Category Archives: Email Marketing

Email marketing posts show you how to build your email list, and starting email marketing campaigns without your own list. There are details on some common errors, what you can do to avoid them, and how to fix mistakes you’ve already made.

There are also posts on how to measure your email marketing results, and what metrics really matter. You may think the list size is the most important thing (but it isn’t). Getting a high rate of unsubscribes, bounces, and spam reports? Find out what to do about it.

Find out what your response rate should be and how yours compares to your industry counterparts.

Plus, posts on easy ways to improve your email design to improve readability and increase your click through rates (a metric that does matter). There are also posts with tips on how to write subject lines that sell. Since the subject line is the first thing your readers will see, it’s important to get that right!

Improve Email Marketing by Planting Seeds

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Jodi Kaplan

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We usually think of seeds as something we plant in a garden. There’s another kind of seed you may not know about. And, you can use it to improve your email marketing.

In direct marketing (paper!) seeds are names you add to make sure your mailing gets delivered. If you don’t get your “seed” mailing when you should, it’s time to check on your campaign.

How to use email seeds

The same principle works for email too. Add your own email address to your newsletter sign up list. If you set up an email broadcast and nothing happens, you know something went wrong. Once, I thought I had scheduled something (and didn’t set it up properly). When no email showed up, I went to check and realized what had happened.

Bonus tip: if you’re setting a broadcast up in advance, set an alarm to alert you when it’s supposed to go out.

Place seeds on several email services

Add one or addresses on Yahoo!, Google, and Hotmail. Send a few test messages to yourself at those addresses. This checks several things: one, whether they’re delivered; two, how they look; and three, whether they get sent to the spam folder. Naturally, if your message is stuck in a filter, nobody will see it, or read it, pulling down your opens, clicks, and response rates.

So, go plant some seeds.

How to Write Email Newsletters That Work

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Jodi Kaplan

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I signed up to a top, brand-name newsletter a few months ago. The blogger’s posts were really helpful, and I thought that his newsletter would be too.

It turned out to be useless. The newsletter was composed entirely of links back to that week’s posts. There was no extra value to subscribing at all. I could have just used an RSS feed and gotten the exact same content.

It felt as if he couldn’t be bothered to spend a few extra minutes to create something special (and incidentally nurture his email list).

Send your readers fresh content

If you want people to read your newsletter, tell them something extra. Give them articles you don’t post on your blog. Or, add additional links or resources that they can’t find easily elsewhere.

If you don’t have fresh content, curate some useful tools or links (not necessarily your own). Group them together with a theme, such as “15 web design hacks” or “5 expense tracking tools.”

Give subscribers special treatment

For instance, when I publish a free ebook, I offer it to my newsletter subscribers first. That gives them a chance to look it over before anyone else sees it. If you create a new course (paid or not), or schedule a webinar, tell your readers first.

This serves two purposes: first you have a chance to get feedback and update the course or product based on what your subscribers think; second, your subscribers will feel special because they’re first in line for new products.

Offer your readers bonuses and extra goodies

Another tactic is to put together special discounts or offers that aren’t available to the general public. Send an email offering a deal on your ebook or services. Or, arrange to offer them an extra bonus or discount on someone else’s product.

Five Essential Pieces Every Email Newsletter Needs

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Jodi Kaplan

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Image by Horia Varlan via Flickr

Even in these days of RSS, Twitter, Facebook, and social media, the “old-fashioned” email newsletter is still a reliable way to connect with your readers, build your tribe, and sell your products.

In order to do that, you’ll need to follow these five essential steps.

1) Reflect your brand

Put your logo on it. Or your smiling face. Use the company colors. I like to keep mine fairly simple (so that it’s readable both on phones and computers), just my face, the copy, and some HTML links. This also helps keep it out of spam filters.

2) Short copy

One or two “screen scrolls” should do it. Don’t write five printed out pages of text. It’s too hard to read. Keep it short, personal, and chatty. My newsletters are about two paragraphs (plus links back to the blog and an occasional P.S.). Quick, short, and easy-to-digest.

3) Minimal Images

Too many places to look gets confusing. Readers are drawn to images — too many and they don’t know where to look first. This can also be another spam trigger. Keep the layout linear – don’t jump all over the place – it’s too hard to follow.

4) Consistent calls to action

Hold off on the call to action until you’ve explained the benefits of whatever you want the reader to do. Some need more information than others, but don’t make it the first or second sentence. Click here now (why? I don’t know what I’m getting into yet). Keep the call to action consistent – use the same wording and anchor text (the text that shows up in the link rather than the url).

5) Answer readers’ questions

Think about what concerns your readers may have. Are they worried about the price? The quality? Getting a refund if something goes wrong? That the product will be hard to use? If they worry about price, point out what a great value it is. If they’re concerned they won’t be happy, emphasize your great guarantee. If they think it’s hard, include testimonials from happy customers showing how easy it is to use.

Five Ways to Stop Your Email Subscribers From Leaving

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Jodi Kaplan

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If you’re building an email list (and don’t forget to build your list and back it up regularly) you want to make sure that subscribers don’t leave. Email can be one of your most profitable marketing channels. You worked hard to get those signups, and you definitely don’t want to lose them after all that effort.

How to reduce email unsbscribes

While you can’t prevent all email unsubscribes, and some email list churn is inevitable, there are a few things you can do to reduce the number of people who unsubscribe from your email list.

1) Be upfront about how often you will email them

If you promise to email once a week, but start sending twice a day, your subscribers will get frustrated, and annoyed, and leave. Don’t send long newsletters if you promised short ones (or vice versa).

2) Tailor your newsletters to your audience

If they signed up for information about yak shaving, send that. If they wanted gardening and landscaping tips, send information about caring for azaleas.

If you have different groups of people, or businesses, on your list, and it’s big enough, separate your messages. Send tips about the azaleas to the home gardening folks and information about new tree care tools to the arborists.

3) Stick to one theme per newsletter

It can get confusing if you’re talking about flowers one minute, then going on to protecting your bird feeder from squirrels, and then on to lawn care.

4) Ask for feedback

Invite them to ask questions, give feedback, and talk to you. Include a note at the bottom inviting feedback, and promising that all replies go to your personal inbox. Send out a survey every once in a while asking them what they like best (more azaleas!), and least (fewer squirrels – it’s hopeless!).

5) Get permission

Don’t sign people up because you met them at an event, exchanged business cards, or sent them some promotional material. These are some of the worst ways to grow your newsletter. Plus, people who got on your list without consent are more likely to leave (and leave quickly).

5 Email Marketing Myths: Busted?

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Jodi Kaplan

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This post was inspired by a recent post on Problogger written by Georgina Laidlaw, Darren’s content manager.

She decided to do a split test of two emails, and what she found busted some common email marketing myths.

Do you follow these common rules (that aren’t necessarily true)?

Five email marketing myths

Here are the myths:

1) use call to action links
2) sell the customer before they’ll click
3) offer a discount
4) drive readers to action
5) use bold, bullets, and subheads to make your message easy to scan

Myth #1: Use call to action links

This means using words such as “order now”, “click here” – as a link vs. a link with the name of the product or other information. I would use both. See which kind gets more clicks, and then repeat that in the next email. And make sure it’s clearly a link – make it a different color or underline it, or put it on its own line (if you’re doing text emails).

Myth #2: Sell the customer before they’ll click

Where should the first link to the product be? In the fifth paragraph? Or near the beginning? Put both in. Some readers are convinced to learn more after reading a few lines. Others need more information.

Myth #3: The subject line must offer a discount

A discount isn’t the first thing people want – unless they’re sitting with credit card in hand, ready to buy that exact item. If I sent an email selling pink snow boots at 25% off it wouldn’t do much good – unless I absolutely knew that my audience was ready to buy pink snow boots. If they’re men, or hate pink, or live someplace without much snow, it won’t matter how big a discount I offer – it will be irrelevant.

Myth #4 -Drive readers to action

Yelling at people definitely doesn’t work. Instead, build a picture in their minds of what they’ll get from using/buying your product. Explain the problem, and how your service is a solution.

Myth #5 – Bold fonts, bullets, and subheads equal easy to read

What’s important is to break up the text. Long paragraphs are hard to read online. I agree about the bullets – do use them – and put the important words at the beginning. Use action words (such as achieve, master, learn).

What do you think? Are these really myths? Has she busted them? Do you think they would be effective with your emails?