Image thanks to nickobec

Want better email marketing? Email can be a disaster (spam), or it can be a great marketing tool.

Use it correctly, and you can get great results, at a relatively low cost.

Use it poorly, and your name is mud. Here are five tips to improve your email marketing campaigns.

None of them are hard and none of them take a lot of time to set up. You can start using them today.

Include a forward to a friend link

Encourage the subscribers you have to pass your newsletter on to their friends and colleagues.  Since it comes from a friend, the email is more likely to be opened.  Links are OK, but avoid forms, as there’s a potential for spamming.

Add a personal touch to your newsletters

For instance, John Jantsch always includes a book and an album (is that still the right word when everything is digital?) he likes.

Multiple subscription options

If you have more than one newsletter, offer readers the option of selecting which newsletters they get.  Have a separate list for special discounts (and first notice of new products).

Don’t overdo the promotion

Your readers signed up to get information.  Keep everything in balance.  If your newsletter is about photography, have two or three articles about photography, and then a link to your new “better portrait photography” ebook.

Link to articles or posts on your blog

Your email newsletter readers may not see your blog. Send them a link to a relevant post. Or, offer the option to get a weekly blog digest by email.