7 Tips
for Responsible Direct E-mail Marketing
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Direct Mail
by Scott T. Smith
Are you reluctant to use unsolicited e-mail to contact
new prospects? You should be. The last thing you want is irate people
launching terrible 'flame campaigns' against you.
But - if you use e-mail the right, non-intrusive way,
you can make a lot of money and keep perfectly safe in the process.
In this section we'll reveal how to use email to your profitable advantage,
without getting flamed.
The Right Way to Use E-mail for Marketing
There is only one 'right' way: use it with a list of prospects who
have contacted you first. Here's why...
Your contacts will not complain about receiving valuable
information from you. They welcome the opportunity to receive:
- last minute reminders
- special offers
- hot information about new products
- news 'from the front lines' of their industry
The following is a list of key tips to keep in mind:
- Capture Addresses
You can only e-mail your customers if you have their addresses,
so start collecting them now. Make sure there is a prominent place
for an email address on all customer response forms you use -
online and off-line.
-
Use ASCII Text Only
Keep it simple. Include lots of white space in your messages.
Use headlines and sub-headlines. Don't overuse WORDS IN ALL CAPS.
Make it easy to scan and to read.
-
Use Wide Margins
Limit yourself to 64 characters or less per line.
-
Deliver Your Most Important Information First
Key benefits and sales points must be communicated in the first
screen people read.
-
Make The Subject Line Your Headline
This is what people see first. If it's strong, crisp, and compelling,
they'll open your e-mail. Concentrate on this all-important element.
-
Short Is Better
Unlike other kinds of sales writing where long copy outsells short
copy, the standard for e-mail is different. Think about the way
you sort through e-mail, especially when you have a backlog of
messages. Online, time is often too short. Respond to this new
business medium.
-
Test
Gauge your response by testing one element of your e-mail at a
time. Start with the subject line. Test headlines, body copy,
layout, and the PS. at the end. Successful marketing copy is always
tested, one element at a time.
Today the largest companies online including Apple,
Excite, Intuit, Microsoft, Symantec, Yahoo! and many, many more are
using acceptable and responsible commercial email. If they can do
it, YOU can do it.
