You already know how effective email marketing is for your brand. From an email’s uncanny ability to increase brand awareness and establish industry expertise to their relatively low cost, it’s harder to get more bang for your buck than with a good newsletter.
However, like with anything both affordable and effective, it’s bound to be exploited. It’s easy to see how businesses can get carried away with shotgunning irrelevant emails to people in any industry, adding people to their email list, what with the costs being so low and the consequences being so minimal. But no one wants to be “that” business.
Here are a few ways you can make sure that your email marketing campaign is above reproach and your email list is as valuable as possible:
Be Trustworthy
Many businesses perceive newsletters as a shortcut to success, shooting emails to every address that has a pulse. But rather than gaining the hoped-for advantage, what actually results is the recipients end up block you or, worse yet, report your email address as spam, which could result in your domain being blocked entirely by email hosts.
Email trust is earned, not given. Take the time initially to explain the usefulness of a subscription to your email list. Assure them that their email address information is safe in your hands. Finally, give your audience more authority by letting them have the option to unsubscribe from your mailing list. Yielding this control will earn your brand respect and counterintuitively increase the number of subscriptions over time.
Keep It Honest
An ethical email newsletter is one with a forthright subject line. If you want to increase subscriptions and establish your brand as an industry leader, let your audience know what your email is about with a relevant and concise subject line. Avoid language that makes you sound like a used car salesman, such as “buy now,” “once in a lifetime,” “ultimate” and so on. Instead, use your subject line to honestly summarize what the email is about and let the rest of the high-quality content speak for itself.
Empathy is Key
The number one rule of marketing is to know your audience. To make sure you aren’t cutting any corners while still getting the most out of your email newsletters, you have to be sensitive to your audience’s needs. No one likes to be annoyed, spammed or feel like their email address is compromised by being on your list. Basically, if it is something you wouldn’t like in your inbox, chances are your recipients feel the same way.
For more advice on how to keep your email marketing campaign smart and ethical, contact us today.