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Follow These E-Mail Marketing Tips in 2007

From address — It's best to send the e-mail from someone the target knows; the second-best is from an organization or product he or she knows. Some 22% of e-mail readers don't open e-mails from individuals whose names they don't recognize.

Copy — Test and test again. Some people prefer short copy on the e-mail and a longer, more complete explanation of the product on the landing page and vice-versa for others. Which you go for depends on the type of product, target market price, familiarity with the product, promotional history, etc. Test both and see which works best. Whichever you opt for, use short sentences and short paragraphs. Be personal and direct — you only have a few seconds (or less) to continue reading and less than 30 seconds for them to click your link.

Linking — Always have click-throughs go to a dedicated landing page all about the offer; don't risk losing them on your home page. Test where to put the links — too early and they are not yet sold; too late and they've moved on. Put the link in more than once in longer e-mails.

Testing — Test something with every campaign and make sure you test the things that will have the greatest effect first.

Timing — Avoid Monday mornings and Friday afternoons in most markets. Make sure you mail during the workday and split your file by geographic area and time your deliveries during the working hours of the time zone your are hitting.

Spam — While convention has it that you should avoid words like "free," "save" and "special offer," the sales power of those words may be strong enough to overcome the high attrition rate from spam filters. A high response from a smaller resulting pool of successful deliveries may be worth it. Again, test.

Privacy — Always have an opt-out and take action on those requests promptly. Include a postal mail address as an opt-out option.

E-mail Service — Don't send out e-mail campaigns yourself — it isn't worth the risk of getting your server blacklisted. Use an e-mail broadcast vendor. They are cost effective and have additional functions and reporting that will be helpful.

Have a happy-email day! - Vance