Nov 30, 2014
Delivering an exceptional email campaign is a bit like throwing a great dinner party. You need to know your audience, design a great menu, use fresh ingredients and serve it all up with appealing plating for mouth-watering success.
When you get it right, you’ll improve relationships, wow your target audience, and earn your place among the pantheon of expert e-party throwers!
Click through for starter tips on how to serve up asuccessful email campaign.
The first thing to figure out is who your target audience is. Organically grown lists are best. A few starter tips include:
Add a prominent subscribe button to your website Collect email addresses at events, POS, anywhere you have a presence Invite your LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook friends to join your list Include forward to friend and subscribe links on all emails
Make sure subscribers know what they’re opting into when they sign up and send anyone who subscribes a well crafted welcome letter with useful links and information.
Be creative, persistent and patient. And remember, CAN-SPAM laws are not just the law—they’re good manners to be taken to heart!
WHO’S COMING TO DINNER?
E-newslettersMonthly E-tipsNew Media ReleasesE -performance reportsE-vitesE-alertsGift GuidesElectronic Press Kits
Once you know your audience, think about what type of email you can send that will be sure to please. Remember, content is king so serve up something that will truly be appreciated.
Whether you’re serving them quarterly, monthly, weekly or daily, every email you send should be appealing and highly valued.
And, get creative!
WHAT’S ON THE MENU?
Today, it’s easier than ever to create and share innovative content so don’t be timid—spice it up with video, images, slideshows, tactical tips, blog posts, social media components, related links and more!
Content that is shareable and transferable is in high-demand so make yours share-worthy with exceptional info and creative packaging.
USE FRESH INGREDIENTS
Now you’ve figured out who and what you’re serving and created a terrific e-dish with innovative ingredients. Next up: an enticing design. There are a lot of design based rules that impact whether or not your email is delivered and how it renders once recipients receive it. Above all, every email you send should look good through the preview pane even with images blocked.
A few tips every host should know are:
Keep your text to image ratio around 60/40 Avoid too many capped letters Stay away from web buttons and try plain text links instead Follow your branding initiatives so your brand stands out in the inbox
PRESENTATIONS THAT ENTICE
Good email should use color, pattern, attention-grabbing headlines and text, and interesting graphics that help tell your story. Above all, follow your branding initiatives so your brand stands out from inbox clutter. And keep the message clutter-free with clear and concise calls to action.
A SAMPLE PLATTER
From New Media Releases made with fresh headlines and background info, to Monthly tips designed to delight your customers and prospects, to Media Watch Reports cooked up to deliver your good news to an internal audience, our serving suggestions will help you get your party started…
Serving the Media? Try a New Media Release to stand out from newsroom clutter. To get started, you’ll need:
One great story
Search Engine Optimized release with attention-
grabbing headline
Large Dose of backgrounders, Bios &
other related links
Contact info
Liberal use of downloadable images
Dash of Video
Well branded design
One Social Media bookmark
Sphere link (optional)
Well targeted list of journalists
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Click here to view
example
Looking for something customers and prospects can sink their teeth into? Video is a great way to establish your brand as a terrific resource and innovator. You’ll need:
Large dose of expertise in your field
You-tube quality video, 2-3 minutes
Video player that lets recipients Down-
load, view, embed or just share
Short write up highlighting key tactical
tips
Sidebar links with related info
Branded, eye-catching design
Forward to Friend link
Share link
Clean list of customers and prospects
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Click here to view example
Media coverage including links to video,
print and on-line coverage (ad equivalency optional)
Video and audio highlights
Links to recent news releases
Images from recent event or new staff
Tactical tips sections
Social Media footprint inviting
recipients to befriend you
Info on social media coverage
Featured blog post
Do your bosses, co-workers, clients and Board appreciate your accomplishments and know what you do? Enhance corporate communication by sending frequent reports that detail your accomplishments. Consider adding:
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Click here to view example
DESSERT ANYONE?
Just because you’ve sent the email doesn’t mean the party is over. Make sure to share your great content and spread it around the web—drop it on your blog and your Facebook page, tweet about it, upload it to linkedIn and use sites like Slideshare, Viddler or YouTube to create new friends and share more content.
It may take a little time and perseverance before your target audience will appreciate your e-brilliance, but if you create great content and share it generously the success will come!
Get in touch if you would like more information about how PWR New Media can help you cook up successful email campaigns.
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