Email Marketing Is Not Dead...

Matter of fact, it is alive and well

Email marketing (like direct mail marketing in the 80's) still has the highest ROI of all your marketing channels.

But how do you get recipients to open your mail?

"I am not a guru at e-mail marketing, but I do use the medium often.  Do you know more than this article? Please share your ideas." -Kersten

#1 – CONTENT: Use a personalized and powerful opening statement and get to the point!

Make sure your email comes from 'you'. Don't try to be bigger than you are.  The more personal the email, the more likely someone will open it. Also focus on a clear powerful subject line and avoid words that elude to discounts or freebies. Try to generate an emotional response.

Keep your email short and to the point. No need to get into too much detail. If you have more information to deliver, include a link to a website or blog post.  Try to use point form.  The best formula is #1, #2, #3  Because most readers like the order and simplicity of threes.

#2 – TIMING: Send emails when clients are most likely reading email

When is your audience most likely going to read their email?  At 8:00 AM in the morning when they first arrive in the office?  Then send your mailer at 7:59 AM that morning.

You want your email to be the first on their list.  "On Top"  If you send the email on the weekend and the target audience is checking emails on Monday morning, then your email will most likely be on page 3 of incoming junk mail. We find that Tuesday mornings work very well for us.

#3 – SPAM: Be careful about spamming

Make sure that your target list is fresh. Service providers like SHAW will count the number of dead email addresses you are sending to and mark you as SPAM. 

Make sure you use CLICK HERE for links and DO NOT include the URL address unless the link is exactly the same as the address text, or you will get flagged as a "phisher" who tricks recipients into clicking on a site address that directs them to another.

Don't BCC your mailing list.  You will get blocked.

Make sure your list is fresh and people know who you are.  Opt-in email lists are the best.  Use a service like Mail Chimp, A-Weber or Constant Contact.

Finally: Watch this video for some great additional pointers:

This is a 5 minutes excerpt from a 3 hour boot-camp event hold regularly online and in Calgary at The Glencoe Club.
Watch on YouTube: CLICK HERE

Visit these links to attend:
3 Hour Classroom BootCamp: Click Here
On-Line Version HERE

Visit our Facebook Page and Video HERE
(Like us on Facebook and Get 50% off Boot Camp Event)

Kersten Kloss is a Web Strategist located in Calgary Canada. 
You can read his blog here or ask him questions at AskAWebStrategist

Over 90 % of websites are all the same. Filled with "me, my and our" wording.

"About me, about my products, join MY mailing List. me-me-me ..."

There is rarely anything out there that addresses YOU, the customer.

This type of website is old "brochureware". It just plain doesn't work anymore. It comes accross as self serving.

How about we take a new approach? A website that highlights you as a subject matter expert that listens to your customers and offers immediate answers and solutions, engaging them in open dialogue, questions and answers about topics that matter to them, while addressing their needs.

See example: http://askawebstrategist.com/

Your product then sells itself through dialogue and subsequent "earned trust".

Move over "PUSH" marketers, this is known as pull marketing. And it works.

Know of an application for this in your industry?
Got any ideas on how how to expand on this idea?

Let me know.

ps: http://askawebstrategist.com/ is real site offering free web advice too  :-)