It’s a cost-effective communication device that is still really important. Here at The Business Marketing Company we are creating these, and distributing them, and we have experience in what has worked and what has not. So I’ll run you through our procedure:

Have you a list of contacts? Does it contain contact email addresses? If not how are you going to get these? Networking, website traffic, build that list and treasure it.

Get yourself an email provider who will distribute your emails (email service provider – esp) for you. Don’t do it through Outlook, mail merge or using blind carbon copy (Bcc). It looks unprofessional, and you need to be GDPR compliant, and it does not give you the reporting on open rates, click through etc. Also, there is no easy way to unsubscribe (without emailing you back). The cost of these email providers is relatively low ($30 max) and sometimes free, for a small number of emails.

For SME’s, we use Constant Contact or Mail Chimp, but there are hundreds of them.
Your list can be in csv or excel or from a CRM. Upload this to the chosen esp.
I would always recommend the first name to personalise, as a minimum. At this stage, if it is your first don’t worry about segmenting the list- although in time this will be desired.

Now chose your design. We usually like to copy the website layout, to show familiarity, and also when the click-through goes to this. Or go the simple route, and use one of the templates. This is an area where coding language may be useful.

Most of the email provides provide simple and straightforward design templates creations to produce the email in HTML.
Before this though we have written the text within MS Word and got approval from the client. We then copy this into the HTML. Be careful with fonts etc.

Images are agreed and edited. Images, as in website, are very effective, but watch the resolution size. The overall email must be small to avoid problems with delivery and open effectiveness.

We always check to have uploaded a text only version for the Blackberry device type recipients. Also, check the embedded links all work.

Then a test email is sent out to us and the client for final confirmation, any tweaks made.

We then press the button and send out at an appropriate time of the week, and day. There are various thoughts on the best time, and this is down to your sector, and the style of your email.

Practical Email Marketing checklist:

1. Recipient list
2. once they sign up what to do -send thank you
3. Email marketing provider
4. E-mail style
5. What are you going to communicate?
6. Write text
7. Consider links to website etc.
8. What images?
9. Upload into email provider
10. Make sure text version
11. Check both versions
12. Testing? Subject line
13. Select day and time
14. Send
15. View reports
16. Receive emails
17. Correct list
18. Next mail

Alternatively, contact us, and we can discuss how we assist you in implementing your email marketing.