By Lisa J. Cramer

In this article, you will learn:

1) 7 1/2 simple rules for e-mail success;

2) How to get your message delivered; and

3) How to get your message read.

If you’re considering email campaigns for your marketing mix, follow these 7½ simple rules to help ensure success:

1. Get a Plan: One email blast will not generate quality leads or drive customer loyalty. Draft a plan to continuously engage prospects and customers. Send to prospects and follow up within 3 to 4 weeks with those who did not respond to your first message. Engage customers with a periodic e-newsletter to nurture the relationship, seek their input, and drive up-sell opportunities.

 

2. Get Delivered: Keep your email file size small—40K or under is recommended, but definitely no more than 300K. Avoid spam-trigger words like “free” and “offer”. Limit use of images, which can raise your spam score. Include a physical address and an “unsubscribe” link.

	If you enjoyed this article, you might also be interested in this helpful information: Full-Length Seminars: Using YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to Grow Sales and Revenue How to use Social Media to Grow Your Business Videos: The 10 Forbidden Words in an Email Subject Line How to Recover Lost Customers Articles: The Top 18 Things to Measure in Your Next Email Marketing Campaign The 25 Must-Know Interactive Definitions

 

3. Get Help: The e-marketing landscape is littered with failed in-house initiatives. Invest in help from a trusted advisor with the tools and track record to help ensure your success.

 

4. Get Read: Keep your message and design simple. Recipients will not scroll through lengthy adjective-laden paragraphs. Give them one compelling thought with a link to read more. Too many images can distract from your message. Keep them to a minimum—a logo or one relevant image. Strive for one screen, no scrolling, with important links at the top.

 

5. Get It Together: Integrate your online and offline campaigns to leverage branding as well as to track offline campaign results.

 

6. Get Feedback: Encourage recipients to respond via links, surveys, and forms. Encourage click-throughs, especially newsletter signups and forwarding to friends.

 

7. Get Results: Track deliveries, bounces, opens, click-throughs, forwards, and act on those results. Move hot leads directly to Sales. Nurture the not-yet-hot leads as well as your valued customers.

 

7½. GET DELIVERED!!! This one is so important it deserves repeating. Nothing happens unless your messages get through to your targets. Reread Rules 2 and 3 to drive results and return on your e-marketing investment.

Lisa Cramer is President of LeadLife Solutions, a provider of on-demand marketing automation software that generates, scores and nurtures leads for B2B marketers. For more information, go to www.leadlife.com, or call 1-800-680-6292.

© 2008 The 60 Second Marketer

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