Email Marketing: How to do it right...and wrong

I'm one who believes email is still a viable marketing tool that, when combined with a blog, can really supercharge your marketing efforts.

Email Insider has a great post on how to do email right. The blogger, Melinda Krueger, makes several good suggestions:

1. Use an ESP (Email Service Provider) - A couple of good ones I recommend for small business are Constant Contact and Vertical Response. I've used both of those with great success. Presently, for my wife's home staging business, I'm using VR. I find it to be versatile and easy to use. We create our newsletter using Dreamweaver and VR makes it easy to upload the HTML file. Plus, it gives better than adequate reporting metrics.
2. Create a great user experience
3. Build your list, online and off - Krueger says to use a variety of media to promote the newsletter. That's one reason I like to using a blog, to cross-promote the newsletter.
4. Consider frequency - How often to mail is a sticky wicket. I once worked for a non-profit that would over-mail the list incessantly. As a result, we experienced a high burn-out rate. The negative consequences of over-mailing are manifold: You'll burn out your list pretty quickly causing recipients to either unsubscribe or (and this is the more likely case) sequester your message to the deleted mail folder. Personally, I think once a month is sufficient for most businesses with the occasional special promotion thrown in.
5. Repeat site nav in the email - Krueger suggests that users may have interest in your company beyond the email itself, so having your Web site main navigation as part of the template is a good thing. Plus, using an ESP like Vertical Response, you can keep up with the click-thru rates.
6. Define goals and measure progress - I follow trends over time for open rates, click-thrus and unsubscribes. My wife and I spend considerable time testing subject lines and message content to find a formula that works.

Now, that's how to do an email marketing campaign that works. Following is an example of how to do one that doesn't.

The largest CAN-SPAM penalty to date has been levied against Sili Neutraceuticals for making false claims about a dietary supplement in its emails, $2.6 million.

The Las Vegas, Nev. company "falsely advertised the products," claiming that the supplement Hoodia could cause people to lose as much as 40 pounds a month, and that "human growth hormone supplements can reverse aging." (And they actually expected people to believe that tripe!?!)

To add insult to injury, the company failed to offer an opt-out mechanism. D'oh! While the CAN-SPAM act doesn't require email campaigns to be opt-in, they do require opt-out. To not contain that option is just asking for trouble.

So, here's an example of how to email right, and how NOT to do it right. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on how you use email and what you consider to be best practices.

Comments

[Rachel - www.stagedmakeovers.com]

Thanks for sharing this perfectly timed information. We were just dicussing changing our newsletter options. I think that you advice will help play a part in our decision. Thank you!

[The Mountain Queen]

I'd like to add that one of the secret benefits of e-mail marketing is that you can refine your marketing messaging based on the response. Who needs focus groups anymore?