Top 10 email marketing tips

ONE
Avoid Spam Filters
Most internet service providers (ISP) now use rigerous spam protection to trap unsolicited email before it gets into their customers inbox. Spam filters "rank" each email with a point system. Using words like 'FREE', 'SAVE', '$
TWO
Track With Link Clicks
Internet users seem to respond better to plain, bold, blue text link as opposed to a banners, forms or buttons. Use links in your newsletters to send people to product specific webpages. Links can be tracked and reported giving you real-time responses detailing who clicked those links and when.

THREE
Personalize Mailings
Which of these would get your attention: "HEY, YOU!" or "HEY JOHN" ? Personalization should be used in your emails. In-fact, by simply starting your email with "Hi [subscriber_name]" instead of the boring "Hi there", you can increase both your reading and click-thru rates by up to 650%. Why? because your subscribers feel like they already have a relationship with you when you address them by their first name.

FOUR
One-Click Unsubscription
Mandatory laws are coming online everyday that require all messages to have a REMOVE ME or UNSUBSCRIBE link within the email. The link should take the recipient directly to a page where they are then removed immediately and without tricky pop-up's or redirects .

FIVE
Double Opt-In Lists
If you want to grow your mailing list, then you absolutely must use a double opt-in process. This process requires the user to enter and subscribe to your newsletter. The user then recieves an email containing a 'verification' or 'opt-in' link that when clicked takes them to a confirmation page on your website. You know are assured this user did indeed approve the subscription to your list.

SIX
Dynamic Communication

An autoresponder is an email that is sent at a certain time interval after someone subscribes to your list. Autoresponders are a way to automatically follow up with your subscribers and provide them with more information. For example, you could setup an autoresponders for new subscribers that is sent one hour after they subscribe that contains a THANK YOU message.

SEVEN
Consistent Look
Try and keep the look and feel consistent in your eBLAST campaigns. By keeping the look and feel consistent you can maintain and strengthen your brand and image. Create a custom template for your newsletter and whenever you need to create a new issue, use that template for consistency.

EIGHT
On Time, Every Time
Try scheduling your messages to be delivered at the same day and time of the week (i.e. every Wednesday at 3pm). This will create a familiarity and subscribers will come to "expect" your email to arrive in their inbox consistenty at that time.

NINE
Less Than A Second
When email arrives in subscribers inboxes you get less than a second to catch their attention with the subject line of your email. After this, they will either delete or ignore it. A subject line should provide a sense of curiosity and be easy to understand resulting in a higher 'open-rate'.

TEN
The Preview Pane
Many email clients like as Outlook and Thunderbird usually preview emai in a smaller pane. Be sure to place interesting content at the very top of your email to be sure to catch the top of the preview pane and create enough interest to open it., 'PURCHASE', 'SAVE' will cause your messages points to rise and ultimately be flagged as spam only to end up in the junk or bulk mail bin.

TWO
Track With Link Clicks
Internet users seem to respond better to plain, bold, blue text link as opposed to a banners, forms or buttons. Use links in your newsletters to send people to product specific webpages. Links can be tracked and reported giving you real-time responses detailing who clicked those links and when.

THREE
Personalize Mailings
Which of these would get your attention: "HEY, YOU!" or "HEY JOHN" ? Personalization should be used in your emails. In-fact, by simply starting your email with "Hi [subscriber_name]" instead of the boring "Hi there", you can increase both your reading and click-thru rates by up to 650%. Why? because your subscribers feel like they already have a relationship with you when you address them by their first name.

FOUR
One-Click Unsubscription
Mandatory laws are coming online everyday that require all messages to have a REMOVE ME or UNSUBSCRIBE link within the email. The link should take the recipient directly to a page where they are then removed immediately and without tricky pop-up's or redirects .

FIVE
Double Opt-In Lists
If you want to grow your mailing list, then you absolutely must use a double opt-in process. This process requires the user to enter and subscribe to your newsletter. The user then recieves an email containing a 'verification' or 'opt-in' link that when clicked takes them to a confirmation page on your website. You know are assured this user did indeed approve the subscription to your list.

SIX
Dynamic Communication

An autoresponder is an email that is sent at a certain time interval after someone subscribes to your list. Autoresponders are a way to automatically follow up with your subscribers and provide them with more information. For example, you could setup an autoresponders for new subscribers that is sent one hour after they subscribe that contains a THANK YOU message.

SEVEN
Consistent Look
Try and keep the look and feel consistent in your eBLAST campaigns. By keeping the look and feel consistent you can maintain and strengthen your brand and image. Create a custom template for your newsletter and whenever you need to create a new issue, use that template for consistency.

EIGHT
On Time, Every Time
Try scheduling your messages to be delivered at the same day and time of the week (i.e. every Wednesday at 3pm). This will create a familiarity and subscribers will come to "expect" your email to arrive in their inbox consistenty at that time.

NINE
Less Than A Second
When email arrives in subscribers inboxes you get less than a second to catch their attention with the subject line of your email. After this, they will either delete or ignore it. A subject line should provide a sense of curiosity and be easy to understand resulting in a higher 'open-rate'.

TEN
The Preview Pane
Many email clients like as Outlook and Thunderbird usually preview emai in a smaller pane. Be sure to place interesting content at the very top of your email to be sure to catch the top of the preview pane and create enough interest to open it.

This top ten email marketing tips is found in http://www.coolstream.biz/eblast.htm