The 12 fundamentals of e-marketing best practices
By Carolyn Gardner
September 30, 2003
How to market online and avoid looking like a spammer:
1. Ensure you are sending your e-mails to a permission-based list. Don't
assume you have permission -- ask for it! Once you get permission, don't
ever take it for granted. Ipsos-Reid reports that of those who join e-mail
lists, 77% eventually unsubscribe because information is not of interest
or is sent too frequently.
2. Be cautious of third-party lists that you can buy or rent. If it
sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Work to build your own permission-based
list by encouraging your target audience to sign up for your e-mail communications
(i.e. an e-newsletter) at every opportunity. Include the option to "subscribe
now" in your e-mails, on your website, at trade shows, on invoices, in advertisements...everywhere!
3. Have a strict privacy policy with respect to the use of your growing
house list. In a recent study conducted by integrated e-mail agency Quris,
74% of those surveyed were suspicious that companies were sharing their personal
e-mail contact information. The bottom line is that you should never sell
or rent your house list to anyone. Never. Make sure your privacy policy is
both written clearly and easy to find in your e-newsletter.
4. Develop a content formula that works for you and your readers. Some
tried-and-true ingredients for e-newsletters include expertise, tips, case
studies, success stories, industry news, Q&A's, industry statistics, industry
trends, how-to articles, did-you-knows, short surveys and contributed articles
by experts (either inside or outside your company). You can even include special
offers, provided that they do not ring too harshly of a selling nature. Given
today's cluttered inboxes, it's a good idea to keep them short and interesting.
Not sure what to include in your e-newsletter? Do a quick survey using your
database, and ask for feedback!
5. Determine an appropriate frequency for your e-mail communications.
Monthlies are usually a safe bet, but there's always the option to do less
(quarterly) or more (weekly). Another major complaint, according to Quris,
is that permission-based e-mail is sent too frequently. Ask your readers what
kind of frequency appeals to them; this might also be a good question to include
in your survey.
6. Understand your reader preferences and send your e-mails in all popular
formats -- text, HTML and AOL-friendly versions. Multi-format deployment
is important since it respects all reader preferences.
7. Avoid sending emails with attachments and large files. Today's very
real fear of viruses means that many people simply don't open emails with
an attachment. And a second fear relates to "crashing" -- a reality that is
associated with large files. If you have an attachment you would like to share
with your readers, have it posted on a web page, and make it a trackable link
from your e-newsletter.
8. Because readers can be fickle when it comes to e-mail loyalty, ensure
you continually measure and refine your e-mail communications. Monitor
click-throughs, open rates, opt-outs, bounce rates and so on, and then respond
accordingly. If no one ever clicks on a certain topic, maybe it's time to
pull that topic and find a new one. Keeping a watch on open rates and unsubscribe
requests is also an important metric to watch for.
9. Personalize your e-mails by using first names and other personal
information that may be relevant to the recipient. This improves response
rates, so use it whenever possible.
10. Use enticing subject lines that will make readers want to open your
e-mail. To avoid looking like spam, eschew words like "FREE" and "URGENT".
11. Include a real person's name and e-mail address in the "From" line,
rather than an "info@" or "sales@" type of e-mail. Using your company
name adds legitimacy and builds your brand.
12. Always include an option to unsubscribe and respect those who wish
to do so. According to Quris, being unable to unsubscribe ranks as one
of the biggest complaints with permission-based email. Make the process easy,
and ensure you follow through on these requests.
Carolyn Gardner is the founder and president of cardcommunications inc.,
an e-marketing consultancy based in Kanata, ON. This article was reproduced
with permission from PROFITeer, the e-newsletter of PROFIT
Magazine.
