Twenty Tips For Guaranteed Email Marketing Success
By Andrea Kalli
Email marketing is a reliable and lucrative method for generating leads. It is no
wonder that this platform has become a very valuable one for Internet marketers especially
now that marketing budgets are suffering due to the economic recession. Although email
marketing is generally cost-effective, there are a number of things you can do to make the
most out of your campaign. To help you achieve optimal open, read, and response rates,
follow the twenty tips discussed below:
1. Offer Incentives to Attract Subscribers
Most Internet users won't just sign up for something just because they see a
registration form. Many people are hesitant to give away their email addresses because
they believe that they may be risking their privacy and security by doing so. For this
reason, you need to give them a good reason to sign up. Offering incentives such as free
e-books or discount coupons may do the trick. Whatever you offer, be sure that it is
something that will entice them to subscribe and retain their subscription.
2. Simplify the Registration Process
Make sure that your subscription form is visible on your website and provide details on
what benefits subscribers can gain from signing up. Also, don't ask for too much
information. The fewer fields you ask for in your registration form, the more likely your
visitors are to fill them up. If possible, ask only for names and email addresses.
3. Get Subscribers to Opt In Twice
Although the registration process should be as simple as possible, it is best to get
your subscribers to opt in twice. This will allow you to ensure the quality of your
mailing list. To do this, you simply need to send out an email to all those who subscribe
through your opt-in page. Within that email, include a link that recipients must click on
to confirm their subscription. There are, of course, other ways to do this but making the
process simple for subscribers will encourage them to perform the desired action.
4. Be Consistent with Your Sender's Line
When people receive new emails, they normally check the "From" line to find out who the
sender is before checking the "Subject" line to learn what the email is about. Whenever an
unfamiliar name appears in the sender's line, recipients are likely to delete the email
without even bothering to find out what it is about. Being consistent with the name you
place in your sender's line is important because you need to make your recipients familiar
with who you are. If the name you use sparks recognition, your recipients will be more
likely to read your emails.
5. Develop a Persona
Many business owners use the name of their brand, company, or service in the sender's
line. However, using a person's real name is often recommended because it makes emails
more personable. By allowing your subscribers to know who you really are and by communicating
with them as an individual and not a corporate entity, they are more likely to trust you.
Large companies have also found benefits in developing a fictional character that subscribers
can relate with. This fictional character can eventually become a persona that companies
can then leverage once it starts to be known as an expert within a given niche.
6. Use Attention-Grabbing Subject Lines
Typical email users take less than a second to decide on whether or not an email should
be ignored or deleted. For this reason, it is important for you to make use of headlines
that not only catches your recipients' attention but also gives them an idea of what
benefits they can get from reading through your email. Offering an enticing promise or a
benefit in your subject line will lead your subscribers to be more interested in what you
have to say.
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