If your email campaign is achieving the
desired results then you do not
need to read this message.
BUT if your emails are not working perhaps you need to read this
message as it just might help you.
I have over the last four years
subscribed to a whole range of newsletters
put ads in free for all pages and joined a whole range of email lists.
My primary interest is in email marketing. And over the years I have
seen
and made a number of mistakes.
Here are the mistakes I see repeated over
and over again by people using email.
1. Using cute or
clever names (handles) such as profit4u or cash4all. These
types of names can sometimes backfire and create an image that you are
after a fast buck. From an ongoing business viewpoint this is not the
type of image you want to create. If you want to use an alternate name
don't get clever just use a name that will not cause any potential
customer to get a bad impression.
2. Outrageous
Headlines or Subject line. Yes the subject line has to
"hook" your reader. But that does not mean you have to make
outrageous claims.
For example
Become a millionaire before Christmas
Make $50,000 a week every week.
If the headline / subject line is
unbelievable then your reader will just delete your message without
reading it. This is especially true of people who have been on the
internet for a while. The purpose of your email to entice people to want
to know more will have been defeated and you will have wasted your time.
Sure you need an enticing headline /
subject line, but just ask yourself "will my audience believe the
headline and will they be interested in reading more about it?"
Even if you could prove a heading similar
to the examples above you would get better results by using a different
subject line and include such information in the body of your message.
3. Make sure the
body of the message does not contain grammatical and / or spelling
errors. There is nothing worse than having these types of
errors in your email. It tends to suggest you were in a hurry to send
the email and you do not really care about what is being said in the
message. Do you really care about your subject matter or are you just
looking for a fast buck? These types of errors also show a lack of
professionalism.
Another error to be avoided is to have
your body text end with one or a few words on a line and then continue
on the next line. To ensure that this problem is minimized ensure a hard
return is inserted approximately at the end of between sixty to sixty
five (60-65) characters. The ultimate is to test your messages in
different email readers prior to doing the full email. That way you can
correct any errors prior to the full mailing.
4. When you send the same message to a
group of people you must protect the identity
(email address) of your recipients. I see many examples of
where the sender includes the email address of all the recipients in the
"to" or "cc" field. You must learn to use the
"bcc" field or send each email individually.
Note: cc refers to carbon copy and
all addresses inserted are visible to the recipient.
Bcc refers to blind carbon copy and all addresses inserted are
not visible to the individual recipients.
If you do not protect your recipients
email address, it shows you are either new to the web or you do not care
about professionalism. If you do not appear professional why would
anyone want to do business with you.
5. Attaching a large file to your email.
If you intend to send an email attachment that is larger than 50K you
should seek permission or inform your recipient prior to
sending large files.
6. Email messages should address
the needs of your target market and show that you have a
product or service that will help them satisfy a need.
7. Too many
offers confuse your reader. Send a one concept email. Do not
list all the opportunities you have available in the one email message.
If you do it shows that you are using the scattergun approach and are
hoping the one of your concepts will entice your reader. But to most
your email will suggest you a just looking for a quick sale. This is the
wrong impression to create if you want to continue on the internet.
The person who opens your email does not
want to see a whole range of hyperlinks to all your opportunities. In
most cases the reader is looking for a specific solution. If your email
puts them off because of all the hyperlinks and the length of the email
they may never open another email from you.
8. Do not
include everything in your email. If you include every detail
of your offer then your recipient has no need to contact you further or
visit a specific website.
9. Do not make
your email messages too long. Internet people are easily
distracted and do not tend to read excessively large amounts of copy.
Other marketers claim that those truly interested in your offer will
read the whole email. In my experience shorter email have worked better.
The best solution for you is to experiment and test long and shorter
emails. Then use the system that produces the best results.
10. Do not make
your email a replica of the sales message contained in your website.
If you entice people to click to your website and then are confronted
with the exact same information as your email the will be turned off.
You need different copy on your email as compared to your website. Write
you own fresh copy. If you can't the best thing to do is summarise in
your email what the sales message on your website. But remember not to
tell them everything in the email.
11. When you are doing new
or repeat business with your new and existing clients you
should use personalised email messages
that contain information relevant to that client only. You may have to
purchase a specific program to do it.
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