Recently I have heard a lot of people say that email marketing is dead, I disagree.  It is changing but that is a good thing.  During the “Celtic tiger” years businesses got a little complacent about their email marketing, sending generic news out to all contacts. This was wrong then and is still wrong now.  I will not open an email with the subject  “News from Joe Bloggs company” and most others won’t?  I have lost count of the amount of emails I have received down through the years with bad and boring subject lines and even worse content.  Here are my tips to email marketing success:

1. Firstly and most importantly ensure you are complying with data protection.  There have been changes to the data protection legislation recently so please ensure you understand them fully before using email marketing. Full details available on http://www.dataprotection.ie/viewtxt.asp?DocID=1152&StartDate=1+January+2011#14  
2. DO NOT use your email programme e.g. outlook or web mail to send bulk email.  You will potentially get blacklisted and your emails will get caught in spam filters.
3. Use a third party programme like www.constantcontact.com, www.newsweaver.com or www.mailchimp.com. You can choose one of their easy to use templates or get a template designed just for you. They also will not get stuck in spam filters. 
4. Break your recipient list into core categories and send news that is relevant to them, if that means creating  different a few newsletters each month then do that. The more targets the news the higher impact it will have which will result in higher conversions.
5. Keep each newsletter short, people get bored after the first couple of articles. 
6. Include strong call to actions, if you want people to do something e.g. click on a clickable image to book or buy something then ask them to click on the link.  Don’t assume that they will know.
7. Include strong images that attracts the recipient to read more or action something.
8. Be relevant and timely
9. Time limit your offers so there is a sense of urgency there, if they know there are only 12 hours left on a specific offer they will action it immediately.  If you leave the offer open then they will pop the email aside to come back to later. Guess what, they won’t come back to it.
10. Send regularly but dont send so often your recipients are dropping out in their droves. Try once a month.
11. Test what day gets the most actions and/or conversions.  Tests show that Tuesday or Wednesday mornings are good but it will depend on the content.  
12. Review your reports – How many opened the newsletter?  How many clicked on a link? How many converted to a sale or lead? Analyse and tweak the newsletter until you know it will have the optimum impact
13. Don’t forget to add your social media links, website links and contact information so people can connect with you in other ways.
14. Include an opt-out (data protection) and your contact details so people can let you know if they don’t want to receive your e-newsletters.

Happy emailing

More and more I come across businesses that are not complying with data protection when sending e-newsletters, e-zines (email marketing) or bulk SMS text messages either because they did not know they needed to or they have been incorrectly advised. 

If you are sending direct mail in the form of Email or SMS texts you MUST ensure you comply or face a hefty penalty.  Which range from €3,000 to €250,000 or 10% turnover. 

To ensure you are complying read the below:

Basic Rules: 

• You MUST have their consent to use their personal data for direct marketing purposes.  
• They MUST be given the right to decline use of their personal data.
• An opt-out option MUST be included with every E-mail or SMS and it MUST be FREE OF CHARGE e.g. people who have to text back to unsubscribe should be able to do so at no cost to them.
• When it is not obvious, you MUST also advise them of who you are and where you obtained their data

Individuals and business customers & contacts:

• The product / service you are marketing must be similar to the service/product sold to them initially
• Do not send to customers where there has not been a transaction within the previous 12 months.  ”If the subscriber fails to unsubscribe using the cost free means provided to them by the direct marketer, they will be deemed to have remained opted-in to the receipt of such electronic mail for a twelve month period from the date of issue to them of the most recent marketing electronic mail” – dataprotection.ie
• Business contacts must not be sent emails or texts if they have advised that they do not want them or have opted-out

Non-customers:

• An individual MUST have opted-in to receive emails or text messages for marketing purposes,  if permission has not been given DO NOT send e-newsletters or bulk SMS messages.

Summary Table – Text/Email Marketing

 “Opt-in” =  they must have opted-in to receive

“Opt-out” = you can market an individual but you must have given them the option to decline at time of collection and an Free of charge opt-out must be included on all correspondence.

Individual Customer – Opt-0ut (provided similar product or service)

Individual Non-Customer – Opt -In

Business Contacts (Customer & Non-Customer) – Opt-0ut

For more information on Data Protection visit the DataProtection.ie

Happy Marketing