Improve Your Email Marketing | eTargeting

Email marketing has come a long way since the early years of the modern internet. Marketers have moved beyond the traditional batch and blast approach in an effort to deliver campaigns that are more focused, personal, and effective. Technology has moved the industry forward in a big way, and left behind a variety of useful tools in its path. Keeping up with these tools is critically important for those who wish to continually reap the benefits of email marketing.

The Business Then and Now

In the beginning, email marketing made its reputation as a reliable method for connecting with a large audience, offering benefits that could be compared to the internet itself in terms of reach. Most of the initial rage was attributed to it being more cost effective than traditional channels. Those days saw marketers sending plaintext messages to one large list and generating very positive results. A few years later, HTML emerged, extending itself from the web to the email platform. Today, it provides a way for marketers to communicate far more effectively and create a better experience for consumers.

The past days of email marketing were largely based on sending messages to as many people as you could as fast as possible. Reporting was limited to viewing general data related to opens, clicks, and conversions. These days, savvy marketers are relying on segmentation to achieve relevance and personalization, while analytics is available as a tool to track everything from website activity to engagement. The industry is currently blessed with techniques that enable businesses to deploy campaigns with a greater level of sophistication, and gain deeper insight into their success with technology that was not available before.

The advancements in email marketing tools have added tremendous flexibility to a tactic that was always known for its power. Today, it can be integrated with a variety of different methods and channels that make it possible for businesses to tap into new markets. It is an ideal match for traditional vehicles such as direct mail, as well as newer channels such as blogs, social networks, and mobile platforms. These integrations not only significantly enhance the value of email, but also other methods and channels. More importantly, they offer the power to strengthen your overall marketing efforts.

Observe and Adapt

Technology has had such an impact on email marketing, that it has delivered useful tools we will likely rely on for years to come, while rendering many others obsolete through the process of evolution. It is important for marketers to understand that consumers have also evolved. So, in addition to staying on top of technology, we must continuously make an effort to better understand their evolving wants and needs. The key to enjoying long lasting success in any industry is one that calls for its players to observe and adapt. This has been proven time and again by the many businesses that have applied the same approach to email marketing.

Legitimate email marketers still have to contend with spam filters. Consider the filters while you are designing and writing your email.

1. Maintain a good balance of graphics to text in your HTML emails. Many experts recommend you try to maintain a balance of 60% text and 40% graphics.
2. Never send an email that is one big graphic.
3. In addition to the HTML version, always include a text only version. The filters reward those who take the little bit of extra time to create both versions.
4. AVOID HYPE!! Ideally, you would avoid exclamation marks and ALL CAPS and in the subject line and the content or use in moderation.
5. Do not use phrases that seem too good to be true. Yes, there are “once in a lifetime opportunities” but they don’t arrive in your Inbox.
6. The filters don’t like “money back guarantees.”
7. “Urgent!” It is not that urgent if the email ends up in the junk folder.
8. Don’t claim you have made a “breakthrough.”
9. Avoid using unusual fonts, all red type, flashing objects, and other assorted weirdness.
10. Avoid very small fonts.
11. Avoid excessive text about money. Of course, if your topic is money you have to talk about it but try to be economical.
12. Configure a Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record in your Domain Name Service (DNS) records for your domain name (yourcompany.com).
13. If you are getting too many spam complaints, then consider putting the unsubscribe link at the top of your email. Many times if people cannot find the unsubscribe button right away, they will default to pressing the complain button or spam button (found on email services provided by AOL, Hotmail, MSN, Yahoo and Google). It is much better to have people unsubscribe than to register an electronic complaint.

Dailey Marketing Group can help you with any of the issues you might be experiencing with your email blasts.  Dailey Marketing Group’s email system is a recognized white listed email system which allows us to provide our clients with the best way possible to get their message to the Inbox of their customers. Call us today to get started. 888.364.6584

1. Create your email campaign – Create a professionally designed eMail, eNewsletters, ePromotions or eVites to create a useful and educational message. Include special offers, but make your message meaningful and not too sales focused. Customers can unsubscribe, change their contact information, or delete your message at the click of a button.
2. Make sure your message gets there – Most Internet providers guard against bulk emailing, as it is a way of protecting their customers from SPAM. Email Marketing companies have high standards and strong relationships with Internet providers, which allow them to send bulk emails.
3. Professional mailing practices increase customer loyalty – Protect your customers’ privacy and preferences. By using a professional Email Marketing solution, you can avoid breaching your list members’ confidentiality. Email Marketing services also provide automatic unsubscribe features to keep you on the right side of the law.
4. Track your results – Email campaign tracking reports show you who opened your emails and which links were clicked.
5. Email list management takes away your headaches – Email Marketing saves you time by hosting the lists of your customer’s emails and automatically performing list management tasks such as signing up new members, editing so that members can change their information, and handling bounced emails for you.
6. Build a prospective customer list – When visitors arrive at your website, use a customizable sign-up box to invite them to join your email list to receive useful information and valuable specials. You can add to your list by including email addresses you already have, but make sure your customers want to be included.
7. Turn Prospects Into Customers – You can measure the number of emails opened, who opened what, and which links they clicked on. By understanding the individual and campaign results, you will know your customers better and be able to build more effective future campaigns.