Test For Formatting
Email can be rendered broken or even illegible on differing email clients. Test the formatting of your messages through test deliveries to major email software such as Hotmail, Outlook and others.
Be Selective In What You Send
Don’t overdo it! Legitimate email can be viewed as spam or junk if you’re indiscriminate in its volume. Cast a skeptical eye on every message before sending it to ensure that it offers real value to the recipient.
Allow For Options
Email marketers with a lot of information to share often allow recipients to choose their preferences (via links that are usually positioned at the bottom of the message). An example: “Do you wish to receive our email notifications weekly, or monthly?”
Ask For The Order!
If you seek a specific response from your email message, be sure to include a strong, clear call to action: “Phone us now to save 5%!” or “Click on this link for your free …”
If you’re directing an email recipient to a web page, consider the destination. It may be much more effective if you send them to an “offer-specific” landing page, rather than your web site’s “general content” home page.
Test For Effectiveness
Before initiating your campaign, it may pay to test it and several alternatives by crafting a couple of different messages and sending them to a limited audience to see which one draws the most responses.
Refine and repeat the process as needed until you’re sure you’re pressing all the right buttons!
Improving Deliverability
To ensure high deliverability of your emails even to those who have opted in for ongoing communications, you have to consider the spam filters that protect both individual mailboxes and internet service providers (ISPs).
In fact, ISPs will “black list” known suppliers of spam and routinely block their email. Conversely, ISPs “white list” those companies identified as senders of legitimate email and thereby allow their messages to pass through unimpeded.
Some tips improving deliverability:
Create Accurate Headers
The content in your email’s “From,” “To” and “Subject” fields are key. Use a legitimate email address in your From field. Place the recipient’s name and address in the To field. And, take care in composing your Subject field by avoiding common spam words (Free!).
An approach that identifies you and legitimizes your message may work best:” “This month’s Smith Company Outlook enewsletter.”
Test Your Email Against Spam Filters
Before distributing your emails, employ an online “content checker” to see how it scores according to commonly accepted anti-spam rules. If it scores high and is tagged as spam, you’ll want to reconsider your message.
Test Your Email At Popular Domains
Test your email against ISP spam filters by setting up email accounts at popular domains such AOL, Hotmail, MSN and Yahoo!. Then send your email to yourself to see if it gets through.
Additional Considerations:
Maintaining Your Mailing List
Email lists are dynamic in nature. As some recipients opt out or change their addresses, others will elect to opt in, and some may sign up more than once! List management software will help you maintain an up-to-date email list by eliminating unsubscribes, undeliverables (e.g., bounce backs) and duplicates.
Tracking Results
One beauty of email marketing is the ease with which it allows you to track results and measure the effectiveness. Software or your service provider can help you determine the number of emails sent, and the amount of responses you receive in return.
Do It Yourself – Or Enlist The Aid Of A Specialist?
The practices described in this white paper are well within the capabilities of many larger companies with dedicated IT or information technology departments, and certainly achievable by many smaller businesses who are not adverse to rolling up their sleeves and trying some new things.
That said, there is much to be gained by working with an interactive agency or ESP (email service provider) to achieve your goals. As specialists in the field, they should be able to point to a good track record at achieving results. And, with them on board, your marketing team or IT personnel may be better able to address your company’s other needs.
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Campaigns, Email Marketing, White Papers