E-Mail Marketing For Dummies

From E-Mail Marketing For Dummies by John Arnold

Your e-mail marketing goal is to reach as many people as possible. To achieve this, you need to: build the list of people on your e-mail list; and send effective, creative messages that you can make using HTML (there are Web sites to help you). Before you send an e-mail, make sure it complies with the CAN-SPAM Act and that you check the guidelines before you hit the send button.

How to Build Your E-Mail Marketing List

Building an e-mail marketing list is worth the effort: The more people you reach, the more successful your business will be. These marketing tips are a good way to get people signed up for your e-mail list:

Place sign-up links on your Web sites and in your e-mail signature.
Ask people whom you meet face-to-face to share their e-mail addresses.
Place a guest book on your counter or desk.
Ask people to join when you exchange business cards.
Collect e-mail addresses at trade shows and events.
Collect e-mail addresses from people who call you.
Offer an incentive — such as a discount — to join your e-mail list.
Share your sign-up link with noncompeting businesses.
Pay someone to collect e-mail addresses in person.
Ask people to forward your sign-up link to friends and colleagues.
Ask for an e-mail address and permission in online shopping forms.
Include a sign-up URL (such as http://www.JoinOurEmailList.com) in your phone directory ad and in print advertising.
Include a link to your sign-up form in your online advertising.

How to Make E-Mail CAN-SPAM Compliant

The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 applies to commercial e-mails (e-mails that have advertising, promotions, or information from a business’ Web site). Here are some things you can do so your business-related e-mails are legally compliant:

Send your e-mail to permission-based lists only.
Provide a way for your list subscribers to opt out permanently.
Make sure your e-mail includes your physical address.
Don’t mislead your audience with your From line or e-mail address.
Make sure your e-mail Subject line is honest about your content.
Make sure your e-mail clearly states that the e-mail is a solicitation unless you have affirmative consent.
Learn the law before sending any commercial e-mail; use an attorney.

For the curious: CAN-SPAM has nothing to do with the famous luncheon meat. Rather, the acronym represents this mouthful: Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing.

To-Do List for Sending Marketing E-Mails

Will your marketing e-mail campaign succeed? To send e-mail marketing messages that are clearly defined and well-timed, make sure to go through and check the items that apply to your e-mail before sending:

I have explicit permission to send the e-mail.
I pinpointed the main objective.
My From line clearly identifies my business.
My Subject line prompts my audience to open my e-mail.
I’m sending my e-mail from an e-mail address that my audience will recognize.
My e-mail content is easy to scan.
My headlines are short, clear, and concise.
My paragraphs are short summaries of larger bodies of information.
My e-mail contains a strong call to action.
My images help to tell the story of my e-mail.
My e-mail has whitespace that makes the text easy to read.
My e-mail content is valuable enough to save or forward.
My e-mail contains an offer that is valuable to my audience.
I checked all links to make sure they work properly.
I’m prepared to handle inbound responses.
I’m sending at a time when my audience is likely to notice.

E-Mail Marketing: Web Sites to Help with HTML

Yes, you can create effective, stylish marketing e-mails by using HTML code! These Web sites will help you understand and use HTML through tutorials, tricks, and references:

How to Design Marketing E-Mails with HTML

Be sure to mix in a balanced number of HTML design elements with your e-mail text to achieve creative and effective marketing message. Here are some ways to add HTML elements to your marketing e-mail:

Link to a landing page: <a href="http://www.websiteaddress.com/pagename">LinkName</a>

Link to an e-mail address with the Subject line filled in: mailto:emailaddress@yourdomain.com?subject_line_here

Add an image: <img align="center, left, or right" src="http://www.locationofimage.com/foldername/imagename.filetype">