Dos And Don'ts For An Effective Email Marketing Campaign

Even if you are frequently sending email marketing campaigns it is easy to forget some of the basic principles of a successful campaign. Whether you are new to email marketing or just need a little reminder, here are some of the main dos and donts when it comes to planning your next campaign.

DON'T
Spam this is very important not only for the success of your marketing strategy but also for legal reasons. You must ensure that your recipients have opted in to receiving your email and ensure there is an unsubscribe option at the bottom of every email. There is little point in spending time and money sending emails to those who are not interested.

Waffle no one wants to sift through an essay of an email in order to find the information they need so keep your copy concise and to the point.

Use symbols graphics such as and $ as replacements for words will not entice your reader and do not portray the professional image you want.

Overload plan the dates of your campaigns carefully. If you are sending a business-to-business campaign is there a quiet time of the week your recipient will likely read your email such as a Tuesday morning? For business-to-customer campaigns perhaps a weekend email will be more appropriate? Make sure you dont irritate your recipient by swamping them with constant emails.

DO
Personalise address your recipient with a personal greeting such as Dear Jo or Hello Simon. This way they will know it is intended for them.

Call to action instruct your reader of what you would like them to do after reading your email. Do you want them to click here to visit your website or call to place an order?

Grab attention use enticing language in the subject line and initial paragraph.

Speak to the recipient imagine you are talking directly to your customer and use words like you and your so they understand how your products or services will benefit them personally.
Be consistent send your emails at regular intervals and with running themes so that your reader becomes familiar with your campaign and knows when to expect it.

Name the sender include your name or your company name in the sender line so that your recipient knows who the email is from and whether or not they should open it.

Use graphics create an eye-catching email with a professional look and feel using email marketing software that offers easy-to-use templates.

Track your results record the success of your campaign using email marketing software to see who has opened your emails and what they have looked at.