Volume 1 How to make e-Mail marketing work

At a time when many tactics are falling flat, e-Mail marketing to in-house lists is a stellar performer. Unlike a traditional direct-mail campaign which can be expensive and take months to execute, you can undertake an e-Mail campaign in two weeks or less and see almost immediate results for a fraction of the cost of going postal. Best of all, e-Mail solicitations incur higher response rates. Many marketers are experiencing consistent click-through rates of 7-8 percent and as much as 25 percent on some standout campaigns.

Build Your List
While quality opt-in rental lists abound, right now marketers nationwide are experiencing better results from in-house lists. This may be due to the proliferation of spam that's causing customers to tune out all but the most recognizable communications. Creating a permission-based list guarantees that your recipients will appreciate what you send. You can contact your customers individually for permission to add them to your list. Or if you're a retailer, you can capture e-Mail addresses at checkout.

To encourage prospects to sign up for your mailings, prominently place a registration box near the top of the main page of your Web site and provide an incentive to register — this can be anything from gaining free, helpful information to winning a prize. The shorter the form, the more likely visitors are to sign up. So keep it simple. If you must gather more information, place a longer form deeper in your site. And just to play it safe, maintain dated records of all registrations.

What to Send
Your e-mail program can consist of solicitations, e-newsletters or a combination of both. E-newsletters are a terrific way to bring visitors to your site, position your business as an important customer resource, and enhance the perceived value of your products or services. They allow you to get information to your customers, plus receive their feedback and learn more about them.

There are two common formats: either a full article on a single topic, or several short blurbs with varying content. Whichever you choose, an overall length of 500-600 words is best. Begin with a consistent masthead that has the name of your newsletter and company, issue date, and a hyperlink to your site. If you choose to use one long article, break up your copy with subheads and brief blocks of related text that contain links to your site. For e-newsletters made up of a variety of short blurbs, be sure to include links back to your own site as well as the URLs where readers will find the full stories. To build two-way communication, encourage feedback and regularly survey your list to ensure your newsletter continues to meet customers' needs.

What to Write
For a successful e-Mail solicitation, create a subject line that includes a benefit and relates specifically to your offer, such as, "Stay warm in all-weather gear." Begin your copy with a strong hook — the most important part of your e-mail — that's provocative enough to compel readers to continue. Next, keep the body of your e-mail to just two or three short paragraphs. The best length is under 250 words. For maximum results, make sure your e-mail solicitation contains everything recipients need to take advantage of your offer. And close with a call-to-action that tells readers what to do next, along with hyperlinks that enable them to do it.

Just like in direct mail, a PS at the end of your e-mail can help get attention, since most recipients will read it before they look at the body copy. So use it to highlight your offer and tie in with your hook.

When to Mail
To avoid list burnout, it's best to mail company e-newsletters once per month, with the exception of those that carry timely news. Send e-mail solicitations no more than once a week, and always include a link to unsubscribe from your list. And here's a final tip - studies show that e-mail solicitations sent early in the week fare best, while newsletters, which are often saved for evening and weekend reading, earn higher readership when received toward the end of the workweek.