Articles by: Darrell Ritchie

Okay, you blew it. Whether through no fault of your own or perhaps just a few ill advised words, the response from your clients to your most recent email blast has been overwhelmingly negative. You find yourself with visions of your business collapsing, your finances swirling down the drain, and for all you know, perhaps a good old fashioned tarring and feathering.

Or perhaps you misfired on quoting a price, and a $1000 table becomes a $100 table. Quite a difference, right?

It’s a well known fact that once you hit send, you should be prepared for whatever is in that chosen message to be out there forever and ever amen. You can’t get it back, and there is always the possibility that it can come back and bite you, usually at the most inopportune times.

So how do you respond? Is there anything you can say or do that will get you back in the good graces of your clients? Do you have a future with these people? Well, the answer is yes. People are usually very willing to forgive the occasional gaffe or misjudgment, but you may have to swallow your pride and go ask for it.

First thing, make it right. As soon as you discover your error, send out the corrected information. Most people realize that they aren’t going to purchase a new Lexus for $4500……so be upfront and tell them that you forgot the extra zero. Nobody in their right mind is going to try and hold you to an obvious mistake.

Be human. Be willing to admit that you make mistakes. A recent political statement was in fact exactly right… corporations are people, people are prone to errors in judgment and execution. Make sure your apology is properly worded and appropriately humble. Again, people are willing to forgive, but diminishing their importance or trying to act as though you are above them will do little to win friends and influence people.

Take one for the team. It doesn’t matter who dropped the ball, let the buck stop with you. Taking full responsibility (even if it wasn’t totally your fault) really raises you up in the eyes of your clients. So resist the urge to blame your ad agency, marketing department, or personal assistant or whoever, and let the buck stop on your company name.

In the case where product descriptions are bungled or items are mispriced, be sure that everyone knows that there was a mistake made. Some people may have already bought the item in question, but you should make sure that everyone who may have even laid eyes on it is properly informed of the error and made aware of the correction.

Take it to the top. If you are not the president or CEO of the company, have them be the ones who sign off on it. Having the top of the heap be the bearer of the message will carry far more weight than the same message coming from some low level exec.

Balance the scales. No, you cannot sell a new Lexus for the aforementioned $4500, but you can compensate for the mistake by throwing in a few perks, such as free oil changes for the first year or a discount on accessories. Going the extra mile to try and make up for the mistake really polishes up the good old corporate image. Will it cost money? Yes, but it will pay off handsomely in the long run when it comes you customer satisfaction and retention.

Leave the lines of communication open. Nothing grinds my gears more than receiving an email from a company that cannot be responded to. Make sure your return email addy is one that gets delivered to a real person, preferably you, and make every effort to get back with anyone who contacts you.

Finally, how do you know when to send an apology? The common prevailing wisdom is that if something feels wrong, then it probably is and needs to be addressed. If you are genuinely unsure, however, ask yourself two questions:

1. Will my customers be inconvenienced if I do not send an apology?
2. Was the mistake serious enough to warrant a heartfelt apology?

If you answered yes to either of those questions (or both), then start writing. It’s time to make this thing right.

Finally, take the time to compose the apology carefully. Email is one of those forms of communication where, if it can be misconstrued, then it will be. Responding too quickly, in the heat of the moment, may actually produce counterproductive results. Compose your apology, walk away, and come back to it later. You can look at it with fresh eyes and gain a better perspective on what is working and what isn’t.

If you do email marketing long enough, you’re going to eventually screw up. Determine now just how you are going to deal with it, then go and do the right thing by your clients and by your company.

In the mid to late 90’s, if you didn’t have an e-mail address, people generally looked at you as if you were from the wrong planet. Now, nearly 20 years later, we have a generation wondering what exactly email is good for in an age of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media outlets, not to mention texting, which is probably the ultimate form of instant written communication.

It leads business owners to wonder if they aren’t beating the proverbial dead horse to a veritable pulp by going to the trouble of assembling and maintaining an email marketing list. Even this author has been guilty of neglecting my hard fought and won email list in favor of the more instantaneous social media avenues.

It’s not hard to see why. Social media paints a much more vivid picture of a given market as a whole. Just be spending time on Facebook, you can get instant feedback from a large number of people on a given topic, product, or service, as well as literally watch the market landscape change, ebb, and flow.

The smartest marketers out there will find a way to have the best of both worlds, integrating the tried and true (email) with the newest and more innovative forms of communication. How, you ask? Well, consider the following:

Make Your Social Presence Known. If you have an online presence for your company with say, Facebook, then start including a link to that page when you send out an e-mail blast. Invite your clients to come and join you on Facebook (or Twitter, or whatever the hot spot of choice is). Providing multiple avenues of conversation can only become a benefit, and may actually increase your online visibility. And the key word there is “conversation”… these channels should be a two way street between you and your customers, not just a pulpit from which you endlessly extol the many virtues of your company brand name.

Listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason…..to listen twice as much as we talk. Not sure what to craft for your next marketing blitz? Spend some time perusing your social media accounts. See what your customers are talking about (or arguing about, or complaining about). You have a perfect opportunity to remain relevant and engaged by addressing these factors in your next communication. Your customers will certainly appreciate the fact that you are responding to their concerns

Try Some Variety. Okay, so you have multiple channels of communication available to you. So now, instead of just sending out a mass e-mail to your list, you take the e-mail message ad repost it on Facebook, tweet it to all your Twitter followers……that’s effective, right? Well, not really. Who wants to get an e-mail about your lawn care company offering a new fertilizer service, and then log onto Facebook to read the exact same message again? It’s an old rule… avoid duplicate content. Make each of your channels, e-mail, direct mail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn… make them all different and unique, addressing a different aspect or angle of your business. Variety is the spice of life (to borrow a tired but true cliché’), and you can rest assured that it will keep your clients coming back and engaging. We all like to be where things are happening, and if it appears that your company has multiple balls in the air on a number of different fronts, it will generate interest.

If Something Works, Do It Again. You’ve spent a lot of time learning what works and what doesn’t as it applies to your email list. For example, subject lines. You need a line that is brief, catchy, and interesting… something to make people click on your message and read it. Facebook has the same thing, called a status update. I am constantly amazed at what people put out for the entire world to read (i.e. nobody cares if you had Froot Loops for breakfast this morning). All too often, the status update is the social media equivalent of watching somebody else’s home movies. You want to be different, eye catching, intriguing. You have a momentary opportunity to grab attention, particularly with people like me who peruse status updates rapidly and are very discriminating about what they will and will not click on. Adopt the same method that has served you well with subject lines, and you’ll see more visitors to your page.

Make Customers Work For You. I’m a firm believer that the best marketing you can ever hope for comes from your customers talking to each other, and they are no more likely to ever do this than they are through social media. If you own a pet supply store and have a corresponding Facebook page, then it’s a pretty good bet that at least a sizeable majority of the folks who “like” your site have, oh I don’t know, a pet! They have a common interest. You make a post about a new product and you will no doubt receive scores of comments from folks about that product, both pro and con. Don’t be afraid to share them through other venues. You can use a FB comment as a part of your next email blast, or in your next tweet, to tout the benefits of a given product. People will pay far more attention to their fellow customers than they will to you. Trust me on this one; I made a living through word of mouth for over twenty years.

Email is not becoming extinct. It is merely another step in the evolution of online marketing. There is no reason why it cannot be successfully integrated into newer forms of communication. We still use the phone don’t we? But it is a markedly different animal than it was when Mr. Bell made that first static filled connection.

Commit yourself to riding the crest of the wave in 2012!

Happy New Year! And welcome to 2012! Of course you are going to want to keep your business moving forward in the coming year, and part of that process will include staying on the cutting edge of marketing techniques, especially as they relate to your email lists. The last thing you want to do is fall off the crest of the wave and end up in the backwash of outdated or ineffective email marketing techniques.

Sixty five million years ago, the dinosaurs looked up and no doubt wondered about that big rock hurtling their way, and businesses that fail to stay abreast of current email marketing trends are destined for a similar extinction. Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and the phrase “that’s so 20 minutes ago” while often made in jest, actually carries with it a great deal of truth.

So, equip yourself for the coming year by exploring some of the latest and most effective options for enhancing your marketing efforts.

Text Marketing: Texting is the logical evolution of email, providing an even more instantaneous connection. Some of the newer programs send automated text messages to customers in their database, offering a gift card for a given amount in exchange for answering a question such as “What kind of car wash products do you use?” The answer given allows the company to even more accurately target the customer with specific deals or products.

Mobile Optimization: With the advent of the Smartphone and tablet devices in recent years, fewer people are spending their time retrieving emails by sitting in front of a computer screen. Mobile commerce is expected to increase significantly in the coming year, following a threefold increase in 2011. More and more retailers are optimizing their sites for mobile transactions, and more complex marketing efforts such as up selling, cross selling, and other promotions are being generated across mobile channels

Product Subscriptions: This technique allows customers to subscribe to receive a given product or service at regular intervals for a prearranged price. This allows the merchant to forecast revenues, establish recurring sales, and provide more effective inventory management (since they know approximately how much of a given product will be going out every month).

Triggered Emails: It sounds like we’ve wandered away from the e-mail field, but we haven’t gone very far. Triggered e-mails are messages sent to coincide with an event or announcement or product release, and were a very successful marketing tool during 2011. Triggered e-mails are sent based upon customer behavior or interaction, or lack thereof. Say a customer shops on a given site, fills his shopping cart with say, golf equipment, and then abandons the online cart without checking out. An email offering special discounts or other incentives may be sent to the customer to encourage him to return and complete his transactions. Triggered e-mails may also go out a week or so after a purchase has been made, offering special deals on related products.

Video Content: Online videos have been a part of email marketing campaigns for the last several years, but the medium still has not reached its full potential. The average internet user watches more than 20 hours of video content per month, so any company not utilizing video in their presentations is missing a rather large piece of the marketing puzzle.

Video is one of the best ways to present a product or service, and is generally accepted favorably by the majority of consumers. It offers easily acceptable and understandable product information, and is easily shared across various platforms such as Google+ or Facebook. This of course brings us to….

Social Media: In today’s society, if you don’t have a Facebook page, you’re almost looked at like a leper. With such an across the board acceptance of social media platforms, it is almost equally mind boggling that merchants would fail to take proper advantage of such an effective communication avenue. Emails should be properly marked with Facebook or Twitter icons, along with an invitation for your customers to “like” or “follow” your company. Of course any social media page should provide prominent opt ins for customers to submit their contact information as they wish. Done correctly, exposure through social media can spread your brand name almost exponentially, reaching far more people with a minimum outlay of time and effort.

The Good Old Fashioned Inbox: This may be a misnomer, as the e-mail inbox is a rapidly evolving tool, one that is becoming ever more effective at catching and filtering out spam. You will also find yourself competing with other companies who are utilizing the same approach. This is one area where you cannot ignore the power of quality, relevant content, as that is what will guarantee that your message will actually be read. Engage your clients and you will go much further than flashy slogans or over the top promises.

The New Year always brings with it the promise of a fresh start. Make sure your company takes the next step forward in its e-mail marketing strategies and enjoy a prosperous and successful 2012!

I used to manage my e-mail list meticulously, even down to going through it name by name and eliminating people that my gut told me probably wouldn’t qualify as long term subscribers. I included opt outs, and usually made mention in the body of the message that folks should feel free to let me know if they no longer wished to be on the list. I was also diligent and removed those folks who wanted to be removed for fear I would obtain a spammer reputation.

But despite my best efforts, I would still occasionally get those angry e-mails from people who thought I had gone too far, worn out my welcome, crossed the line, and for all I knew, probably beat on my own mother just for kicks. It really was quite amazing how intensely people responded when they got the impression that they were being spammed, and even more disappointing for me to think that I was being perceived as such.

Today’s lesson… sometimes you just can’t help it, and no matter what you do, you get the label of spammer hung around your neck like a three ton boulder, leaving mental images of you kissing your collective career goodbye. Is there any level of damage control that will work when you’ve been branded with the dreaded “S” word?

Whether the accusation is true or not, it should not be ignored. Enough complaints to your ISP will result in your internet service being shut down, your website yanked, or all of the above. Once the damage is inflicted, it is awfully hard to undo. Can you possibly take the necessary steps to prevent this from happening? And if not, how do you combat the false accusations when they do occur.

One thing to remember is that a lot of people sign up for e-mail lists and then forget about it. Six months later they are wondering why they are getting e-mails from a given outfit. I’m guilty of this myself, and I like to think I’m pretty thorough when it comes to e-mail issues. Moral: it happens to the best of us.

Also, forwarding is a big thing nowadays. Almost every morning I find myself cleaning out forwarded messages of all kinds from my inbox. Occasionally, the forward may look like it is coming from the company itself as opposed to a well meaning friend. Something like this could easily tick off the wrong person, they lodge a complaint, and then you’ve got problems.

About all you can do when you get these responses is to be proactive in responding to them. Promptly remove the person from your e-mail list, and send them a polite personal message, apologizing for the inconvenience and assuring them that you have heard their request and will honor it.

Of course there are methods by which you can be better prepared with regard to your e-mail database:

Don’t buy e-mail lists from companies. It takes longer, but suck it up and take the time to build your list on your own, one step at a time. Building any business endeavor takes time, but the end result is worth it and you will find your list to be more substantive and ultimately more productive for you, your product, and your business.

Make it at least a little difficult to get on your list. Have your webpage set up with an opt out button; basically making it a decisive action for the person to add their name and information to your database. Informed decisions go a long way towards cutting down on the number of irate folks that you will be hearing from (unless of course you go off the deep end and inundate them with useless info or otherwise wear out your welcome, but that’s another story…).

Give them every chance to back out. When you get an e-mail subscriber, if at all possible, send them a thank you message in return. The personal touch is always appreciated and makes people want to maintain the connection.

Don’t be a stranger. If you let a long time go by between mailings, you run the very real risk of people forgetting about you. Then, when they finally do hear from you, it comes off as unexpected and you end up looking like a garden variety spammer. If your product or service warrants it, then touch base with your clients every month or so. If you can send a birthday wish or Christmas e-card, do it. If you establish a relationship with your clients, then the business relationship runs so much smoother.

Whenever you do a mailing, include the URL where they initially signed up. This may serve as a reminder if they are scratching their heads trying to remember who you are. Place the URL near the “unsubscribe” feature to make things easier.

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, well, you get the rest. Don’t engage in activity that makes you look like a spammer. Avoid the cheesy, unrealistic subject lines, include a functional return address, as well as a real header. If your messages look professionally composed, with a personal touch, and coming from a reputable source, then you stand far less chance of your presence being rejected.

Even the best internet marketers may be occasionally tempted to go the email spam route. It doesn’t matter how well you’re doing or how spectacular the results, it only takes a lull or drop in business to trigger the desperation response and make otherwise lucid and intelligent individuals begin debating the merits of the cyber equivalent of a shotgun blast.

It’s only natural, I mean, more is better, right? The more names you get your brand in front of, the more lucrative the result, right? Can email spamming always be wrong? Or would it be okay to try, just this once? Before you load up and press send, read on. Hopefully it will change your mind.

For starters, none of us like email spam. We have to wade through enough of it on our own, and we know firsthand that it doesn’t get read and is nothing more than fodder for the delete button. So keep that in mind when you start thinking about inflicting it on others. But if you require an itemized list of reasons:

The Inevitable Response. Some people get down to their basic instincts pretty quick when it comes to spam, and the response they send you can be ambivalent at best and frightening at worst. In short, you’ll make a lot of enemies with this approach. Count on it.

The Technological Fallout. In this age of the internet, some people respond to spam in a more substantial way, namely the shutting down of your e-mail, your server, and quite possibly your ISP. You may also see issues with your phone and fax lines. Abuse is one thing, but the disruption of your ability to even conduct business is a whole new level.

Big Brother Is Watching. Most ISPs have policies against spamming. Get caught and don’t be surprised if they shut you down in short order. You’ll lose your internet access and quite possible access to your web site. It only takes once or twice before your business is irrevocably damaged.

Ethical Compromise. Email Spam is universally recognized as the lowest common denominator when it comes to e-mail marketing. It has a blanket negative connotation, and with very few exceptions, it is not going to be received positively. Granted, it is more expensive to utilize direct mail, radio or TV ads, magazines, newspapers, telemarketing, etc, but they are legitimate, straight up methods of marketing, and well worth the investment. Spam is a classic example of trying to get something for nothing, and of course we all know how well that normally turns out.

Legal Eagles. Some states have anti-spam policies. Is hitting the “send” button really worth ending up in a court of law or having to pay out enormous fines for pole vaulting over that legal line? ISPs have historically been able to make really good, solid cases against spammers, and the judgments passed have been, shall we say, considerable.

Your Professional Reputation. At the end of the day, a company’s success is by and large built on their reputation and good standing within the community and their industry. Garnering a reputation as a spammer drives every possible nail into the coffin of your good name. All you have to do is look at any major company such as Google, Facebook, GM, Delta, Wells Fargo, AT&T, etc, and see how many spam e-mail marketing campaigns they send out. Think on that for a minute.

Not Knowing Your Enemy. Companies that provide email lists for spamming purposes aren’t exactly the top of the food chain themselves. You may purchase a “targeted list” but in fact you may never know if the e-mails were ever even sent. Trying to hold the company accountable turns into an exercise in futility, with your phone calls going unanswered and no way to track down the people in charge who can tell you where your list went.

Guilt By Association. Much the way unscrupulous car salesmen forever tarnished the reputation of the automotive sales industry, so have spammer left a sizeable black mark on the marketing industry. It’s said that if you aren’t a part of the solution, then you are part of the problem. Participating in email spam guarantees that you are nothing more than part of the problem.

Profit Margin. I don’t care how many people take part, have you ever met anyone, from any company, that can show you some demonstrable success from a spam marketing campaign? I’ll make it easy for you, you won’t find it. True, the spam providers that make these e-mail lists available may be making money hand over fist, but for those of us trying to promote our products or service, there are no winners.

Make no mistake e-mail is a fantastic tool, one that can be used to great success in getting your message across to the masses. However, it also comes with a great deal of responsibility, taking care to make proper use of it and use it within acceptable parameters. Making sure your messages are properly targeted to the appropriate groups, and including luxuries such as “opt out” buttons are highly recommended. It may take a little longer, and there is still no guarantee of a major return on investment, however, your clients will see it as an example of your willingness to operate above board and by the rules.

Well, it’s the week of Thanksgiving, which means that most stores have had their Christmas decorations up some time since the middle of August. It seems to come earlier every year, and of course no business wants to risk missing out on the extra bump in numbers that always seems to occur around the Yuletide season.

It’s a fact, more and more companies are marketing for Christmas earlier in the season, and consumers seem to go right along with it. Studies show that more than two thirds of consumers are already holiday shopping, well before the national event known as Black Friday that has traditionally signaled the start of the shopping season.

So how to make the best use of this rush of Christmas retail cheer through your email marketing efforts? There are a number of ways, but the clock is ticking, so the time to begin is now.

Be Creative: Let’s face it, a lot of people disregard email promotions, but Christmas is THE hot buying season and folks are more prone to give you a shot at earning their business. So take advantage of it and punch up your email promotion with some eye catching graphics or fonts. Don’t worry about going overboard….nobody ever got ahead by playing it safe.

Countdown To The Day: Maybe one e-mail blast isn’t enough. If you don’t think you’ll wear out your welcome with your customers, opt for a series of email blasts every day or every other day leading up to Christmas. Take the opportunity to highlight special sales, incentives, or campaigns. If in doubt, “The
Twelve Days Of Christmas” is an ideal platform from which to launch your marketing efforts.

Catch Their Attention: Obviously the subject line is your single best shot for getting folks’ attention, so as always make it something that makes them want to open it and read further. Words like “sale”, “discount”, and especially “free” tend to work wonders.

Suggest A Gift: We all go through that whole “what to buy for the person who has everything” dilemma, so make some suggestions. You can also provide reviews for the products you are pushing in order to create value. Basically, do whatever it takes to spark an idea in the minds of your clients, ideally one that makes them think “that’s just perfect!”

Come Bearing Gifts: Suggestions are one thing, but offering a discount seals the deal. Either a special sale price, discounting shipping, or something free for every order over a given amount. You can also offer gift cards, which are easily emailed and can often be the perfect gift for those grouches that you can never seem to win with.

Know Your Audience: There are two types of Christmas shoppers, the efficient and the not so efficient. The efficient begin their holiday shopping on Dec 26 of the previous year. The not so efficient start putting their list together after work on Christmas Eve. Send messages addressing both types of shoppers. Early bird discounts are always in style, and for those of us who scramble last minute, knowing you still have a decent selection even at the eleventh hour is most appreciated.

Never Assume: Namely, never assume that the public stops buying at a given time around Christmas. There is a reason stores stay open on Christmas Eve, and some people even make purchases online on Christmas Day! Perhaps a series of triggered messages letting your customers know that you are, in a sense, even open on Christmas would go a long way toward putting a few more dollars in the bank.

Mine The Results: Look at what worked and what didn’t. What did people respond the strongest to? Were there certain links that generated more response across the board than others? Maybe a campaign for a given item worked well, or a gift suggestion guide increased sales across a number of fronts. Or maybe you noticed an uptick in business from a given demographic, say females 35 – 45. Whichever one(s) worked for you, make note of it for future use. Chances are you can get quite a bit of mileage out of it before the public buying habits change yet again.

Maximize Your Success: After Christmas, be sure to thank your customers with some additional goodies, such as special incentives or a New Year’s sale. If you picked up new subscribers, do something to make them feel welcome, such as a coupon good for a substantial discount on a popular item or service.

Don’t Bank On Christmas Alone: You have 364 other days in the year that you want to stay in business. You will no doubt pick up quite a few new customers from your holiday marketing efforts. Make sure that they know they are valued and welcome all year round. Go the extra mile to analyze and determine their needs for future email marketing campaigns.

Merry Christmas!

In every written communication there is always the one line where you want to make your strongest impression, and the world of email marketing is no different. Is it your opening statement? Closing remark? Something in the middle that seals the deal? Nope. In fact, your most important line isn’t found in the body of the message at all. It is your subject line, the only line that your recipients are guaranteed to see once they open their inbox.

With that one short line, you can spur their interest or bore them to tears. The choice is up to you. Mishandled, you will disappear into a yawn and promptly be relegated to the trash (or recycle bin or whatever they’re calling it these days). Properly composed and articulately expressed, you can have a substantial return on a very limited investment. It’s your move.

In order to help you along, here are a few tips for getting the most out of that one solitary line:

Nothing Is Certain: At the risk of starting off on a dour note, there is no surefire formula for subject line success. Just too many variables involved, not the least of which is a constantly changing court of public opinion, whims, and tastes. What may work one time will bomb the very next. A meticulously assembled and well written blurb may generate no reaction at all, while one composed as an afterthought pays off handsomely. That being said:

Support The B Line: If the subject line is the most important element, then the “from” line is a close runner up. Many readers check the “from” line before the subject line. People want to know that the message they are getting is from a reputable source, so when they check that secondary source, make sure it is from a genuine domain name, one that can be responded to. This is an excellent way of branding your email in another location and giving the message some added credibility.

Maximize The Space: Some email programs allow more space in the subject line than others, but most allow for about 50 characters. Sit down and determine how you can best describe the product of service being offered in 50 characters or less. It may sound like a small thing, but a subject line that runs off the edge (and into apparent infinity) is much less likely to be opened than one that is short, concise, and informative.

Personalize: This works wonders. Just having someone’s name on something automatically ups the chances of it being opened and read. Find a program that will allow you to personalize your email marketing efforts. Face it; do you open snail mail addressed to “occupant” or the one with your name on the front? Email is no different. Establishing a personal connection gets you one step closer to the sale.

A Sense Of Urgency: Many purchases are impulse, especially in scenarios where you can see and lay hands on a product. You can’t do that through email, so you have to find other ways of spurring folks to action. Instilling a sense of urgency is the cure here. Setting deadlines like “midnight tonight” or “last day to ensure Christmas delivery” are good. You may even want to utilize a series of emails, starting with “4 Days Left…” and ending with “24 Hours Remaining”. Nobody wants to miss a good deal, and an urgent reminder will often spur folks to take action.

Use Four Letter Words: “Free” is always a good one. It’s not a crime and it’s not false advertising, provided you are actually offering something of value to sweeten the deal, such as free shipping. Just don’t go overboard with exclamation points or all caps (both of which may trigger spam filters), but find a way to add something to make the product that much more appealing.

Ask A Question: Subject lines that pose a question, such as “Are you in debt up to your eyeballs?” or “Looking for the perfect anniversary gift?” are always good because in many cases, we’ve all been there and we want to know the answer. They will open your e-mail to get that answer. As always, make sure your message is relevant to the question asked. If people are asked about refinancing home loans and the message is promoting your home renovation business, you can count on being reported as spam.

Don’t Over Promise: One of my favorite ads was from a car dealership advertising “buy one car, get one free”, a claim that was so over the top that nobody in their right mind bought it, and the whole promotion laid a major egg. Same thing with email. Be honest in your subject line. Flashy come ons and unrealistic expectations will do nothing to grow your business; more likely it will back fire and you will spend months or even years recovering from the fallout. Make sure your subject line accurately reflects the content of the message.

To quote a tired cliché’, you have one chance to make a good first impression. The subject line is that first impression. Take your time. Think on it. And come up with something that will wow your customers and make them want to check you out.

When it comes to maximizing your email marketing list and furthering your brand name or product in the eyes of the public, you’d be amazed at just how many people go out of their way to get it wrong. This isn’t always intentional, but a mistake made in ignorance can be just as detrimental as something done with malice and forethought.

Proper etiquette and good manners play just as much a part in the online world as they do in the real one. You’ll be surprised at just how far some simple respect and courtesy will take you. Here are some common sense suggestions for making your job easier.

Always Ask Permission – I will never forget the first response I got from somebody whose email addy I put on my list without their permission. Let’s just say they were less than pleased, and not likely to do business with me. Always make sure your clients or potential clients are good with the idea of you contacting them from time to time.

Build Your Email Marketing List Yourself – Yes, this takes time, but it is infinitely more preferable than shelling out good money for somebody else’s list, many of which are from questionable sources, and are highly unlikely to produce good results (no matter how “targeted” or “specialized” the seller may claim them to be).

Building your own email marketing list results in quality contacts from people who have actually interacted with you and have demonstrated an interest in hearing from you again in the future. The most obvious benefit is a better experience for the target audience as well as a much higher conversion rate for your business.

Clear Your List Occasionally – Over time, some email addresses will become inactive, and you don’t want to be sending messages out into limbo. Make sure all addresses are valid before sending out a mailing, and you may want to send out a reminder every six months or so asking people to update their information or profile with you. If people unsubscribe to your list, make sure they are actually taken off; once people hit that unsubscribe button, they logically expect to never hear from you again.

Make Sure You Have Something To Say – Don’t just send out an email blast for the sake of having something to send. If you are running a special or a sale or just introduced a new product, that’s one thing, but stopping by just to say “hi” is always a waste of time and effort.

Don’t Assume That Permission Is Forever – Just because someone granted you permission to send them messages doesn’t mean that said permission will still be valid in a year or two. At least once a year, begin one of your messages with the reminder that “You are receiving this email because you signed up for the mailing list at yourname.com”. You should also give them the option to unsubscribe if they wish.

Never Remain Anonymous – Always include a genuine return email address, one that goes to a live person. This will go a long way towards establishing trust with your clients. A company domain name is one of the single largest trust builders you can ever hope for.

Keep It Simple – Plain text emails work best. Not everybody’s computer can handle some of the graphics-heavy messages that are received. What’s the point of sending a message if it isn’t going to be received?

Make Unsubscription Easy – This should preferably be a link that folks can click once and be done. Directing them to another page where they have to fill something out and enter information that you already have is nothing short of frustrating. Provide a simple opt out option.

Run Through The Spam Filter – Certain words or phrases are tripwires for spam filters, and could easily relegate your great and wonderful message to the trash heap. Before sending, run your message to spam filters such as Lyris’ Content Checker. This can tell you how the spam-bots will read and interpret your message. Eliminate questionable words or phrasing and rewrite your content accordingly.

Take It For A Test Drive – Send the message to yourself first, and then go through it, making sure
everything appears as it should, that links work properly, etc. The last thing you want is for eight thousand messages to go out before you discover that an important link is on the fritz. Trust me on this one.

Don’t CC Your List – Doing this means that everybody’s email address is visible to everybody else, and replies are also far more likely to be sent to everyone on the list. BCC is always the better choice, and whenever possible, you want to personalize your messages, something that is impossible to do when using the CC option.

Remember, make the experience as pleasant as possible for the end user. Take the time to compose and assemble your message, and make sure it works as it should before unleashing it on the unsuspecting public. The end result will be much better for you and your product or service.

For my own business, I always tried to get as much mileage out of my email list as I could. I never missed an opportunity to add someone to it, and sadly I did not always wait until I had their permission to do so. Sometimes unrequested adds work, but most of the time they just serve to tick somebody off. It took a while for me to develop an understanding of the practices deemed acceptable for growing my e-mail marketing list and coming by it honestly.

What follows are some suggestions designed to make your email marketing life easier, from those of us who have already experimented with doing it the wrong way a time or twelve….

Ask For It – You have not because you ask not. You want your website to have a form calling people to sign up to receive e-mail updates from your company. If it doesn’t cost them anything, they’re likely to do it. This form should be located on every page of your site with a prominent call to action.

Most email service providers, hereafter known as ESPs, offer some type of tool or program designed to help you create such a form and place it on your site. Once the form has been created, you may need to know some basic HTML in order to install it on your site. Again, place it on every page. You’ll be surprised at how many contacts you get through a simple online signup sheet.

Don’t Go Overboard – Do you remember the popular electronics chain that asked for everything but the name of your dog when buying a pack of batteries? Nobody wants to do business like that, and they certainly don’t want to give up personal information like phone numbers and ages until they’ve established a measure of trust with you. So keep the sign up process simple. All you really need is a name, email address, and maybe their city of residence. If you coordinate e-mail with snail mail projects, then you should certainly ask for a mailing address.

If you treat your prospective customers with respect, then they will eventually share more information with you when you have properly earned their business.

Make It Personal – Sending mass emails can be just a tad impersonal, which is one of the reasons that many of us, this author included, simply trash them without ever opening them. People are much more likely to open a message that has their name on it, so make use of a program that allows you to personalize each email. You may see your rate of response jump as much as 30%.

Make It Part Of The Process – If you are an online retailer, have a place in the checkout process where people can enter their email address to be informed on future deals, sales, etc. If someone has already demonstrated a measure of trust in you by purchasing from your site, they are much more likely to continue that relationship by providing their contact information. Have the option for them to include addresses or phone numbers, but keep it just that, an option. Never try to force someone to give up more than they feel comfortable with.

Keep It To Yourself – One of the main reasons that people don’t sign up for e-mail lists is the threat of having that information sold. Nobody likes telemarketing calls at dinner, nor do they enjoy wading through e-mails advertising products they will never use every time they turn on their computer.

When someone gives you their email information, think of it as a sacred trust. Betraying that trust will do nothing to garner you their future business. Develop a privacy policy which clearly states that you will not transfer or sell their email address to any other parties, and display that policy prominently on your site. And then, keep your word.

Make Use Of Offline Sources – if your business exists in the “real world” (i.e. people can walk in), be sure to have a signup sheet by your checkout where people can leave their information if they wish. Update your email list once a week and be sure to send each person a message thank them for their business or for visiting your establishment.

Snail Mail – Speaking of which, nothing beats a good old fashioned organic mail out, something people can actually put their hands on and read. You can advertise your product or business, and direct people to your website where they can leave their information. You’d be surprised at just how many email addys you can scarf up through this process.

So yes, there are all kinds of ways to build up your email marketing list. Just remember the key word…respect. Respect your customers, don’t wear out your welcome in their inbox, and don’t pass their information on to third parties. Treating people right will not only get you business once, but most likely several times over.