Top 10 Rules Over the years I have helped create and execute hundreds of email
marketing broadcasts for everything from conferences to double-glazing, and betting
services to financial services. I have seen some outstandingly good creative and
some outstandingly bad. Creative is not the only factor involved in email success
- data, timing, offer etc also have important bearings on response rates. Over the
course of time I have come to recognize a few simple, but fundamental rules about
email messages, that if followed, greatly enhance response.
1. Use good data. Only rent email addresses that have a verifiable opt-in status.
Response rates are generally 10 times greater using good opt-in data rather than
opt-out.
2. Keep the message simple. Email message broadcasting should be seen as a means
to an end - the end being a contact with your prospect or a visit to your website.
Long messages raise the threshold to response. Keep the reason for emailing to the
forefront of the message.
3. Keep the creative simple. Try to ensure the whole message can be seen on one
screen, including response mechanisms. Don't use lots of different font sizes and
typefaces - it confuses and detracts from the message. Make sure that graphics are
hosted so that the file size is kept to a minimum - preferably less than 24kb.
4. Create a good Subject Line. Give the recipient a reason to open your message.
Poorly considered subject lines will negate any good creative or offer, as the recipient
may not even see it. Subject lines should be intriguing and not too salesmanlike.
5. Make it easy to respond - after all, this is the point of the exercise. Always
have a clear, concise call to action. Allow them immediate access to your website
and contact by email - they are online so use the media. You should also enable
them to contact you offline.
6. Be prepared to broadcast on multiple occasions. You should not think of email
marketing as a one off hit - an all or nothing approach. Research shows that response
rates increase with frequency as the recognition factor increases.
7. Make use of HTML. Whilst keeping the message simple, you should where possible
use html to create the message - it looks far better on screen, and allows the URL's
of links to be hidden behind visually pleasing images. You should always produce
a txt version of the html to be broadcast simultaneously to the html, to ensure
that recipients unable to accept html will be able to receive your message.
8. Track everything - open rates, unsubscribes clickable-links, emails received,
telephone and faxes received. Simply tracking the clicks is only half the story.
You should monitor what happened when the click through occurred on the website,
as well as your sales call centre.
9. Get the timing right - don't broadcast over night to B2B databases as the
first thing that will happen the following morning is that the message will be deleted.
Tuesdays and Thursdays have proved to be the most responsive for B2B broadcasts.
Sending a message on a Friday afternoon to consumers has proved very successful.
10. Datacapture - make sure that at least one link on your email is to a datacapture
screen.
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