email marketing 101
How many of you send out newsletters, promotional emails, etc?
How many of you know if your emails are actually effective?
Do you have to scroll down the screen several times to read the entire message?
Did you spend over 2 hours crafting the message?
Do you email people that are going to consider your message spam?
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Yesterday I attended an “email marketing” workshop provided free of charge by the company Constant Contact (if you don’t know what service they provide, google them!). It was very informative, and made me realize that not very many people know what they’re doing when they send out newsletters, and promotional emails.
A few things I learned:
- You should not spend more than 2 hrs crafting a message
- Reusing a template builds recognition
- Build readership habits by sending out email on same day/time
- In general, people take 3 seconds to read an email before deciding what to do with it (delete, archive, respond, etc)
- It’s illegal to send emails to people that have not subscribed to your newsletter
Although I would love to tell you errrything I learned at the workshop, I don’t have the time for all that, so I encourage all of you to attend when you get a chance. Constant Contact offers workshops all across the United States, and are scheduled every month, so you have no excuses. After the workshop, you walk away with a workbook, a copy of the presentation emailed to you, and the tools to confidently send emails to your contact list. Check this link for info on a workshop near you: http://www.constantcontact.com/local/index.jsp
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach your customer, so DO take the time to make sure you’re doing it right… time is money. Educating yourself on some basics in email marketing may be exactly what you need to increase the attendance at a show, or get better sales results.
Perhaps I’ll finally start a Papa Lo Down newsletter this year…
