Are you looking for a simple way to market to your customers? If so, then look no further than email marketing. Email marketing is a technique that uses emails strategically sent to people with the intent of promoting businesses or products to them. In the following article you will find a few tips that will help you start using email marketing.
Before sending any emails, be sure to proofread them thoroughly. You have to be sure that everything in the email is correct. You should also test the email’s layout to make sure everything shows up correctly. Ensure that every link is working, as well.
When you ask people to opt-in, let them know what to expect. Tell them what you will be sending and how often you will send it. People will be more likely to sign up if they know that you are not going to flood their inboxes with wordy emails that they have no intention of reading.
Make use of A/B testing for variations on your subject lines. Pick one email then send one half of them with one subject line and the other half of them with a different subject line. Doing so will help you determine which type of subject line helps get your emails opened, and which kind will get them deleted.
When you are having your customers provide their email address to you during the sign-up process. Make sure that you have the clear disclaimer visible that you will be undertaking email marketing campaigns. Try to give the consumer an indication of how often you intend to make use of their addresses so that they are not unaware.
Maximize the results of your email marketing by encouraging your readers to respond to every email. Always read and reply to these emails immediately. Building a personal relationship with each of your readers is the best way to convert them into loyal customers. This is also a good way to get more specific feedback on the success of your efforts.
Remember that the purpose of email marketing is ultimately to sell your products. Every email you send should bring your readers one step closer to making a purchase. This can be done with an email that provides new product information, that goes over the benefits of an existing product or that talks about a new promotion.
Email is a great marketing tool, but it is not an arena where the hard sell is appreciated. Never pressure your subscribers into buying. Put sales pitches at the tail end of your emails, especially if your readers signed up with expectations of informative content. Consider email as a tool to cultivate interest, not instant sales.
Be sure the emails you send are short and to the point. Make them as direct as you can. This shows that you respect your readers’ valuable time. A short message also ensures that readers will read the message from top to bottom. Keep in mind that you are likely to have important content throughout the entire email which makes this critical to your success.
Before sending any promotional emails to customers or potential customers, be sure to get their permission for contact. Email is a powerful tool, and consumers hate when it is misused. Any email contact that isn’t initiated by the consumer feels to them like spam. Your customers must agree to receive additional emails from you, even if they have made purchases in the past.
If your company has developed a branding practice prior to the start of your email marketing program, then keep your future emails consistent with that established branding. Use an identical color theme and layout for every email, and make sure to include your business’s logo in all of your messages. When you develop a positive reputation through your brand, your emails are likely to be received with higher success.
If your emails include images, make use of Alt tags. If an image fails to load or the recipient’s client refuses to load images, the image’s alt tag will appear. Use relevant Alt tags so your recipient can get a good idea of why you added these images. Use them in conjunction with links, as well.
Write your message copy with benefits in mind, but not yours. Make sure your messages reflect the benefits that your content, products or services are offering your subscribers and readers. They want to know what is in it for them before they commit to the call to action, which is where your benefit happens.
Take precautions to avoid having your emailed flagged as spam by major internet service providers. Many ISPs have strict security measures in place to detect spam before it is delivered to a client. These spam filters determine if an email is spam by relying on specific criteria. If an email displays too many of these indications, it is deemed to be spam and automatically deleted. These criteria include the use of words such as “discount”, “save,” and “free” in both the subject line and content of an email. Although it may seem difficult to eliminate these words, there are creative ways to capture the attention of your customers and make them aware of your promotions through email without setting off any spam filter alarms. It’s better to have an email reach your customers without these words than to risk having it not reach your customers at all.
After about nine months, ask your subscribers to re-confirm their wishes to receive emails from you. Retention can be tricky, but those on your email list will appreciate you asking, and will be less likely to unsubscribe. The re-confirmation process will also let you know which readers are loyal to you.
Now that you have these tips to guide you, you should be able to use email marketing. Email marketing is simple and efficient, so you should be able to promote to your customers without a lot of hassles or wasted time. This technique will increase your overall productivity while satisfying your customers as well.
