Email Marketing 101

I recently attended the High Rock Marketing Summit, which focused on new media marketing, such as social networking and email marketing, as well as ways to incorporate all with your website. It was a great 1-day conference! The next Kalico eNews will breakdown how to use the most popular social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, with your business marketing plan.

But, for this post I will give a quick list of Email Marketing basics. Whether you've already started an email marketing campaign, or you're just getting started, here are some of the basic points to think about to ensure you get the most out of your email newsletters.

1. Design: Keep the look and feel of your emails consistent with the design of your website. This helps to keep your business identity in tact.

2. Delivery: Be consistent with the delivery and timing of your email newsletter, such as on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. The key is to send your emails often enough so they are expected, but not so often that they become a nuisance to your recipients.

3. Information: Make sure to include valuable and useful information in your eNews. Think about what your target audience wants to hear. Also, be sure to keep your information concise, short and to the point.

4. Measurement: Find a good Email Management Provider (we recommend MailChimp) that will offer you measurement or analytics for each message you send. Some important measurement tools, including percentage of emails delivered, bounced, or unopened as well as click rates for links, will give you insights to how your email was received.

5. List Management: The first important step to starting your email campaign is to import a list of existing clients and prospects (a service like MailChimp can help you build and manage your list). You will also want to include a subscription form on your website to allow users to subscribe automatically.

6. Know the Rules: There are laws concerning commercial emailing. The United States federal CAN-SPAM Act became law on January 1, 2004, protecting consumers from unwanted emails, or spam. Many details are included in the law, but some of the basic points are:
• Emails must be requested and not unsolicited
• The user must be given a visible and operating "Unsubscribe" option
• Content of subject and form field must be relevant

And so concludes our quick and easy breakdown of Email Marketing 101 tips. For more information, or help starting or redesigning your email newsletters, please contact us!

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