Do you want learn about more effective email marketing tips?
A recent email and online communication study found that 45% of respondents said their email load increased over the last year. The survey, conducted by the independent market research firm MarketTools and commissioned by Microsoft, also reported that 37% of respondents spend half their day reading or replying to work email.
Today’s business owners have a formidable email marketing challenge. How do you get subscribers to open your email, read it and then purchase your service or product? Here’s how.
STEP #1. SEGMENT YOUR DATABASE
Your database subscribers are a varied lot and their differences should be noted so you can better craft communications and offers to them. As the owner of an extreme sports company, your email to participants should be completely different from your email to event sponsors.
Make sure you also record past responses – including attendance, sales and refer-a-friend activity – to help inform your future marketing efforts.
STEP #2. OUTSOURCE EMAIL MARKETING
Deleting undeliverable addresses from your database and creating click-through emails are daunting, time-consuming tasks. Constant Contact, ExactTarget and Mad Mimi are all email marketing companies that provide a range of services to everyone from small business owners to larger enterprises.
From housing your subscriber database to supplying email templates to tracking response, these providers help make email marketing manageable and affordable.
STEP #3. ADHERE TO THE CAN-SPAM ACT
“The CAN-SPAM Act (is) a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have you stop emailing them, and spells out tough penalties for violations,” according to the U.S. government’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
While the CAN-SPAM Act is intended to fight spam, following its guidelines also leads to more effective emails: don’t use false or misleading header information, don’t use deceptive subject lines and tell recipients where your business is located. Familiarize yourself with the CAM-SPAM Act at business.ftc.gov.
STEP #4. OPTIMIZE FOR MOBILE USERS
Email represents nearly 42% of U.S. users mobile Internet time, reports The Nielsen Company. When designing your email, optimize it for mobile viewing. Make the subject line short and interesting to insure your subscriber clicks through. And don’t clutter your email layout with lots of copy, instead place your company’s call to action first.
STEP #5. INCLUDE SOCIAL MEDIA ICONS
People who like brands on Facebook and follow brands on Twitter are more likely to buy and recommend those brands’ products, reports Mashable, referencing two recent studies of online consumer behavior. Make sure to include social media icons in your email signature so that subscribers can share your news and promotions with their networks.
What are your most effective email marketing tips?
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