Want to make friends and influence people with your online marketing campaign? Then remember what your mother said about being a good friend, and avoid being that dirty word of the internet, SPAM. Email marketing reaches out to new acquaintances and keeps you connected with long time associates. The rules you follow for developing, composing, and distributing email marketing are just like the ones you remember from etiquette lessons. Turns out mother was right, good manners make a difference, so do the right thing and keep your emails clean. Make these seven rules your guide for proper email marketing.
Rule One
Only Stay if Welcome
No one wants to be where they are not wanted, and no good can come from being in the wrong place, ever. Don't force yourself in, no one likes a crasher. Make sure you invite people to subscribe to your mailing list services, instead of pushing mail onto them. Ask their permission using an opt-in service. Be polite and follow-up with an email confirmation, a "double opt-in", so you are sure you're only reaching out to people who want to hear from you. You should also ask to be added to a new-comer's address book or be listed as a safe sender. Be respectful and you'll get respect.
Rule Two
Get Off to a Good Start
First impressions matter. Most people opt out of mailing lists after two months, so you have to win them over from the outset. Start by being honest and looking professional. Work with your web designer to create a format for your emails that is tailored to your needs and reflects the image your business presents. Develop a welcome email for new-comers that can be personalized, introducing your business while outlining what they can expect from your mailing list services. Be forthcoming, tell them what kinds of communications they will receive and how often.
Rule Three
Use the Personal Touch
We all want to be where everybody knows our name, feeling liked and known well by our friends. A good friend pays attention to our likes and interests, knows when to write, knows your birthday. Your web designer can help you develop personalized subject lines for your email marketing, and work with you to create automatic, timed emails and follow-up emails that are tailored to respondents.
Rule Four
Be Invaluable
A good friend is always of use. Be one of those weekly or monthly connections we can't live without. Make your email content highly relevant to those who receive it, and work to ensure the quality of your content. Provide useful information and timely products or services to stay current. You mind your business and know what's important for people to know. You also know what they want to know, so share what you know. Use your email marketing campaign to keep your subscribers in the loop. And keep your loop the loop to loop.
Rule Five
Mind Your Language
Friendly, natural communication is always best. The best way to avoid being labeled dirty and spammy is to avoid using the words they usually use. Stay with the language of your business, and work with your web designer to clear all of your content using a content checker. Keep your emails professional and on topic. Refrain from using all capital letters, and from the excessive use of the exclamation point. That means mind your tongue and KEEP YOUR TONE DOWN!!!
Rule Six
Be Prompt
Good manners are always timely. Respond to subscribers' wishes in a timely fashion. This means removing unsubscribers immediately and without hassle, as well as responding to complaints promptly and pleasantly. You also want to make sure you are easy to get in touch with, proving an email and physical address where subscribers may contact you. Have your web designer develop a method of editing subscribers' personal information, so a subscriber can access his or her listing and make changes quickly and easily.
Rule Seven
Respect Your Boundaries
A good friend knows when something is wrong and fixes it. When running an email marketing campaign, you should always stay informed about the success of the campaign, monitoring delivery percentages, response percentages, subscriber response to format, content, design. There are programs your web designer can use to track your campaign, so your email marketing is always welcome wherever it goes.
You always knew manners mattered, and in the electronic age those that respect the etiquette of old get ahead. Online, proper email marketing is a must or you might just be labeled SPAM, that dirty word no one wants to hear. You know the proper manner of marketing online. You know the rules. Mind your manners and you'll be everybody's friend.
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