Essential Rules For Effective Email Marketing

If you want an email campaign to succeed, you don`t want tooffend anyone when sending your messages. Turn off aconsumer with your email and you can be sure they`lltune out your message. Don`t let this happen to you!

A message that earns respect makes sales. That`s why ourfirst topic for discussion is email etiquette. (Later in thecourse, we`ll talk more about how to write an email salesletter.)

Train yourself to always -- and I mean ALWAYS -- stick tothe rules below when crafting your email message.

=> RULE #1 - ALWAYS WRAP YOUR LINES AT 65 CHARACTERS OR LESS

Whenever you write an email, always format the lines so thatthey`re 65 characters, or less, across. To do this, you mayneed to do a "hard return" by hitting "Enter" at the end ofthe line.

Wondering why to limit your lines to just 65 characters?(Good question! It shows you`re thinking.) There are tworeasons that "less is more":

-- The first thing to remember is that looking at a computerscreen for a long time causes EYE FATIGUE for many readers.The shorter span of characters across the screen makesreading easier and more appealing to the recipient of youremail message.

-- The other reason to go short instead of long is this:some email clients AUTOMATICALLY ENFORCE LINE-WRAPPING at 60-65 characters on received messages. If your email is wrapped at 70, the content will arrive all "chopped up."This makes it unattractive...and worse -- unappealing.

-- Tip within a Rule #1: Email clients such as OutlookExpress allow you to SET THE LINE-WRAP to anycharacter-width you choose. That means you won`t have tohit Enter each time after typing 65 characters. Makes lifeeasier!

-- Tip within a Rule #2 - You can type 65 asterisks ordashes in a Notepad file to create a template. Then pasteyour email below it to see if any lines extend too far tothe right.

=> RULE # 2 - BE CAREFUL USING ALL CAPS

How many times have you changed the TV channel to avoidlistening to a screaming car salesperson? No one likes ascreaming salesperson...and no one likes a "screaming" emailmessage, either. Odds are, when someone has over-amped thevolume of their message by using too many capital letters(not to mention too many exclamation points and otherpunctuation) - you`re going to be turned off.

On the Internet, email messages written in all caps areconsidered yelling. It`s okay to write some sentences andsome words in all caps, but don`t go overboard. (As you cansee in this message, I`ve tried to use capital letters tohelp break up sections of the content from time to time)

-- Tip within a Rule: Consumers buy from a source theytrust. Emails in all caps are perceived as "shady" oruneducated, and have an appearance that damages thecredibility of an offer.

=> RULE #3 - WATCH YOUR Ps & Qs (Spelling and Grammar)

Would you be influenced by an email selling you somethingthat had noticeable spelling and grammar mistakes? Sure youwould...and the influence would be negative, not positive!When a consumer reads a sales message that`s filled witherrors, they think to themselves, "Good grief, this persondoesn`t even take the time to get his emails right. Hisproduct is probably the same quality as his emails."

When you`re in business, YOUR IMAGE IS YOUR REPUTATION and your reputation is the reason people buy from you or the guy down the block. It`s essential that you create an image of INTEGRITY, CREDIBILITY, and HONESTY in the mind of your prospects. Sending emails filled with errors doesn`t hurt your professional image...it destroys it. (Ouch!)

Sincerely,

Steven Ackerman

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