The start of a new year is always a good time to review what we’ve done in the past and make some changes. If you’ve been lax with your email marketing, now is the time to make a plan for 2010 and get busy implementing it.
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Your #1 resolution has got to be “DO IT” and do it consistently.
Put the process of brainstorming ideas, researching, writing, editing and sending emails to your prospect and client bases on your daily/weekly/monthly schedules.
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Close behind is learning what your list responds to. Schedule reports and take time to analyze your key metrics. Look at:
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The open rate.
They can’t respond to any of the content id they don’t open your email. The critical elements for getting your emails opened include:
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Time of delivery:
Many people find an early morning delivery during the mid-week is the most effective but your market may be different. Resend the same email to those who don’t open it at a different time and day and see how that affects your open rate.
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From or Sender Field:
Numerous studies have revealed the critical importance of the from field. Many receipients (you, perhaps?) edit their IN box first based on who the email is from.
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Make sure you have clearly identified your emails as from a trusted friend and you’ll get opened, at least initially. Congruency between the list they signed up for and the FROM they see will also help avoid SPAM reports. If you’re gathering names from written forms or online sign-ups, let them know what the from field will say when they get an email.
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And third, the Headline or Subject Line.
This is a more involved subject so we’ll cover subject lines in the next post.
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Questions about email marketing? Post a comment and I’ll respond!
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