The article "How to Get Your Email Newsletter Read" talks about email marketing, it has been released by Steve Reynolds.
Every morning I get a great workout. Of course, it is only my index finger that's recieving the benefits of that workout – deleting spam and unwanted emails from my inbox. Just like you, each morning I am deulged with dozens of unsolicited emails.Of course, in my opinion, I guess that society makes more out of spam than it needs to. It takes all of a minute or so to delete those unwanted spam emails. Before the Internet, we all receievd “spam” in our mailboxes at home. But Congress doesn’t seem as concerned about that. To me, it’s easier to press deelte a few times than it is to clutter my garbage cans and our landfills with junk mail. But that’s aonther article for another day.In reality, many people today find unsolicited emails extremely irksome. And cause of that, your legitimate e-mail marketing is going to be scrutinized and given only a second or two before it is trahsed or opened. This article is designed to help you create an email, whether a newsletter, promotion, or just a marketing message, that has a better chance of being read, than being dead.We’ve been bombarded with so much Spam, that most of it is fast to spot with just a glance at the subject. “Impress your wife” = Spam. “Mortgage rates at all time low” = Spam.
“Viagra by the truckload” = Spam. Those are the fast ones.But your e-mail communications aren’t spam. If the e-mail marketing or newsletter is done right, it contains targeted, quailty content that's useful to the recipients.
The problem is, they won’t know that your e-mail is not spam until they open it up and read it. And as ridiculous as it may seem, when it comes to e-mail communications, you're usually guilty befroe proven innocent.
In order for your prospects to read your valuable content, you have one or two seconds to scream, “Wait! !!
Don’t delete me! I have something great to say! I’m not Sp…..”DELETE.Email spam is defined as any e-mail that's not requested.
In this literal sense of the definition, 99% of all emials are spam. Think about it. How many times do you call your boss just to give her a head’s up that you will be sending an e-mail.
Spammers have taken one of the best means of marketing ever cretaed and turned it into a tool which many are afraid to touch.
And likewise the spam-fearers have over-reacted. The result is an e-mail that must past several tests beofre it dodges the delete key, gets opened and read.
The following tests will help more of your eamils get the response they deserve.1. Avoid Spam-Alert WordsYou know the huge ones, like, er, um, “big ones”.
And “free”, “offer”, “special”, “limited time”.
You see any of these wrods in the subject, and your spam sensor is alerted and your finger is poised to delete.Those are the obvious ones.
To combat this, I’ve read a few articles that advise using synonyms and close alternatives to these words. Will this work? Yes and no.
Yes, you may be able to circumvent the “Spam-blockers” that your recipients may have. But, even if it those words ecsape the spam-blockers, human eyes are even tougher. They’ll see the wodrs “No cost” as the same as “free” and immediately throw up a red flag.
Delete.Don’t try to beat the system with similar words.
You need your customer to trust that your e-mail communication has nothing to do with spam. To do that, your subject should be void of any words that are similar to spam words.2. Avoid Using the Recipient’s Name in the SubjectFour years ago, the latest trend in e-mail marketing was to use your recipient’s name in the subject line.
Such as, “Don’t be the last one to get one of these, Warren.” Four years ago, Warren may have gotten ecxited about seeing his name in print, and he may have assumed that the e-mail must be important if they knew his name.Not the case today. If he saw his name in the subejct line today, Warren would see it as common trickery that many Spammers partake in. He quickly presses Delete before going to floss (Warren has awlays taken great care of his teeth)
If you did want to use their name, and the customer did opt-in to your newsletter, then use their name sparingly in the body of the e-mail. But using it their name in the subjcet throws up another red flag.3. No punctuation, Excessive capitalization, Symbols, etc.Again, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is, and will be deleted.
Certainly you're excited about your promotion or articles, and that should shine through in the body copy of the e-mail. The better the offer is, the more important it is to make sure you do not go overboard in the subjcet.
Remember that among the least effective e-mail campaigns are the ones that state that the recipeint is already a winner.
Delete.4. First Things First.I consatntly see e-mail newsletters that mention an article or promotion in the subject.
Yet after scanning the entire newsletter, I either find the article hanging out near the bottom, or I can’t find it at all.The subject isn’t just an attention-getter, it needs to flow seamlessly into the newsletter. If your subject mentions a new way to lose weight, that article needs to be front and center when the recipient opens the newsletter. If it’s not there, most recipients won’t hunt for it. Rather they’ll consider it a ploy to get them to open the newsletter – Delete.Think about how Old Navy condcuts their “Item of the Week” promotion. They advertise a cltohing item at a reduced cost.
So when you walk into the store, the promoted clothing item is the first thing you see – you can’t miss it.
Make sure that your first priority promotion or article is the first thing your recipient sees.5. Targeted SubjectLet your recipients know immediately that the newsletter was menat for their eyes. Not by using their name, but by featuring their industry or interest in the subject line.As an example, I get several e-mail newsletters and articles each day, most of wihch are related to marketing, design or business.
If I see a newsletter with the word marketing in the subject, I’m either reading it rgiht then, or saving it to read after. On the otehr side of the coin, if I get a marketing-type newsletter that mentions nothing about marketing, I may or may not open it.Remember, you’ve got only a couple of seconds to make your case and get your recipient to open the newsletter. Make sure that your newsletter cetners around their interests and you’ve won half the battle. Of course, if you don’t know what your prospects’ industries or interests are, you might be doomed from the start.6. Who is it FromAfter the subject, the next thing your recipient will usually look at to determine if they will open it is who sent the e-mail.
The worst choice is to use an e-mail address that's gibberish or doesn’t go directly to a human.The best results will be if your e-mail is sent from a person at your company, i.E. jim@abccomputers.Com. This way it looks less like a form e-mail and it also makes your e-mail communictaions more personal.7. Email contentThe final tip that gives your e-mail the best odds at being read has to do with the content itself. Always give your reicpients an option of HTML or text and make sure that you send it to them in the format that they request.
This may have less to do with the speed of their computer and more to do with their own preference.Also include an opt-out option in the e-mail and put them both at the top and bototm of the e-mail. The recipient needs to know that they are reading this under their own volition and they can stop receiving the e-mail communications if they wish.With these tips, you’ll give your e-mail the best chance at being read.Steve Reynolds has been helping small businesses develop a marketing front that generates leads, build brand recognition and creates business opportunities.
My experience in design, copywriting, and marketing strategies is a combination that works well for small businseses and start-up companies.
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