Almost 80 percent of consumers receive messages from companies (according to a 2008 L-soft whitepaper). Is your company newsletter following email marketing best practices? If not, you risk the chance of having your email deleted from a potential customer’s inbox before they even open the message.

If you’re thinking about implementing email into your marketing plan, or if you’re simply looking for ways to improve upon your current newsletters, I’ve compiled the key factors of email marketing best practices for quick reference.

The Basics:

• Build a permission based list of recipients.
• Manage the list.
• Define relevant content in the proper format.
• Deliver the message.
• Evaluate the results.

The Specifics:

• The message content should be created according to the results you wish to achieve. What is your ultimate goal? Is it to gain sales? Branding? To increase web site traffic?

• Once you’ve determined what your goals are, consider what format your message will be sent in. Do you plan to build it in html or MIME/Multipart? If you decide to build an html newsletter, format the code so that it’s clean and easy to navigate. This will save you a lot of time in the long run because it will help to prevent formatting errors.

• Avoid spam filters by checking your newsletter for content that could be seen as spam. Most email service providers can automatically check your newsletter for any content that could cause it to be placed in the recipients spam folder.

• Having an intriguing subject line is one of the most important elements of email marketing. Lack of an interesting subject line can cause your message to be left unopened completely and most likely deleted. Successful subject lines include an action phrase plus an incentive for the recipient. An example of a weaker subject line is – SFGate Newsletters: Great news and information. This offers no action phrase or incentive for the recipient. An example of a better-crafted subject line is – Save Big on New Arrivals at The Nest Baby Shop. It entices the recipient to open the message in order to discover what the new arrivals are and how much exactly they can expect to save on these products.

• Include relevant links within your email to accomplish your goal. If you want to drive more site traffic, include links to your web site in the copy of the newsletter. Promoting a sale? Give recipients a link to the special offers and sales page of your company web site. Keeping links relevant helps ensure people take action when they click on it.

• Always implement opt-in and opt-out. This means offering an unsubscribe button within your email so that people can decide to stop receiving messages from your company at any time. It also means offering a newsletter sign-up option on your site. To encourage web site visitors to sign up for your newsletter, offer them something they would not otherwise receive without being a subscriber such as discounts and coupons.

• Spell Check! And that doesn’t just mean running spell check on a computer. Actually take the time to sit down and read the copy slowly to yourself. Then have a colleague do the same to double check. Having a misspelled word in your company newsletter comes off as extremely unprofessional.

• Mind the length of your email. Most people don’t have the time to read a long newsletter, so be cautious of how much content you are including. Having a balance of images and copy makes your message more appealing to the eye and easier to read.

• Be aware of the frequency of your emails. Depending on the industry you’re in, set up a schedule that won’t irritate your recipients but will still keep your company in top-of-mind. For example, don’t send 3 emails a week about real estate market updates when once a month will suffice. This is a quick way to lose a lot of subscribers.

• Make sure your company name is clearly identified in the domain name that appears in the sender line.

• Clearly display your contact info in your newsletter.

photo credit: tamaleaver

Significant increases in the adoption of social media marketing tools have taken place this year, with 72.5% of Twitter users signing up in 2009 Sysomos, InsideTwitter and Facebook users having grown to over 200 million active users as of April.

Big brands have been early adopters with the ability to gain greater visibility with their audiences due to their brand name. And while the focus has primarily been on the difficulties that big brands face by opening the flood gates of communication and making themselves vulnerable to the comments of the consumer, I have yet to see anything focusing on the reputation, responsibility, and accountability of the consumer. So here goes…

Consumers Behave: Top 4 Reasons Why You Need to Think Before You Speak

1. Reputation:
When did cussing, swearing, and yelling become acceptable? It hasn’t. Even if it is online. The comments you make last forever and even with the ability to delete them on some sites – a handful of people may have seen your comment. The old rule of conducting yourself appropriately in public still remains online. You are still in the public eye, and more so online due to sharing abilities.

From pictures to comments, what are you posting that may jeopardize your reputation? Ask yourself before submitting that comment if it is something you would want your friends, family, colleagues, potential employers, and other potential influential people to see. People will always criticize and judge that is just the way of the world, but what ammunition are you putting in their pocket?

Mom says: “Think before you speak,” and “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all.”

2. Credibility
Perception is everything. If you are constantly self-promoting your own stuff without engaging and participating with others you are entering into a death trap. If your commentary is fabricated, automated, or untrue, people will see through it. Without trust, there can be no true respect, relationship or friendship.

Mom says: Be yourself. Kindness and authenticity go a long way.

3. Misinformation
I don’t know how many times I’ve stumbled into the Q&A on LinkedIn where people are answering questions about topics they know nothing about. Or a blog post providing guidance and advice on topics they aren’t familiar with. I’m not going to give people advice on how to remodel their kitchen just because I know how to use a hammer and nails. You shouldn’t either, misinformation can be dangerous.

Mom says:Keep your mouth shut. You don’t always have to know the answer. Don’t feel you have to say something.

4. Exclusion
Keep in mind that many places have the right to refuse your business. If you are prepared to take the heat and possibly never be able to purchase or receive service again from a particular organization then good for you. Otherwise, conduct yourself in an appropriate and professional manner. Would you tell your client or your customer that you hated them to their face? I’m not saying walk on eggshells, but find an assertive way to handle the situation or you may find you have excluded yourself from others as well as been excluded from receiving business.

Don’t embarrass others with your actions.

Mom says:Treat others as you wish to be treated.
Mom also says:Don’t air your dirty laundry.
Mom also says:Always be a lady/gentleman.

What comments, opinions, blog posts have you seen that made you embarrassed for the person?

photo credit: playingwithbrushes