The 10 Most Important Things to Know

The value of email marketing continues to increase as companies realize its true potential for wealth generation. The ability for companies to reach a consumer immediately at their home or job is essential for success in today’s competitive online arena.

Here are the top 10 most important things to know before clicking that “send” button on your email marketing campaign.

1. Make Sure Your Newsletter is Spam Proof

Email spam detectors have become increasingly clever over the years. Your email can very often get caught inside a spam folder, preventing the consumer from reading it. Various email marketing tools like AWeber, MailChimp or ExpressPigeon include spam scores that will notify you if your message is likely to hit spam folders or not.

2. Test Your Emails on Different Platforms

Testing Email

People read their email in many different ways; PCs, Macs, tablets, smartphones, and different browsers. Some platforms are notorious for having issues when they handle complex emails. Therefore, you need to be certain that all of your emails look the same on most of them. One tool for testing this which I highly recommend is called Litmus.

3. Set a Reply-to Email

It’s very common for newsletters to originate from email address such as newsletter@domain.com. If recipients try to unsubscribe or have comments about the email, they’ll be unable to do so if the reply-to email address isn’t set correctly. When preparing your newsletter for distribution, be certain that the reply-to field is correct, with an email address to a staff member who can respond.

4. In/Out is Crucial for Your Reputation

Many websites continue to make the same mistake of making it too complicated to subscribe to or unsubscribe from a newsletter. A company’s reputation can be severely damaged if they fail to give clear instructions about how to unsubscribe, not to mention legal repercussions. The procedure should be simple for readers to do.

5. Give Something Valuable

A good way to gain the reader’s trust is to give them something they want or need. Advice, tips, discounts, and coupons are all great ways to keep consumers interested and ensure that they tell other people about your services. Contests and promotions will also keep consumers coming back to your website.

6. Frequency and Timing are Important

Many companies make the mistake of sending too many emails to consumers. This overload of email irritates people and could cause them to unsubscribe. Likewise, sending email too infrequently could result in people forgetting who you are and wondering why they are receiving emails from you, resulting in spam complaints. Think carefully about how often you send out newsletters and emails. Also, consider the timing. If your website recommends restaurants, make sure you send out emails on Wednesdays or Thursdays. This will allow people to plan their weekend meals.

7. Include a Call to Action with a Link

Be certain that every email you send contains at least one call-to-action with a hyperlink. An email without a call to action doesn’t do much good for you, and a link makes it easier for the reader to take action.

8. Build Loyalty

Always provide useful, quality content that keeps the reader interested in receiving emails from you. Offer ways to connect with your brand in social media channels as well, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn. Studies have shown that users who are connected with brands in social media channels are much more likely to have higher brand loyalty. Go ahead and entice your readers to follow you in social media channels for a reward, whether that’s a coupon or a chance at a raffle drawing.

9. Brand Consistently

Design an email template that is branded with your company’s logo. Develop a “voice” for your company as well, which is evident in the email copy as well as throughout the website and in social media. This will help establish your brand’s identity online while building organic relationships with your readers.

10. Put Calls to Action Above the Fold

Studies have shown that readers typically only spend a few seconds skimming most emails. This means it’s important to get your message across succinctly. Place your call to action prominently above the fold to maximize click-through rate.

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