BLOG

When used correctly, email marketing can be a powerful part of an integrated communications campaign and an effective tool for reaching your customers and prospects with offers or information. However, current CAN-SPAM laws and poor planning can trip up your campaign if you’re not careful.

At 0 to 5, we’ve created and deployed hundreds of email marketing campaigns on behalf of our clients. And while the success of a campaign depends on many different factors, we use the following checklist to ensure that these emails elicit action – not annoyance – from the customer.

1. Get Permission – First and foremost, always ensure you have your target’s permission to send them an email – otherwise it is spam. If you are using an in-house list, keep your unsubscribe list up to date. If you are using a rented list, make sure you are working with a reputable company that has strict anti-spam policies. Most list rental companies require a “permission” email be sent in advance of your campaign, to enable people to opt out. If the company is willing to give you the list without restrictions on its use – be wary!
2. Time it Right – Plan the delivery of your email to maximize its effectiveness. Send your emails mid-week and mid-day to get the most emails read by your targeted audience. Space out your emails so that you are not emailing your audience more than once a week.
3. Design Smartly – A visually pleasing HTML email is more likely to be read than a plain text email – but you should always include both options, as some people block HTML emails from their inbox. When designing an HTML email, always maintain a balance of copy to HTML images, and be careful to limit the amount of images in the email. Also, keep the width of the email to 600 pixels or less to ensure that the entire email gets seen on your recipient’s screen.
4. Make it Mobile-Friendly – Chances are a significant number of your emails will be read on a mobile device. You can make your message more mobile-friendly by putting key copy in plain or HTML text, and stripping out any top menus, large logos or banners at the top of the design. Be sure to keep your emails short and include all important information and links near the top of your email.
5. Grab Attention with the Subject Line – This is the most important part of your email, and will have the biggest impact on the results of your campaign. As such, make the subject line short and to the point, while communicating something of value to the target audience. Some experts recommend keeping the subject line to 50 characters or less. Also, be sure to avoid common “spam” words and symbols.
6. Include a Clear Call to Action – The content of your email should include a clear call to action matching the objective of your campaign: “Click here to learn more,” “Register now,” “Sign up for our newsletter.” Make it easy for the recipient to take action with links that take them directly to the form or page where they can access the specific information in which they are interested.
7. Keep it Short and Sweet – Keep your copy short and benefits-oriented. Many consumers view their emails from the preview pane, or if opened, may spend only seconds with each email, so keep this in mind when writing your copy and make those seconds count.
8. Avoid Spam Words – Use of certain words and symbols are likely to land your email in the spam filter. Avoid using symbols such as exclamation points and dollar symbols, or the words “free,” “sale” or “discount” in the subject line or the body of your email if possible.
9. Easy Unsubscribe – Always include an unsubscribe link in every email. This is required by the CAN-SPAM Act. Make sure to honor any requests to unsubscribe immediately and be sure to remove unsubscribers’ names/emails on all the databases you use.
10. Test, Test, Test – Always do a seed test of your email to see how it looks as deployed – on a computer as well as a mobile device. Test the links to make sure they are all working, proof one last time, and make any other adjustments necessary before the full deployment.

With every email marketing campaign you deploy, you will learn more about how to fine-tune your emails to maximize their effectiveness with your target audience. Keep these tips in mind and it should give you a good start to a successful campaign.

Posted by Zer0 to 5ive managing principal Jennifer Moritz