The effectiveness of your emails once they are sent is critical to your campaign’s success. Generally, 
most marketers spend their time on the message and creative execution. Seems obvious, nothing new here. But, building toward gigantic success requires attention to detail behind the scenes. I heard you sigh! Not only are admin duties not glamorous, they are efforts least recognized by those who don’t know any better (let’s say your management).
Tending to basic administrative tasks and really understanding government regulations, however, will boost your email campaigns into the stratosphere and get you the personal and professional recognition you deserve as a first-class marketer.
Some of these tips serve as reminders of what you probably haven’t done in a while. Others you may have totally neglected.
· Clean your email lists: While a “dirty” list is not useless, it certainly is not going to deliver great results. I had a client who mailed to a somewhat sizeable, though undifferentiated, list many times and couldn’t figure out why no one would sign up for her classes. Simple: crappy list. I suggested she do an electronic survey to see what these people really wanted so future messages would deliver more effectively. Worst case, we would find out the list was plain terrible, scrap most of it and go into rebuild mode. Give those on your list multiple chances to engage with you, provide feedback or opt-out. Survey them once a year to see if they should still be on the list. Move non-buyers to a separate list. Capture as much data over time to create highly segmented lists. Rinse and repeat.
· Prepare for list churn: No matter what you do, a percentage of subscribers will opt-out. Make sure you respect their wishes, but before you let them go, make a parting offer for them to stay engaged. The offer could be a free report, special discount on a product or service—some compelling offer making it worth their while to stay. If they still say no, let them go and take them off your list.
· Let recipients manage their subscriptions: Give your subscribers/customers the tools they need to manage their own subscriptions. Include a link in each email that lets them change their profile to suit their needs. Make it easy for them to do this as well as easy to contact you with problems.
· Focus on list quality vs. quantity: A huge list gives you bragging rights and some leverage for joint venture email campaigns, but a smaller, higher quality list can actually generate more sales—if you know who is on the list and how they got there. High value targeting to a small list is more enviable than quantity of names. Build for quality and over time you’ll have the quantity, too. In the end, you’ll have better response rates and much greater success.
To learn more about Internet marketing and search engine optimization, visit my site at www.strategywriter.com. Sign up for Strategy Writer News, a free newsletter loaded with proven electronic marketing tips and techniques.
Send your questions to deb@strategywriter.com.
To learn more about Internet marketing and search engine optimization:
5 ways to keep email customers happy
Organize your email list for effective marketing campaigns
Rise to the top by creating online credibility
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