Guest post by Janine Popick, CEO of Vertical Response (see disclosure below)
1. Get Social
The web’s most successful companies have discovered the power of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media to connect with their customers.
2. Host then Post
Web 2.0 marketers have found a great way to expand their readership beyond their opted-in subscribers. Create a hosted version of your message and post to social media sites, or keep an archive of your past issues on your own website.
See how others are using their hosted messages.
3. Clean House
The end of the year can be a good time to review your lists and understand how active your list members have been. What to do with unresponsive members of your list? Don’t throw them away – send a special offer via email, or try an offline method like a postcard or direct call to invite them back. Also, be sure to sync unsubscribed and bounced users occasionally with your main customer database. Although we filter those out for you, it’s good practice to keep your original data up-to-date.
See successful tips on reactivating your non-responders.
4. Segment Your Lists
Smart marketers are customizing their content to targeted groups to create a high-touch customer experience. Use the data you have to create highly-personalized messages and offers to see the greatest response rates and avoid burning your entire list with irrelevant offers.
Get more information here.
5. Send & Deliver
Once you hit “send,” what REALLY happens? VerticalResponse’s dedicated delivery team works hard to ensure your messages get through. However, there are many steps you can take to help boost delivery success. From good list hygiene to avoiding “spammy” keywords in your messages, check out some best practices to keep your messages flowing.
Learn how to design your messages for better deliverability
6. Consistency, Consistency, Consistency
Top performers in email marketing train their readers by sending regular communications on the same day at the same time. Boost your open & click rates and minimize unsubscribes by sending to your readers when they expect it. Also remember to maintain a consistent “from” line, so messages also come from senders they expect.
See more email best practices.
7. Beat the Tax Man
Email credits can be a wise investment before the end of the 2009 tax year. Credits purchased for your business today are good for up to one year. Now is your chance to stock up and send throughout 2010 (Make sure you consult your tax professional for eligibility requirements).
8. Opt-In to Win
Opt-in forms provide a seamless and easy way to build subscriber lists. Use our automated tool to build your own form quickly, or customize with your own code and designs to match your site. Here’s a great opt-in form example to get you started.
9. Go Green
Many of our new templates help take your conventional marketing pieces online. Use our e-greeting cards, online newsletters, and even print-at-home coupons (so only those customers who redeem use paper), or design your own to match your brand and printed collateral. You’ll save postage, save paper, and save the planet, too!
10. Be the Guru
It’s no surprise that many of our most successful customers are also our most knowledgeable. Stay on top of email marketing developments with your email provider to ensure your success!
WomenOnBusiness.com is an affiliate of Vertical Response, however, this is not a sponsored post and WomenOnBusiness.com earns no money from the links contained within the post or for the publishing of the post.
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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