Email marketing: Are you getting the click or in the trash?
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Email marketing has been around for quite a while. While it has been a successful marketing strategy for many sites, I do have some reservations on the way some sites market their newsletter.
While I was enjoying one article at a site yesterday, one window pop-up from nowhere, asking me to subscribe to its newsletter. It totally caught me unaware. To my horror, there is no ‘X’ on the right top corner for me to close the pop-up window. As if it is trying to say “If you want to read the content, jolly well fill up the subscription form and give me your email address”. I got so frustrated that I close that browser and work everything all over again from a new browser. Now, that site is in my black list.
I guess this is not a solidarity example. Some of the counteraction by reader is either
- provide a fake email address, or
- Provide actual email address, but return to unsubscribe later, or
- Send the newsletter straight to ’spam’ folder
If you are spending lots of money in email marketing and you have not get the result you want, now you know why.
For email marketing to be successful, there are few guidelines to take note of:
Provide excellent content
Good content is no longer sufficient to persuade your visitors to subscribe to your newsletter. You must have excellent content. Your newsletter subscription rate is directly proportional to the quality of your content. Provide GREAT value and you will get the click.
Write an attention catching headline
You only have 3 seconds to market your newsletter. Either you get the click, or you go to trash. If you have the chance to subscribe to Derek Gehl’s newsletter, you will know how powerful is his headline. It is so compelling that you feel that you’ll lose out if you doesn’t open the newsletter and read it. That’s how powerful it is.
Avoid generalize hyperlink text
Generalize hyperlink texts such as “click here”, “check it out” don’t go well with readers. Most email servers have auto spam filtering system that identifies generalize hyperlink texts and treat it as spam mail. Instead, use more specific keywords in your hyperlink text. It rank well with the Search Engine and your readers know what they are clicking.
Provide option to unsubscribe
People feel more secure when they know that they can unsubscribe to your newsletter. It is also a good way to filter out the wrong type of audience in your database.
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