The last two decades have been exciting times for marketers with the establishment of new communication streams including social media and search engine marketing.

Email has been around even longer, having been invented by Ray Tomlinson in 1972, and email marketing is now a staple of marketers. It is probably the cheapest and easiest way to communicate your message quickly to a wide audience. Here at Creation we have years of experience in email marketing, so here are a few tips we have picked up along the way.

1)    Get the Right Database

Data is the most valuable commodity in the world of marketing. That’s why websites like to collect data, and why databases are sold to marketing agencies for large sums of money. There is no point creating the right message but targeting it to the wrong audience, so having a relevant, up-to-date database is vital. The best data comes from your existing customers who have opted in. If you really must buy data, do so with caution.

2)    Subject Line

To get through filters, and to make recipients more likely to open, avoid words such as ‘free’ and ‘discount’, which may mark your email out as spammy. Even using the word ‘office’ can be problematic, as this may be picked up as an out-of-office. But don’t just take our word for it, see what the experts have to say. Mail Chimp labs has now released this cool subject line researcher.

3)    Proofing

Imagine sending out an email to all your clients and contacts telling them why they should choose your company, but there are mistakes in it! To avoid this, check and double check absolutely everything, not just the copy. A typo is bad enough but at worst you could use the wrong links which will waste your leads and look incredibly unprofessional.

4)    Treat your Leads with Respect

Cleansing your database regularly is important, you don’t want to send emails to employees who don’t work there anymore, or even worse, people who are dead! Just because you might be able to get two email addresses doesn’t mean that you need to send two emails. Treat your leads with respect, if you annoy people they will unsubscribe.

5)    Calls to Action

Most likely your email will have a purpose – you want someone to buy one of your products, or visit your website. Assume that the reader needs to be guided every step of the way, with the strongest possible signals to show them what they should do next. Known as your calls to action, phrases such as ‘buy now’ & ‘request a quote’ are really important. Most of all, make sure your call to action is large and positioned after your main text - you'd be amazed at the difference the location of the call to action makes.

If you need help with your email marketing campaigns, contact Creation Media today and we can help you get the right message to the right audience at the right time.