4 Quick Email Marketing Tips

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Jodi Kaplan

Improving your email newsletter doesn’t have to require a major overhaul.

Sometimes, tweaking a few small things can make a big difference in the results you get.

The important thing is to make your newsletter easier to read, more interesting, and less overwhelming.

Keep it simple

Cut the content and the clutter. Many email newsletters try to cover every single thing the company has done since the last newsletter (up to an entire month’s worth!).

The trouble is that five or six articles can be overwhelming and intimidating. Rather than throw in everything you can think of, reduce the newsletter to one featured article and two smaller, shorter ones.

Break up the content

Big blocks of text are hard to read online. They’re even harder to read on cell phones, and since more and more traffic is mobile these days you need to keep that in mind when you create your newsletters.

Check to see how many people are reading your newsletter on mobile. If it’s a large percentage, make sure your newsletter is formatted in a why that’s easy to read on phones.

Break up your paragraphs into bite-sized pieces. In a text-only message, highlight headlines or breaks with asterisks or dashes.

Test the subject lines

If your list is big enough, try testing subject lines. Send out a small sample with two different headlines and see which has a higher open rate (how many people opened your email) and click through rate ((how many people clicked on one of the links in your message).

Check your stats

Turn on link tracking in AWeber (or whatever email service you use) to see which emails are the most popular. Track the open rate , click through rate, and click rates for each link.

Which links convert the best? The first one? The last? And which wording did best?

Image thanks to ilco

How to Put Your Email Marketing on Automatic Pilot

Posted on March 31, 2010 by Jodi Kaplan

Image via Wikipedia

In yesterday’s cliffhanger, I promised to tell you how to automatically send email mails and market to your readers without lifting a finger. You set it up once, and then let it run all by itself.

The secret?

Email marketing autoresponders.

What exactly is an email autoresponder anyway?

An auto-responder is an email (or a series of emails) you write and schedule in advance. Once they’re written and set up in your email service provider, they go out automagically when a new person subscribes.

You can write as many (or as few as you like). You can even add to them over time.

How to use email marketing autoresponders

Welcome new subscribers to your newsletter

When someone signs up to your newsletter, use an autoresponder message to welcome them. Tell them a bit about what your content will be, and give them a sample. A follow-up automatic message could ask for feedback on the newsletter, if they have any questions, etc.

Teach something

Or, you could develop an e-course, with a series of lessons teaching your readers how to do something.

You can also create a series of inside tips, such as “cheats” for your video game, or how to use your software.

Prepare them for a long-term goal

This could be a series of tips on how to prepare for a big life change or reach a goal. For instance, a series of tips on getting ready to run your first marathon, with exercises, distances to run, the best shoes, what to eat, and so on.

Or, it could be a life change, such as relocating to a new country. You could send a series of emails on packing, getting visas and documents, finding a new school, taxes, moving companies, etc.

Segment your audience

Another option is several separate series of emails designed for your different audiences. This can be based on different levels of expertise, varying interests, or different life stages.

For example, if you run a photography blog you might set up an autoresponder series for beginners, another for gadget lovers, and a third for professionals. Or, you might separate it by different types of photography: food, portraits, landscape, etc.

What other uses can you think of?

The Worst Way to Grow Your Email List

Posted on March 25, 2010 by Jodi Kaplan

Yesterday Chris Brogan wrote a post asking people to stop adding him to their newsletters without his consent. He pointed out that the fact that you sent him an email once, and he answered it, doesn’t count as permission. It’s just about the worst email marketing mistake you can make.

Ironically, as I was writing this post, an email popped up in my inbox. It was from someone who spoke at an event I attended. We never had a personal conversation. She doesn’t know who I am. Yet, she felt it was OK to contact everyone at the event and try to sell her services. That’s not marketing; that’s spamming. And, it’s the worst way to grow your email list.

There are much better ways to grow your email list.

Use double opt-in

This means you ask for the email address, send a confirmation link, and don’t add someone to your list until after they confirm that they want your messages. It can all easily be done automatically (with AWeber or another service).

Contact people when it helps them

For example, if you met someone at a meeting who wanted a referral, by all means send it.

Or, send an email if you come across something that will interest them. If you talked about Legos and you see there’s an exhibit of Lego art in town send them the information.

Bonus tip: If you keep doing this (sending relevant and interesting information) they’re far more likely to like, trust, and hire you.

Behave the way you would in person

Be considerate. You wouldn’t drive up to a stranger’s house and expect them to lend you money, would you?

Show that you listened to what they said when you spoke. Mention something you discussed, and how much you enjoyed talking to them.

Do it shortly after the event, not months later (when they won’t remember you).

Make it easy to unsubscribe

A bit earlier in the day, Direct magazine reported the results of a study which found that 39% of emailers require three or more clicks to unsubscribe! And 30% send one or emails following that unsubscribe request!

Yes, it’s technically legal to email people without express permission. It is not legal to keep emailing them (at least in the US) after they opt-out. You do have 10 days to remove the name, but it really shouldn’t take that long.

Treat opt-outs with respect

People will always unsubscribe for various reasons. When they do, make it easy. Don’t make them go through three clicks, or wind their way through a confusing menu of options. One click, one page. And, when they go, tell them you’re sorry to see them go.

What do you think?

What are your own email pet peeves? Is unsubscribing from unwanted newsletters taking up way too much of your time? Or is it not a big problem?

Image thanks to morguefile

Which Email Marketing Metrics Really Matter?

Posted on March 8, 2010 by Jodi Kaplan

Photo compliments of: lrargerich

The other day, Rob (at Robs web tips) asked which is more important: 3,000 blog subscribers with a 10% open rate? Or 300 active subscribers who all click on your emails? What email marketing metrics should you worry about and measure?

The total number of subscribers? Is a bigger list always better than a smaller one? Or is it something else that really counts?

There’s so many different stats to watch: list size, open rate, bounces, clicks,..Which email marketing metrics and which numbers really matter?

A little marketing secret

Here’s a secret that many web marketers don’t know. Internet marketing is really “old-fashioned” direct marketing. It’s just sped up really fast (and with less paper). When all we had was snail mail, we had a general sense of deliverability (how many letters reached their destination), based on whether any of them came back with wrong addresses.

There was no way to tell who looked at the envelope, who opened it, or who read the letter. All we had to go on to tell if the mailing was a success was the number of orders we got.

Now, we can not only get that information, we can measure and track it.

The marketing metrics that matter

What really matters is not the raw numbers of subscribers, but the percentage of people who are actively interested in what you’re saying: the opens, the click through rate, and if you’re selling something, the conversion rate (percentage of sales you get).

Monitor your open rates and clicks. If they’re low, find out why.

Are you covering topics of interest to your readers? Set up a quick poll (with surveymonkey) and find out.

Do your subject lines and headlines need work?

If you’re selling something, look at the copy. Is it focused on you, or what your readers will get?

Which numbers have you been tracking on your blog or newsletter? Which ones do you think are important? Not sure? Ask in the comments.

UPDATE: For another take on this, check out Bob Poole’s post: Wrong

B2B Email Marketing: How to Stay Out of the Spam Folder

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Jodi Kaplan

This post is inspired by Bob Poole’s post yesterday (Did You Just Sucker Punch a Potential Customer?)

He compared spamming people (sending email to someone who didn’t ask for it, doesn’t want it, and doesn’t know you) to visiting a prospect and punching them in the nose when they open the door.

Not a good way to make a positive impression. And, when you’re a small business, you can’t afford that sort of mistake.

So, a few words about permission, list “rental,” list building, and how to stay out of the spam folder.

You need permission to email people

There are people (even marketing consultants) who think it’s OK to spam a big list “just once.” Or, to use a two-year-old list that they inherited from another company. I have even heard people say that it’s OK to send unsolicited emails as long as they’re text, but not HTML (huh?).

All bad ideas, and bad business email marketing.

Only use fresh email lists

Using names you got from a directory, a contact form, or a carbon copy is not permission. It’s also a waste of time and effort. The people on that directory list didn’t ask for spam, they signed up to get more visibility for their companies. You can ask people you contact you if they’d like to sign up, but don’t add them yourself. Sending marketing emails to people who were carbon copied on a project will also make you look bad.

An out-of-the-blue email from a company they never heard of will go straight to the spam folder.

CAN-SPAM doesn’t help

Yes, it’s technically legal to send email to people in the United States (but not Canada) without specific permission (the irony about CAN-SPAM is that it inadvertently created more spam).

However, the people who get it will think it’s junk. They will bounce it, mark it spam, blacklist the company that sent it, and after a while your messages won’t get through.

What do YOU do when you get email like that? Do you smile happily? Or do you hit that unsubscribe button as fast as you can?

What’s more, many people don’t see (or know about) unsubscribe options, so they hit the spam button instead. That will just make your reputation even worse.

Is a sucker punch the best way to make a good first impression? Is that the best way for a small business to run an email marketing campaign?

The truth about buying lists

Most email lists for sale are garbage. They’re often opted-in without real permission, using little pre-checked boxes on other forms (such as account signups). They offer to “send you offers from third parties.” What they really mean is that your email box will soon fill up with junk.

Plus, purchased lists are obsolete the minute you buy them. The older they get, the more out of date they will be. You’ll get more bounces, a lower delivery rate and a higher risk of being labeled a spammer.

Lists are like fish. The older they are, the more they stink.

The rented ones are better, but they’re expensive. B to B lists can be up to $350 per thousand names (minimum order 5,000 names). If someone is offering to send the list directly to you, run away.

Reputable list owners have their emails delivered by a third party. If they’re offering to send three times in one month, run even faster. That list has been burned out.

There is no such thing as a legitimate opt-in email list of 1,000,000 names for $100. They’re all lemons.

How to get permission to email

If you want to reach people, there are better ways than a sucker punch to build your list.

Here are a few of them:

Write a helpful (not a sales pitch) article in a relevant magazine or newsletter (with a link to learn more about your services).
Send out a press release.
Offer a report of some kind (for free) to build up your list
Send personal invitations to your prospects, asking if they would like to sign up (don’t sign them up yourself)

Don’t use your desktop email software

Outlook, Gmail, and Apple Mail are fine, but not for business email marketing. Use a professional email service (like AWeber or Mail Chimp). They will manage the opt-ins, opt-outs, and the bounces. You can also get tracking data (showing how many people received your email, the number of people who opened it, and how many clicked through to your web site). Plus, the delivery rate will be higher, as they’re a recognized, legitimate mailer.
There are more tips in my free Email Made Easy ebook. Download it here. No opt-in needed. Feel free to share it.

Tag Archives: email marketing campaigns