We provide our Good Thinking: Tips for Better E-Relations newsletter that gives tips on how to develop and maintain successful e-mail marketing campaigns free of charge to our e-mail clients.
You'll find past issues full of great tips right here:
Seven Simple Writing Tips (March 2007)
Clients often ask me, "How can we boost the open rates on our e-newsletters?" And while there are technical issues that affect delivery and open rates, the single most important reason a subscriber will open your e-mail is because you consistently deliver well-written content that they need and care about. Therefore, you should be giving your e-newsletters the same amount of attention and planning as your print publications.
That's why this month we are sharing with you the writing wisdom of Professor Emeritus Don Ranly, Ph.D., of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. We've compiled a few of his "tricks of the trade" to help increase the readership, retention and credibility of your print and electronic newsletters. >> Read more
How Does This Look in Your Preview Pane? (March 2007)
If you're like 26.6% of online consumers, you use preview panes when viewing your e-mails. And, why not? Preview panes are incredibly convenient — they make sorting and scanning through your inbox quick and easy.
The growing prevalence of preview panes should, however, make you a more thoughtful e-marketer. If subscribers are viewing your e-newsletter in a preview pane, at first glance they are only seeing a small percentage of the eye-catching HTML message that you so carefully designed. >> Read more
Is Your Footer Hurting or Helping You? (January 2007)
Although your footer may seem like an afterthought, it actually helps build credibility for your entire newsletter campaign. In fact, an incomplete footer puts you at risk of being labeled as spam by your own readers or being blocked by spam filters. >> Read more
What Kind of Impression Are You Making? (January 2006)
According to Michelle Sterling of Global Image Group, we make an evaluation about a person within three seconds of meeting him or her. No wonder first impressions are so important!
Let's take a closer look at how you might use the "welcome letter" feature of the e-mail marketing system (eMS) to make a great impression on those who join your list. And if you have any related suggestions you'd like us to share, please let me know. >> Read more
Six Reasons Your Open Rates Might Be Declining (September 2005)
Are you experiencing a decrease in open rates for your newsletters? Well, you're not alone. The experience of many of our clients in the past six months echoes an industry-wide complaint. Here's a little insight into why you may be seeing lower open rates and what you can do to reverse the hex on your stats.
>> Read more.
Do You Practice Good "List Hygiene"? (March 2005)
Have you ever heard the term "list hygiene"? Every time I use this term in a presentation, it gets a lot of laughs, but seriously, it's an important part of your e-mail marketing program.
List hygiene refers to the process of cleaning up your e-mail list. Luckily, our eMS system does much of the dirty work for you—tracking and managing bounces and invalid addresses. >> Read more.
One Simple Way to Build Your List (November 2004)
Clients often ask me for advice on how to maintain and grow their e-mail lists. It's an important topic. Did you know that people change their e-mail addresses once every three years, on average?
What does that mean for your e-mail marketing strategy? It's extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get all of your subscribers to update you every time they switch to a new e-mail address. >> Read more.
What's In a Subject Line? (October 2004)
It's easy when we get in a hurry to fire off a subject line and hit "send" without giving it a lot of thought. But I'm here to tell you that your subject line is the single most crucial string of words you will put together in your e-newsletter. Why? Because they way you craft your subject line will determine whether your e-mail even gets opened. >> Read more.
