Developing and executing a successful e-mail marketing campaign is becoming more challenging. The SPAM problem isnt 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 dont 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.
Heres 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 didnt 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 companys name.
And use your recipients 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
Its 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 reasons 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.
Dont expect your subscribers to remember where and when they opted-in to receive information from you if youre not in frequent contact with them.
If they cant recall when they opted-in to your list and you fail remind them - dont be surprised if they scream SPAM!
Step #6 - Provide an unsubscribe link
In e-mail marketing, you should never ever hold anyone hostage.
Youd rather settle for happy unsubscribers than angry subscribers, right
So, provide your readers with an easy and convenient method to unsubscribe.
Theyll sleep more soundly at night and so will you.
Step # 7 - Check and test your e-mail
Youve 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 youre 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 doesnt.
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!
Copyright 2004 Fabian Lim
About The Author
Fabian Lim is a Management & Internet Marketing Consultant. He helps organizations and individuals succeed online. He is also editor and publisher of BizSuccess Tips, a No Hype, No B.S. internet marketing newsletter. Visit his website at
To be successful with a newsletter, you have to specialize and make it your own. Your best bet will be with new information on a subject not already covered by an established newsletter, or at least your interpretation of existing subject matter.
Regardless of the frustrations involved in launching your own newsletter, never forget this truth: There are people from all walks of life, in all parts of the world, many of them with no writing ability whatsoever, who are making incredible profits with their newsletter.
Your first step should be to subscribe to many different newsletters. Analyze and study how the others are doing it. Learn how the successful newsletter publishers are doing it, and how they are making money. Adapt their success methods to your own newsletter, and add your own flare to it.
Plan your newsletter before launching it. Come up with a plan of action, daily, weekly, bi-weekly, etc. Make a plan to distribute it, using subscription services and lead sources.
Most newsletter publishers do all the work themselves, and are impatient to get that first issue online. As a result, they neglect to devote the proper amount of time to market research and distribution. Dont start your newsletter with out first having accomplished this task!
Market research is simply determining who you will be marketing your newsletter to, and who will be interested in buying your products and services, and reading your newsletter. You have to determine what it is they want from your newsletter.
Your market research must give you unbiased answers about your newsletters capabilities of fulfilling your prospective buyers need for information; The questions of why they need your information, and how they will use it should be answered. Make sure you have the answers to these questions, publish your newsletter as a vehicle of fulfillment to these needs, and youre on your way!
Youre going to loose prospects unless your newsletter has a real point of difference that can be easily perceived by your prospective buyer. If you are using someone elses newsletter and just adding your own affiliate links, dont be surprised when you prospects start dropping out.
The design and graphics of your newsletter, plus your unique content will help with keeping your prospects from opting out.
The name of your newsletter should also help to set it apart from similar newsletters, and describe what your basic premise is all about. A good name reinforces your advertising. Choose a name that defines what your newsletter is all about.
Try to make your newsletters name brand able and memorable - one that flows automatically. Dont pick a name thats so vague it could apply to almost anything. The name should identify your newsletter and its subject quickly and positively. You should also brand it with your domain name if at all possible.
When you send out your newsletter, make sure that you use a name variable with your autoresponder. People like to see and feel that they are the only one that you are sending your newsletter to. You create trust and a feeling in the reader that they are special.
You may want to add a picture of yourself, so your prospects have an idea of whom is sending them this valuable information. The use of pictures will set your publication apart from the others and give it an individual image, which is precisely what you want.
The decision as to whether to carry paid advertising, and if so, how much, is another policy decision that should be made while your newsletter is still in the planning stages. Some purists feel that advertising corrupts the image of the newsletter and may influence editorial policy. Most people accept advertising as a part of everyday life, and dont care one way or the other.
The only problem with accepting advertising in your newsletter would appear to be that as your subscription list grows, so may the number of advertisers. At this point, the basic premise or philosophy of the newsletter often changes from news and practical information to one of an advertisers showcase. So think this out clearly before you decide what you want the reader to experience with your newsletter.
Promoting your newsletter, finding prospective buyers and converting these prospects into loyal subscribers, will be the most difficult task of your entire undertaking. It takes detailed planning, persistence and patience.
Make sure you send a welcome letter when a new prospect signs up and tell the reader how they are going to benefit from your newsletter, and then keep emphasizing right on through your PS, the many benefits they will gain from staying on your subscriber list. . Give the reader a solid list of benefits with examples of what you have, or you intend to include, in your newsletter.
You have to make your prospect feel that this is the insiders secret to the success they want to achieve. Present it to your subscriber as their own personal key to success.
Prepare yourself for the fact that not everyone that signs up for your newsletter will buy your product or service. That is all part of the internet marketing business. However, you should not be discouraged, keep trying to get as many subscribers as possible and always be available to answer any questions your subscriber may have. Good luck with your newsletter.
Copyright 2004 Dirk Wagner
About The Author
My name is Dirk Wagner. I was born in Cologne, Germany in 1970. I graduated from high school in 1990. Since 6 years Im working in computer business and about 2 years specially in internet marketing. My mentor Stone Evans teached me to get success.
Dirk Wagner is CEO and owner of and the free, easy to install #1 home business toolbar with automated updates.A website dedicated to helping the home-based business entrepreneur start and succeed with there very own home-based business.