E-mail Campaign or Just More Spam?

Your latest e-mail campaign was supposed to create new leads for the sales team. Sadly, most of the recipients greeted your e-mails with the delete key. All they saw was another piece of spam.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone since most e-mail campaigns struggle to be read by the intended recipients. While this is a real and difficult challenge, there are some best practices that might help your open rate and save your e-mails from the dastardly delete key.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Maintain and use your own e-mail list. The best lists are built by you one name at a time. Never share your list; this destroys your list’s integrity. Never buy your lists from list providers since you never know how they really got the names and if they truly opt-in.
2. Always request your list members to opt-in and always verify a second time with a verification e-mail. This is referred to as double opt-in. Most importantly, if someone opts-out, remove them from your list immediately.
3. E-mail your list members only when it is important or when you can bring value to the reader.
4. Always send e-mails from a person with a real name instead of a company; recipients are far more likely to welcome mail from a real person.
5. Avoid spam words or phrases in the subject line; this is the kiss of death. Google “common spam words” and you will be blown away at the list.
6. Don’t use attachments since readers are increasingly afraid of attachments carrying viruses. Use links instead.
7. Good subject lines are seldom over five words and always include the reader. The purpose of the subject is to get the reader to open the e-mail. Never put your company or yourself in the subject line.
8. Spam filters are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Beware of including complex images in the body of your e-mail.

Shorter e-mails are more likely to get opened since readers will look at file size before opening and may delete a large file.

1. Be sure to include a snail mail address on every e-mail; this makes you compliant with the Federal CAN-SPAM law.

Read the CAN-Spam Act for Commercial E-mailers at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/canspam.shtm

John Bradley Jackson
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