There is so much information about e-mail marketing; here are four key things you should consider before planning your next campaign.
What is Targeted Marketing?
Targeted marketing is, according to the text books, "the process of distinguishing the different groups that make up a market, and developing appropriate products and marketing mixes for each target market involved."
Know your Recipients.
In today’s technology driven media it is easy to acquire listings of potential clients and blanket wide sectors with your promotional message, with the hope that some of the messages might be received, read and responded to. This is not only a waste of your resources, and your recipient’s too, but it can work against your image as well.
Thoroughly research your prospects – if you are a car shooter you should only be marketing to agencies, design firms and corporations who are in the auto industry – potential prospects who advertise food, apparel or pharmaceuticals will not be interested in your promos and in all likelihood will treat your promotional messages as spam. Make sure your promotional message is relevant to your prospects.
Break your list into manageable segments – one specific industry, or a geographical area, or demographic profile. List research via a subscription service should be followed by telephone research to ensure the information gathered from the list is accurate and to get any additional information. From this research create a sub-list, eliminating any inappropriate prospects.
The All Important Subject Line.
Once you’ve targeted your list, next in importance is your subject line. The words used there will motivate your recipient to click on it – either to hopefully read it, or hit the delete button, a very attractive option as time is so important. Your role is to stand apart and be noticed, think of the subject line as a headline – spend considerable time and thought composing it.
The Body of the E-mail
A well written intro should motivate your recipient to continue to read the rest of your e-mail. Don’t exaggerate, don’t hype – the opening sentence should be relevant to your recipient. And lastly, keep it short – less than a paragraph at most, accompanied by imagery, and a link/click-thru to your website.
Follow-up
This is where you really go for what you want … to arrange a meeting, drop off your portfolio, renew an old working relationship … whatever your objective is. Record, measure and monitor your stats – who opened your e-mail, who clicked through to your website, who reported you as spam, etc. This way you know what worked, what has not, who to call, who to delete and what actions you need to take next.
Angela Krass is the founder of fotoprojx.com.
