Email Marketing Basics: Avoiding Spam and Enhancing Customer Experience

I recently wrote a blog post about using the BCC email option (blind copy) for broadcast email. It got me thinking that there are still a lot of people who don’t understand the finer points of email marketing. It sounds simple: write an email and send it to everyone. But in reality, if you really want to enhance the prospect or customer experience you’ll want to take the time to “do it right.”

With that in mind, here are some irrefutable email basics that must be considered anytime you are going to send to more than a handful of people.

First, don’t use the BCC field to copy all of the addresses. There are several reasons beyond the privacy concern mentioned in the blog. One thing is that many internet service providers (like Cox for example) won’t allow you to put many in that field and actually send the email out. I’ve had clients who were using Yahoo for bulk email (because their service provider was causing a problem) and still had to send the email several times each to a different group of email addresses. The email programs you use for individual purposes are just not set up to allow for large numbers of emails.

In addition, when you send out mass emails to large numbers of people you can easily be reported as “spam.” Yes, the people may know you and may have even asked to get an email but it’s easy to forget and a mass email of any kind causes well-meaning people to click the “report spam” button in their favorite email client. Once you’ve been reported for spam, you’ll be on lists that prevent you from sending a legitimate email. Not fun.

One more thing, it’s an FCC rule that you clearly allow people to “opt-out” of the email you send. So when you send a large number of emails and you don’t give a choice you’re violating the popular “Canned Spam” act. And when someone asks to be off the list, they have to come off no matter what. If you’re handling hundreds of emails by hand, removing one name is like hunting a needle in a haystack.

So, now that I’ve fully explored the reasons you don’t want to do it yourself, here’s the right way to handle email marketing:

Number one, respect the fact that you were given the email address to begin with. Don’t give the email to any other company or send anything other than what the recipient is expecting. To do so violates a level of trust and will cause more problems in the long run.

Send an email to your prospects about once every 3 to 4 weeks if you want them to remember you. It may be tempting to email more frequently but without a good reason to do so, like an upcoming event, keep to a sparse schedule. People will respect you more for it and you’ll have a better response rate to your email. Last year I subscribed to Groupon but at one point in November I was getting up to 6 emails a day from them. That is when I decided I didn’t want to hear from them anymore. You may have a similar experience. As my grandfather always said, “Do unto others,” it goes a long way with email marketing.

If you want people to value your email messages, give them a reason. When setting up an email message for clients I always find some interesting article with tips or information that is useful. It’s not just about selling. My stamp client has emailed with specials and then a little how-to or history to go along with the sale. When items of interest are included the response rate is 50% higher.

Use the information from email marketing responses to mold future mailings. When you notice someone is interested in an article you posted, a follow-up email with related information is considered helpful. If you notice someone clicked on a product, follow up with a link to a “how to” related to the product and testimonials. You can also segment your groups to better tailor the information and product you send. Segmentation will also increase the response rate.

Email is a key component of any digital marketing program. It can nurture leads, confirm purchase decisions and bring people back to the website where the sales originate. The overall cost of a good email marketing program including production is small when it comes to converting to sales. If you aren’t using email marketing, it’s never too late to get started.