The From Line

If the email component of your marketing plan is in a rut, it’s time to rejuvenate your campaigns. Here are four ways to bring some life back into your messages.

Engage readers by asking them to respond to a poll or survey. Every once in awhile, it’s important to give your readers a way to participate in the message and the organization by including a survey or poll question.  It’s also a beneficial tactic to give a snippet of information to readers. It’s not a scientific study, but you’re not claiming it is.

Design a new template. It’s important to stay consistent with the visual brand of your organization, but don’t shy away from altering the HTML template to attract the readers’ attention.

Add some personality, don’t just personalize.  Personalizing a message with the first name is pretty standard in this day and age, now it’s time to add some personality. Professional, compelling messages don’t have to be devoid of humor, voice, and a unique tone.

Split campaigns – if you’re not doing them, it’s time to try now. If reporting metrics are okay, but not great, try creating split campaigns for you next message and break outside your marketing mold with creative content and a strong call for action.  The results may surprise you.

Too many marketers forget one of the most important elements of their e-mail marketing campaign—the subject line. With spam filters furiously searching for reasons to dump your email in a junk email folder instead of the inbox, your choice of subject line is increasingly important. Consider these tips.

• Strive for accuracy and don’t exaggerate the content just to attract readers.
• Test the subject line with different segments of your group using eLoop’s A/B…Z Split option for campaigns.
• Personalize your subject line and give readers a reason to open it.
• Write the subject line like a headline and read newspapers for some ideas. 
• Associate a deadline to increase a sense of urgency.
• Use a spam filter to check the copy of the subject line too and avoid phrases that will tip them off.

There are many components of an effective e-mail message. You’ve got your graphic design, you’ve got your copywriting, and of course, your targeted list. It isn’t an easy task to create a message that ‘speaks’ clearly to everyone. But here are some tips to help you along.

Design
An effective design needs to do more than just simply look nice. For maximum impact, it must support the goals and objectives of the message. It’s no joke, a picture really can be worth a thousand words if it is done properly. For HTML message design, follow these simple guidelines:

Make sure your designer understands your objectives. Communication is the key. Let them know what you’re looking for – your vision is key.

Choose a design team that understands email marketing. Traditional print ads are very different than online and email marketing. What works offline does not necessarily work online.

Focus on areas of design that are sure to ‘brand’ your messages. Headers featuring your logo or organization brand, colors that stand out and identify your organization, a signature graphic to make the email appear more personal.

Stay away from graphics that do not assist in getting your message across. These are costly additions and can actually hinder the success of your campaign. For example, colored wallpaper or background behind text often triggers spam filters. ‘Cutesy’ icons instead of straightforward bullet points can sidetrack viewers. Using graphics that directly encourage the goals of your message keeps recipients interested and focused.

Copywriting
Writing for an online medium is a completely different animal. As mentioned above, a designer that understands email marketing is crucial –so is a copywriter that understands email marketing. Copy always yields a different effect once integrated into design. For a powerful email campaign, it is extremely important to mesh the copywriting and design components so they build off one another. Below are some tips for powerful copywriting:

• Write a compelling subject line
• Short, concise paragraphs
• Focus on ONE specific subject
• Bullet point wherever possible
• Include at least one call to action (More Information, Conference Registration, Product Demonstration)

It is important to remember that the average person is inundated with email messages every single day, most of which are completely irrelevant to them. The key is to target the right people and make your message stand out. With an efficient email marketing strategy, using the guidelines in this article, email can really put you closer in touch with your market and strengthen your communication efforts.

Danielle Ashery is VP, Client Services at Gold Lasso, Inc. She can be reached by telephone at 301-990-9857 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Visit Gold Lasso at http://www.goldlasso.com.