Copyright 2004 Fabian Lim

Developing and executing a successful e-mail marketing
campaign is becoming more challenging. The SPAM problem
isn"t improving and laws are tightening their grip on
e-mail marketing.

So, you need to carefully develop your e-mail marketing
campaign with great care.

Here are 10 steps you can use to develop a successful
e-mail marketing campaign:

Step #1 - Define the purpose of your e-mail campaign

Whilst this step may seem pretty obvious, you will be
surprised at how many e-mail marketing campaigns are
carried out without a clear purpose or goal.

This is especially prevalent with online newsletters or
e-zines - many don"t provide the reader any valuable or
useful information.

So, start your e-mail campaign right - by first defining a
clear purpose or goal.

Step #2 - Develop a clear call to action

A call to action is a specific set of instruction(s)
contained within the e-mail with the sole purpose of
leading the reader to take a specific action.

Here"s an example of a call to action:
"Click here to download your f~ree Special Report"

With the introduction of the CAN-SPAM act and advancement
in SPAM filter technology, it is difficult enough these
days to get your e-mail pass SPAM filters, yet alone opened
and finally read.

It would be a sheer waste of time for both your reader and
yourself if you didn"t create a clear call to action in
your e-mail.

Step #3 - Personalize your e-mail message

Use your full name in the From: field rather than your
company"s name.

And use your recipient"s name in the subject line.

This will increase the "open rate" of your e-mail (The
"open rate" is the percentage of e-mails opened against
e-mails successfully delivered), because recipients will
more likely open and read e-mails from people they
recognize.

Personalization will also reduce the probability of the
e-mail being mistaken as SPAM.

Step #4 - Develop an interesting subject line

It"s true.

First impressions DO count in e-mail marketing!

If you have an important e-mail you want your reader to
open and read, you need to develop an interesting subject
line to woo your readers attention.

The reason"s really simple.

If your subject line does not appeal to the reader, your
e-mail will not get opened and your e-mail campaign will
fail miserably.

And remember not exceed 40 characters when developing your
subject line.

Step #5 - Remind your subscribers where and when they
opted-in

If you do not e-mail your subscribers very often, say once
every fortnight, it would be good to remind them where and
when they opted-in, right at the top of your e-mail.

In e-mail marketing, the popular axiom, "Out of Sight, Out
of Mind" bears much truth.

Don"t expect your subscribers to remember where and when
they opted-in to receive information from you if you"re not
in frequent contact with them.

If they can"t recall when they opted-in to your list and
you fail remind them - don"t be surprised if they scream
"SPAM"!

Step #6 - Provide an unsubscribe link

In e-mail marketing, you should never ever hold anyone
hostage.

You"d rather settle for happy unsubscribers than angry
subscribers, right?

So, provide your readers with an easy and convenient method
to unsubscribe.

They"ll sleep more soundly at night and so will you.

Step # 7 - Check and test your e-mail

You"ve spent a great deal of time crafting your e-mail.

So it is a good practice to check through your e-mail to
make sure you do not overlook the following:
1) Spell check your e-mail
2) SPAM check your e-mail
3) Test all e-mail links
4) Double-check mail merge codes (if any)
e.g. $firstname$ vs. {FIRSTNAME} (especially if you"re
sending out the same e-mail
using different autoresponder software)

Step #8 - Use fixed-pitch font and proper formatting

Use a fixed-pitch font like Courier and perform a hard
carriage return at the end of each line at 60 characters to
avoid formatting problems.

Step #9 - Track all e-mail links

This is an often over-looked step. Tracking your e-mail
links will allow you to gain valuable insights and discover
what works and what doesn"t.

Use the tracking information to refine your future e-mail
marketing campaigns.

Step #10 - KISS (Keep It Simple and Short)

Lastly, keep your e-mails simple and short.

The more e-mail content you create, the higher the chance
of triggering the SPAM filters.

If possible, use e-mail marketing to Pre-Sell, not Sell.

Follow these 10 steps in your next e-mail marketing
campaign and watch your campaign results skyrocket!