If you want an email campaign to succeed, you don`t want to offend anyone when sending your messages. Turn off a consumer with your email and you can be sure they`ll tune out your message. Don`t let that happen to you
A message that earns respect has a better chance to make sales. That`s why our topic for discussion is email etiquette.
Train yourself to always -- and I mean always -- stick to the rules below when crafting your email messages.
RULE #1 - ALWAYS WRAP YOUR LINES AT 65 CHARACTERS OR LESS
Whenever you write an email, always format the lines so that they`re 65 characters, or less, across. To do this, you may need to do a "hard return" by hitting "Enter" at the end of the line.
Wondering why you should limit your lines to just 65 characters? Good question! There are two reasons why "less is more":
The first thing to remember is that looking at a computer screen for a long time causes "eye fatigue" for many readers. The shorter span of characters across the screen makes reading easier and more appealing to the recipient of your email 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.
How do you get your lines to wrap at 65 characters? Some email clients, such as Outlook Express, allow you to set the line-wrap to any character-width that you choose. That means you won`t have to hit Enter each time after typing 65 characters. Makes life easier. You can also type 65 asterisks or dashes in a Notepad file to create a template. Then paste your email below it to see if any lines extend too far to the right.
RULE # 2 - BE CAREFUL USING ALL CAPS
How many times have you changed the TV channel to avoid listening to a screaming car salesperson? No one likes ascreaming salesperson...and no one likes a "screaming" email message, either. Odds are, when someone has over-amped the volume of their message by using too many capital letters(not to mention too many exclamation points and other punctuation) - you`re going to be turned off.
On the Internet, email messages written in all caps are considered yelling. It`s okay to write some sentences and some words in all caps, but don`t go overboard. (As you can see in this message, I`ve tried to use capital letters to help break up sections of the content from time to time).
Remember that consumers buy from a source they trust. Emails in all caps are perceived as "shady" or uneducated, and have an appearance that damages the credibility of an offer.
RULE #3 - WATCH YOUR Ps & Qs (Spelling and Grammar)
Would you be influenced by an email selling you something that had noticeable spelling and grammar mistakes? Sure you would...and the influence would be negative, not positive! When a consumer reads a sales message that`s filled with errors, they think to themselves, "Good grief, this person doesn`t even take the time to get his emails right. His product 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.
Follow these basic email marketing rules and you will dramatically improve your chances of being a successful email marketer.
Copyright 2005 Ronald Gibson
Ronald Gibson is a Web Designer and Web Marketer. He is the Webmaster of AffiliateUtopia.com, which offers information about some of the best money making opportunities on the Web. For more information, visit: http://www.affiliateutopia.com/
Using limited time offers can spark a feeding frenzy that... Read More
Have you ever been lost in the woods - wondering... Read More
Although the vast majority of website traffic is the direct... Read More
So what's the most profitable internet marketing strategy you can... Read More
You've probably know many answers to this question: a good... Read More
More and more people are considering the World Wide Web... Read More
The fact that you're reading this article shows your interest... Read More
A few days back I got an email telling me... Read More
How many times have I heard literal horror stories from... Read More
Instead of giving you advice on how to make a... Read More
The Book Yourself Solid article series continues withKey Number 2:... Read More
I have become involved with many network marketing companies the... Read More
1. Information Products - it could be ebooks, "how to"... Read More
Some sites are perfect for the Christmas season - their... Read More
The online world is constantly evolving. You may be thinking... Read More
Have you ever wondered how can you possibly figure out... Read More
Major marketers in the United States have recognized the importance... Read More
The way we do business is changing rapidly. From VOIP,... Read More
An effective logo/tagline combination can be one of the best... Read More
1. Start a newsletter that people can subscribe to, and... Read More
Who said marketing on the internet was easy. All the... Read More
Often times on message boards you'll see several reps from... Read More
Do web surfers really bookmark websites anymore? A good friend... Read More
Many business people have a distorted view about the distinction... Read More
When first starting out in internet marketing, I was afraid... Read More
What is Viral Marketing?"Viral marketing is word of mouth marketing... Read More
I remember back in the 1980s (history for many of... Read More
If you are considering launching a website for your business... Read More
The unsolicited email people react to most is what yells... Read More
Advertising plays an important role in your business (every business,... Read More
Here's an astonishing fact guaranteed to excite you...Many successful internet... Read More
It's true. Just think about it for a minute -... Read More
What's happening to the personal touch on the World Wide... Read More
I need to let you in on some very important... Read More
Online advertising traffic leaves when advertisers don't make it... Read More
Today I was optimizing a couple new websites for search... Read More
Online shopping continues to grow at leaps and bounds. Depending... Read More
Internet marketing and public speaking? Not quite ham and eggs,... Read More
As an Internet entrepreneur your ultimate goal is most certainly... Read More
Most people that I know who are, or have been... Read More
The Book Yourself Solid article series continues withKey Number 2:... Read More
Jeff Mills, a popular internet marketer and entrepreneur told us,... Read More
Remember those Super Bowl and World Cup commercials where you... Read More
Are you Paris Hilton? Is your name instantly recognizable when... Read More
Recently, attending a local event, I found myself chatting with... Read More
As any successful businessman will confirm, having a great product... Read More
What is one of the main keys to a successful... Read More
Hold a discount sale on your web site. Use the... Read More
It is a story about Manku, a blind man who... Read More
Do you own a web site that is continually failing... Read More
Marketing gurus travel all over...Malaysia, London, San Francisco ..so make... Read More
People often come to me in a state of crisis... Read More
A common question and topic of discussion among Internet marketers... Read More
Recent research predicts that the online ad market will decline... Read More
No doubt, online marketing is the fastest way to get... Read More
As we look at building our online businesses, many of... Read More
One of my favorite net marketing tasks is creating a... Read More
If you could get your prospective customers nodding their heads... Read More
All of us hate spam and all of us have... Read More
Believability is what's missing, and the majority of all businesses... Read More
I have learned over the years that when it comes... Read More
Major marketers in the United States have recognized the importance... Read More
One marketing technique used by advertisers old and new is... Read More
Being online is not only about getting your piece of... Read More
Yes folks, there is a way of making absolutely certain-sure... Read More
I read recently that every human thought originates from either... Read More
Internet Marketing |