It’s crazy how many spammy emails we get each day.
Each morning when I come to work and open my email I seem to have a handful of spammy, unlovable emails filling my inbox. Mind you, being an email marketing consultant, I can’t bring myself to just dump them into my trash bin. I am actually curious to how the subject line got through, what the return email address is, how the email displays in my email window, how many highlighted or bold words are used, and all the other nerdy stuff that email marketing consultants find fascinating (fist bump to all you who feel me).
I get tired of the spammy emails that make me think “Really?... Really?” Do they really think I am going to respond to this or even open it? Could they just be real for a moment?
What really blows my mind is that businesses are actually paying money for an email marketing consultant to send this spammy email - like it’s an effective marketing tool. Although there may be a small percentage that actually work, overall it makes me sad for them. There is a better way!
It’s like the dorky guy in the movies who always uses the cheesiest or sleaziest pick up line to try to get the girl. If he would just stop and be himself, he might just get a few second glances and even a first date!
Here are 5 tips from your email marketing consultant on how to make love, not spam:
#1- Send something helpful and valuable.
Before you even start an email or an email campaign decide on your goal. What do you have to offer and what do you want your recipients to do? If you have a free consultation you are offering, then how do you want them to sign up? If you have just published a great eBook that will provide your contacts with helpful tips and tricks, then send a direct link to the eBook on your website. Make it helpful and make it actionable.
#2- Use an email a person can actually reply to.
The no-reply email is a surefire way to get the "I'm not even going to acknowledge you" response from a contact. Please don't use a no-reply if you actually want to build a relationship with leads. Your email marketing consultant should know this! It's also crucial to use a legitimate and professional sounding email address. Have you ever judged an email, not on the subject line, not on the content, but on the sender's address? When an email from salesman@awesomeness.com comes through, I'm pretty sure it won't get a second glance.
#3- Use a template that is professional and shows off your brand.
Adding just a touch of design, branding or even just an image can spice up a plain ol’ black and white text email. But don’t get too carried away. Using yellow highlights to make your text “pop” may not be such a great idea and sometimes using 5 different fonts in one email can give your contact a headache. If you are trying to be helpful with your offer and your content, help out by providing something that is easy on the eyes and pleasing to the soul. Adding your company logo, a relevant image, and easy to read text is a great start.
#4- Use language real people use.
Don’t fill your email with industry terms that make people’s heads spin. Be a real person talking to another real person. Yes, you have something helpful to offer (if you are following tip #1), so sound helpful. Your email doesn’t need to come across as too generic or too technical for your audience. Another way to spice it up is to do something fun, but creative in your writing to capture the attention of your reader. Check out this example of a great email from JetBlue.
#5- Send to people who are actually interested!
This is a big one. We are a boutique marketing agency, I am not interested in commercial solar power panels and I definitely didn’t sign up for the Rolex watch deal of a lifetime. I do, on the other hand, understand why my email is on the list for the plethora of spammy emails offering the next best thing in SEO services and the bazillions of new software options to make my life easier.
All this said, email marketing is waaayyyy more effective when your list of leads is an interested or “warm” lead list. If you are interested in how you acquire such leads, check out our blog on Inbound Marketing and how you can use Inbound strategies to get more leads who are likely to become customers. After all, isn’t that what your email marketing consultant should be doing for you?
Related Articles:
Inbound vs. Outbound Lead Generation Techniques
5 Questions You Should Ask When Choosing an Email Marketing Consultant
