E-Mail Marketing Lessons

By Sarah Barber

What follows are some pearls I pass along to clients when appropriate [about their e-mail marketing].

Pay Attention to the Subject Line
This medium has been around for about nine years and marketers continually make this the last minute, throw-something-together part of the campaign and it ends up being flat. Advice: State a benefit to the receiver in the subject line.

Always Test Something. Anything.
Audience? Test different targets/segments or different list sources. Offer? White paper versus free consultation, free shipping versus percent off. Creative? Subject lines. Advice: Create a test matrix that maintains a constant while testing variables.

Have Support Systems and Long-term Plans in Place Before Sending Your E-Mail
Can your site handle the traffic that day? Is the registration page functioning? What is the process the leads will encounter to maximize conversion rates? Advice: Think like a boy scout and be prepared.

Make Time and Leave Time
Many marketers who use e-mail marketing attempt to create a mind-blowing campaign out of last minute planning. I estimate that 50 percent of all campaigns I’ve worked on have endured 11th hour changes that has caused delays (copy, expired offer, new target added, etc.) Advice: At minimum, leave six weeks to be sure you create a solid e-mail campaign that complements your complete marketing strategy and allows time for unexpected delays.

Use an Experience List Broker
A broker is worth its weight and will supply you a thorough selection of lists, its experience with the lists, ensure you are CAN-SPAM compliant, run your creative through anti-spam filters and provide accurate reporting on opens and clicks (in some cases, conversions where after the click tracking is possible). Advice: Ask fellow marketers for their recommendation.

Have one Clear Call to Action
Many marketers try to fit in many objectives to an e-mail. Advice: Focus on one call to action per message and no more than five links.

Use E-mail for Good
This is a terrific tactic that can be cost effective if done correctly. Be careful about over mailing as it not only hurts your brand but it also hurts the medium. Those are the biggies from my experience in e-mail marketing over the last seven years. We’ll see if it takes another seven to see me again in these pages.

Sarah Barber is vice president of acquisition solutions at info USA Inc.’s Yesmail,Portland, OR. Reach her at sarahb@yesmail.com.