commercial email messages. There are several items that if not followed, put you in breach of the law.
4 - Irrelevant or Infrequent Emails - If the email is not relevant to recipients, it irritates and has the opposite effect of the intended communication. Make the content interesting to your readers. Further, sending emails infrequently or too often also increases opt-outs (people asking to be removed from your distribution list).
5 - No Call to Action - Tell your readers what to do. You can ask them to click on a link, download a document, call you, visit you or make a donation. If you don't have a call to action, you will not know the impact of the email.
6 - Appearance and Copy - In today's online world, where people have the attention span of a gnat, grabbing their attention is crucial. Only by presenting a professional looking and well written message will you keep their attention. A sloppy presentation and weak copy can only diminish your readers' perception of your business.
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