Things You Should Avoid in Your Email Campaigns
In the most recent post (Part 1 of 2), we covered the commandments of email marketing campaigns – those things you MUST do to optimize your delivery, open and response rates. Thanks to Vertical Response, we also have a list of things to AVOID.
This list is only half as long, but equally important to protect the integrity and boost the outcome.
___ DO NOT use rented lists. These recipients did not opt-in to your mailing, so you could be reported as spam, or even blacklisted by ISPs. Horrors.
___ ISPs and filters search and screen for the use of punctuation in the middle of words. Examples: “FR EE” or “FR^EE”. When they find these, your message may be blocked completely.
___ Don’t over-punctuate. “Read this! You’ll love it!! And it’s FREE!!!” Now that’s just too much. It’s poorly written copy, and it actually works to make you message less believable, not more.
___ ALL CAPITAL LETTERS indicates yelling. You don’t want to yell, do you? It diminishes your credibility. Subject lines with all caps are often redirected to your recipients’ junk mail folders.
___ Don’t send attachments. If you use bulk mail delivery systems, ISPs don’t have the capacity to handle large volumes, and the entire campaign may not be supported.
___ Don’t send offers that your recipients did not request. It is tantamount to spam, and will get you unsubscribed in a heartbeat.
More Tips to Avoid in Email Campaigns to Increase Deliverability
For technical advice, consider using an expert to review your campaign before sending it. Many of the systems vary so much that it’s impossible to know if your message and its construction are compatible with the delivery systems. Here are some examples:
___ Gmail forwards all email content as plain text
___ Hotmail strips out Flash entirely.
___ Yahoo! Mail does not accept JavaScript. (The code will appear in the body of the email.)
___ AOL strips out flash and form tags.
___ Netscape strips out Flash and JavaScript.
___ Internet Explorer can misalign images due to white space.
(Thanks to ZetaInteractive.com for the tips above.)
What email marketing systems work best for you?
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ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:
Ms. Chapman’s new book, How to Make Money Online With Social Media: A Step-by-Step Guide for Entrepreneurs will be available very soon. With offices in Nashville Tennessee, but working virtually with international clients, Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. As a Founder of iBrand Masters, a social media consulting firm, Lisa Chapman helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com