E-mail marketing has been around since before "You've got mail" became a
household phrase, and it's become a staple in many an entrepreneur's marketing
arsenal. That's for a good reason, says Gail Goodman, Entrepreneur.com's "E-Mail
Marketing" columnist and a founding member of the
E-mail Service Provider
Coalition, an association of e-mail providers.
"This is the single most effective form of communication for small businesses
because they form very loyal groups of people who care about them," says
Goodman. "Since e-mail is increasingly the preferred method of receiving
information about products and offers, it's the best way to reach these people
who already have an interest in what you're doing."
Still, says Goodman, even if you have a list of people who feel all warm and
fuzzy about your business, you'd better be familiar with the laws surrounding
e-mail marketing. First, entrepreneurs need to be familiar with the CAN SPAM Act
of 2003. Created to help stop the flood of unsolicited commercial e-mail,
CAN-SPAM applies to all businesses that use e-mail marketing as a method of
promotion.
The good news, says Goodman, is the act really boils down to four basic
requirements:
- Getting permission to send the recipient e-mail, which is called
"opting-in"
- Sending e-mail in a straightforward manner, including a clear and
correct return address and subject line
- Providing a simple way to unsubscribe from the e-mail list within the
body of the e-mail
- Including a physical address for your business within the body of the
e-mail
Other developments in CAN-SPAM include an increased focus on e-mail to
wireless devices. For instance, the FTC recently published a list of cell-phone
and pager domains to which marketers cannot send unsolicited e-mail. So it's
best to monitor the FTC's website
for compliance updates, Goodman says.
Once you've mastered the legal issues, you still need to create an effective
campaign, says Janine Popick, CEO of
VerticalResponse Inc.,
an e-mail marketing service provider in San Francisco. Since many e-mail
programs won't render images until your e-mail is accepted into the recipient's
address book--also called "white-listing"--solicitation e-mails should be
created as a combination of text and images with "Please accept this address
into your address book" near the top of the message. Then, it's likely your text
will be read even if the graphics don't download.
Popick says it's essential to make your offer very clear and appropriate for
your audience. Don't make them wade through paragraphs of copy to get to the
offer, because they usually won't do it. Also, provide a link to a website with
additional information about your offer.
Popick also offers these tips to make your e-mail marketing campaign more
effective:
Do:
- Send only to addresses that have opted-in to receive your messages.
- Create clear subject lines that relate to the message content.
- Remind recipients at the beginning and end of your e-mail where you got
their info and why you're sending them information.
- Provide an easy way to unsubscribe from your list.
Don't:
- Use the word free, since ISPs often block messages with that word.
- Turn off readers by using too much capitalization or too many
exclamation points.
- Both damage your credibility.
- Send large attachments, which may be blocked or may be tough to download
if your recipient uses a dial-up connection.
Her most important tip is to regularly analyze your response rates. If you
find your response rate is low and your unsubscribe rate is high, you need to
re-evaluate the offers and information you're sending to your target list. Says
Popnick, try using a survey or focus group to get better information about the
offers your customers and prospects would be most interested in receiving from
your business, says Popick.