email marketing

If you already have an email list to work with, you’re ready to roll. If not, then you can either build one or buy one. The problem with buying lists is that they’re often outdated and ineffective, and could get you in trouble with spamming regulations and get you blacklisted from your email service provider. For some organic ways to build lists, click here.

Create a strategy based on specific objectives. This strategy will determine the content and frequency of your emails as well as the list segment you’re targeting. For example, an email campaign to existing customers will have different content and frequency than one targeting new prospects.Sending too often could make you look like a stalker but sending too infrequently can result in missed opportunities. Each business objective you have will probably require a different strategy.

Now that you’ve got your strategy, it’s time to write some emails. The content and frequency will depend on your strategy. For example, the emails sent to existing customers will have different content and sending frequency than those sent to new prospects. For most marketers the email writing step is the hardest and most time consuming. Subject lines are vital to getting your emails opened. Too many images or links can get your email flagged as spam. Spelling and grammatical errors can be fatal!

To send bulk email you need an email service provider (ESP) and some form of email sending and tracking software. There are many options at different price points to choose from. In most cases a tool like Mailchimp will get the job done for free or at a low price, depending on the quantity of emails you’re sending. If you’re sending tens of thousands of emails regularly, you can find more cost effective solutions. Most importantly, you want to find a solution with a high deliverability rate that’s easy to use. To read a PC Magazine guide to choosing an ESP and email software click here.

Your email marketing software will track email opens and link clicks. It should also have the ability to let you schedule emails based on the actions taken by recipients. For example, you can schedule a follow up email to be sent in 4 days to all those who did not open your email and another email, with very different content, to be sent in 3 days to those recipients who clicked a link in your last email.

It would be great to set your email sequence on autopilot and forget about it. But that’s not how it works. After you analyze the results of a particular send, you’ll probably want to make some adjustment or take some specific actions. For example, you might see that someone has opened an email several times and click on multiple links and decide that the situation warrants a personal message or phone call follow up. Alternatively, you might want to remove people from the list who have never opened any of your emails. When it comes to email marketing, the best results come with constant attention and customization.