Posted on February 20, 2013 by Webfor

Think your email inbox is just a tool for person-to-person communication? Think again. The strength of email marketing lies in maintaining established relationships using a fresh stream of engaging data on a consistent basis, delivered directly to your clients’ inboxes. Whip up a must-click newsletter and get ready to bedazzle your captive email audience.

Why Opt-In?

Ever play “follow the leader”? Your opt-in list is your very own band of followers, people who have chosen to hop onto your business bandwagon. By providing an easy-to-find-and-use opt-in button on your business site, you give clients, current and potential, the option to accept your email stream and allow you VIP access to their inboxes. While a spammer sending unsolicited email burglarizes his way into a client’s online living room, you, by using opt-ins, are invited in through the front door.

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Once users have decided that your voice is one worth listening to, they will want to know more about you and the direct benefits of your services. Because your opt-in list includes potential as well as longtime clients needing reasons to continue to engage with your business, your content must satisfy both audiences.

Create a Campaign

An opt-in list full of eager eyes is nothing more than that without a goal-oriented transmission. Predetermine your email marketing objectives before putting together your content. Strengthening customer loyalty and obtaining direct responses from customers are two primary goals of email marketing, and both must be kept in mind when structuring your e-blasts.

Why Should They Care?

This is a great question to ask yourself when coming up with content. After all, you are a privileged guest in a user’s inbox. Respect the hospitality you have been shown and don’t waste anyone’s time with idle chatter and long-winded entries. Keep the following in mind when writing email marketing content:

Brevity is the soul of wit: Written content should be concise and informative. Discounts, limited-time offers, and upcoming events can be covered in a few sentences. Bonus points for a tone of voice that reflects your team or corporate character. Remember that you are engaging human beings, not cold, unfeeling inboxes. All the social skills that you utilize in conversation with a prospective client or friend apply.

Exclusive means exclusive: Oh, the appeal of insider access! Pamper your opt-ins with tidbits that they can only get from you. Coupons, product previews, and special access to events are all great ways to engage your audience and make them feel like privileged VIPs.

Great content must pair with usable structure. Consider the following tips to create top-notch mailers:

Clear, attention-grabbing subject line

Excellent content (see above)

Message constructed using the “pyramid method,” with the most important information listed first.

Format that includes “to”and “from” lines, subject line, the offer, the body copy, the message copy, message personalization, and targeting.

Signature including your personal information, company details, and an opt-out link, just in case.

Choose a Service

With a plethora of effective (and, in the case of MailChimp, adorable) e-mail marketing services available, sharing your business has never been easier.

MailChimp, for instance, offers free premium, high-quality templates for HTML code, as well as iPhone and Android applications and push technology, which allows you to monitor subscribers marked as VIP. MailChimp can be integrated into services such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Suite, SurveyGizmo, Amazon and Ebay.

Other excellent services include Campaign Monitor, which features a highly-optimized main dashboard for easy management of its superior features, including integrated analytics and e-commerce. Constant Contact takes a more social route and relies on referrals from Facebook. This service offers a low-tech e-marketing option with a customer service team available by phone and a wide variety of templates.

Other worthy options include iContact, the champion of timed auto-responses, and AWeber, which allows you to run A/B testing for its unique sign-up forms. Whatever service you choose, make sure that you leverage your business needs with available tools for an optimal e-marketing experience.

Tend Your E-Garden

Your email list is an ever-evolving organism that requires care and pruning. Trim your list depending on your circumstances and break down longer lists into small segments for targeted initiatives with personalized messages. Be sure to prune away the “dead branches,” or people who no longer read or respond to your messages.

Businesses new and old, large and small can benefit from a targeted email marketing campaign. By monitoring your list and blasting opt-ins with only the most valuable tips, coupons, and well-composed messages, you will engage your users and promote your business from the inside out.

Also read: Thinking Selfishly is Key to Effective Content Marketing