Marketing via e-mail is an effective way of communicating what your business has to offer, but how do you know if you’re putting your best effort forward when utilizing this strategy? Following are several best practices to keep in mind when using e-mail marketing.
1. “From” Line: The “From” line is most likely the first thing your recipient sees in your communications effort, Brand it! Not only is this a great branding opportunity, but also the place where you identify your company or organization. E-mails from unknown people and/or company departments likely end up in the deleted items folder.
2. Subject Line: This information is likely the only other information to appear in the inbox and the key to getting your e-mail read. Assuming you made it past the “From” line filter, the subject line will get fewer than a second’s worth of attention, so make it count. The subject line is key to getting your e-mail opened and having your recipient actually read it.
3. When to Send: The best days for open rates seem to be the middle of the week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays), however, you should always test your e-mails. Last-minute specials for a weekend getaway may prove to sell better if sent on a Thursday or Friday.
4. Providing a “Forward to a Friend” Link: Your subscribers have indicated an interest in what you have to offer. It’s likely they have friends who also may be interested. Providing a FTAF link is a good way to build your subscriber list, but it also offers more. Using this option from your e-mail service provider allows you to see who is forwarding, how often and the resulting actions. If you’re sending HTML formatted e-mail, it also will render better than just forwarding from the e-mail client.
5. Request an add to Safe Senders’ List: Want to make sure your recipients receive your e-mail? Ask them to “white list” your address. A simple way to do this is to include a message, such as the following, to your e-mail: “To ensure you receive your e-mail from (your company name) add (your e-mail address) to your list of trusted senders.” This simple, yet effective, practice is a great way to improve your e-mail deliverability.
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