Rules For Effective Email Marketing

If you want an email campaign to succeed, you don`t want to
offend anyone when sending your messages.  Turn off a
consumer with your email and you can be sure they`ll
tune out your message.  Don`t let this happen to you!
A message that earns respect makes sales.  That`s why our
first topic for discussion is email etiquette. (Later in the
course, we`ll talk more about how to write an email sales
letter.)
Train yourself to always -- and I mean ALWAYS -- stick to
the rules below when crafting your email message.
=> RULE #1 - ALWAYS WRAP YOUR LINES AT 65
CHARACTERS OR LESS
Whenever you write an email, always format the lines so that
they`re 65 characters, or less, across.  To do this, you may
need to do a "hard return" by hitting "Enter" at the end of
the line.
Wondering why to limit your lines to just 65 characters?
(Good question!  It shows you`re thinking.)  There are two
reasons that "less is more":
-- The first thing to remember is that looking at a computer
screen for a long time causes EYE FATIGUE for many readers.
The shorter span of characters across the screen makes
reading easier and more appealing to the recipient of your
email message.
-- The other reason to go short instead of long is this:
some email clients AUTOMATICALLY ENFORCE LINE-WRAPPING
at 60-65 characters on received messages.  If your email
is wrapped at 70, the content will arrive all "chopped up."
This makes it unattractive...and worse -- unappealing.
  -- Tip within a Rule #1:  Email clients such as Outlook
Express allow you to SET THE LINE-WRAP to any
character-width you choose.  That means you won`t have to
hit Enter each time after typing 65 characters.  Makes life
easier!
  -- Tip within a Rule #2 - You can type 65 asterisks or
dashes in a Notepad file to create a template.  Then paste
your email below it to see if any lines extend too far to
the right.
=> RULE # 2 - BE CAREFUL USING ALL CAPS
How many times have you changed the TV channel to avoid
listening to a screaming car salesperson?  No one likes a
screaming salesperson...and no one likes a "screaming" email
message, either.  Odds are, when someone has over-amped the
volume of their message by using too many capital letters
(not to mention too many exclamation points and other
punctuation) - you`re going to be turned off.
On the Internet, email messages written in all caps are
considered yelling. It`s okay to write some sentences and
some words in all caps, but don`t go overboard.  (As you can
see in this message, I`ve tried to use capital letters to
help break up sections of the content from time to time)
-- Tip within a Rule:  Consumers buy from a source they
trust.  Emails in all caps are perceived as "shady" or
uneducated, and have an appearance that damages the
credibility of an offer.
=> RULE #3 - WATCH YOUR Ps & Qs (Spelling and Grammar)
Would you be influenced by an email selling you something
that had noticeable spelling and grammar mistakes?  Sure you
would...and the influence would be negative, not positive!
When a consumer reads a sales message that`s filled with
errors, they think to themselves, "Good grief, this person
doesn`t even take the time to get his emails right.  His
product is probably the same quality as his emails."
When you`re in business, YOUR IMAGE IS YOUR REPUTATION
and your reputation is the reason people buy from you or the
guy down the block.  It`s essential that you create an image
of INTEGRITY, CREDIBILITY, and HONESTY in the mind
of your prospects. Sending emails filled with errors doesn`t
hurt your professional image...it destroys it.  (Ouch!)