Gather Requirements:
Figure out what you want to accomplish and what your customers want to hear. What would get them to open and act on the email? Often the best emails combine valuable advice and tips with soft sales offers or information.
Make an Email Marketing Plan for the Next 12 Months:
Figure out campaigns, promotions, and themes for the months and seasons during the year. Summer themes or Winter themes would provide information at the right time for your customers.
Build Your Opt-in Email List From Your Customers:
Part of your plan should be to identify the opportunities where you make contact with your customers. For example, put easy signup forms on your website for online customers, a clipboard and pencil (or a jar to drop business cards into) with some information for customers that come into your physical store or facility, and a script for your employees to ask customers for their name and email address when they call in. Also, make sure you have a good story to tell your customers as to "why" they should sign up and the benefits without any sales pressure.
Research and Design the Newsletter:
Create a template with your branding and logo that represents the image that you would like to portrait. Use the same basic layout each month for the logo and branding, but vary the graphics and (or course) the content. You want a consistent look-and-feel and make it easy for your customers to recognize your email in their crowded Inbox. Use a Subject line that also encourages them to open your email and not hit the delete key.
Deliver:
Consistency is the key. Make sure you decide on a day each month to deliver and then make sure it happens.
Proper planning and execution of your email newsletter campaigns will produce positive results and big benefits to your financial bottom line.
***** Steve Laats, founder of StellarLogic has significant experience in the software industry with a focus on quality assurance, executive management, and business. Steve has been a Senior Software Engineer, Manager, Project Manager, Director, and Entrepreneur.
StellarLogic is an Arizona Limited Liability Company (LLC) located in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The business operated as a software consulting business for over 10 years, but is now transpiring into much more. Recognizing the need for quality software resources, StellarLogic has realigned itself to be a premier software recruiting and staffing business partner.
See http://www.stellarlogic.com for more info!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Laats
