Email Marketing in 2013

Make 2013 your best year ever for email marketing.  From sending simple newsletters to utilizing massive automated email campaigns, now is the time to really connect with your audience.  

Take advantage of the ability to integrate social media into your email marketing, as well as having great reporting tools to determine the success of your campaigns.  Look at new marketing channels as increased opportunities to broadcast your message, not as detriments to email marketing.

Be sure to display consistent marketing collateral across all channels. The more your message matches up, the more likely people are to listen and trust it.

Here are just a few resolutions all email marketers should make in 2013 to make the most of their marketing campaigns.

1.  Don’t spam.  Spam is typically defined as unsolicited email, but many email recipients will feel spammed if you send them too many emails, even if they signed up to receive them.  What is the perfect amount of email to send to your lists? This will depend on the type of email and who you are sending them to, but many companies have found that fewer emails can lead to higher click-through rates and lower unsubscribe rates. For example, a weekly email would be less intrusive than daily emails.  You can always make daily emails an optional feature.

2.  Create better email lists.  This means building lists with people who have opted in to your emails and are more likely to click through them.  How can you build lists that are more likely to be clicked on? 1) Be sure your email sign up is prominent on your website and social sites, 2) Segment your email lists and create more targeted emails, and 3) If you choose to purchase leads, choose your lead provider carefully and don’t send too many emails to the list you purchase.

3.  Create better emails.  Whether you are sending coupons, information, or a company newsletter, try to make the content interesting, brief, and arranged in an appealing format.  Images should all include alt tags, because many email providers (like Gmail) will not automatically display images but will show the alternative text.

4.  Keep mobile users in mind.  More and more people are checking their email from phones or other mobile devices.  Be sure you design your emails with these users in mind.  Keep the emails simple and limit the images.  Make sure there is plenty of white space, particularly around items you want people to click on.

5.  Stay connected.  Avoid letting too much time lapse between emails.  The whole idea of email marketing is to create a connection with your consumers and then continually remind them you are there.  Even sending a simple monthly newsletter is better than letting many months lapse without any communication at all.  You should also use your emails to encourage further connection, through your social media accounts or your blog, for example.  Each point of connection is one more place you will remind them of your presence, and make it easier for them to share your business or products with their friends.

 Email marketing is affordable and has a high ROI.  Isn't it time you made the most of it?

Have you tried our simple and affordable email marketing system, Postal Parrot? We'd love to know what you think! Please share your comments below, or visit www.postalparrot.com to try it out for free!