E MARKETING PRACTICE: 9 steps to executing an email campaign- Step-3 (creative execution)

3. creative execution

Emails can be created and viewed as HTML or as text emails. Bear in mind, though, that sometimes HTML emails are rendered as text emails. Text emails are the plain ones – text only, as the name suggests. If you have a Windows computer, and you open up notepad and type there, you will be creating a text file. These emails are smaller, and plainer. As these are text only, the copy really counts here.

HTML emails are the emails with all the bells and whistles. These emails can contain images, different fonts and hyperlinks. It’s probably what you’ve had in mind throughout this chapter when we have referred to email marketing.

Parts of an email

header

This has the “to”, “from” and “reply to” fields. These are also opportunities to build a relationship through creating a perception of familiarity. In other words, the reader needs to perceive that the newsletter is somewhat unique for them and sent personally by the publisher. Using a personalised company email address (e.g. robin@companyname.com) for the “reply” field creates familiarity and builds trust with the reader. The “from” address should also include the organisation’s name. A meaningless “from” address which the reader cannot identify only serves to confuse the origin of the newsletter.

subject line

The subject line could be the most important part of an email! Subject lines aid the reader in identifying the email, and also entice the reader to open it. The subject line is also scrutinised by spam filters, and so should avoid words like “free”, “win” and “buy now”. Consistent subject lines, using the name of the company and the newsletter

edition, can build familiarity and help readers to sort their inbox. As with everything online, testing different subject lines will lead marketers to the formula that works for them.

personalized greeting

With a database that has entries for readers’ names, it is possible to personalise the greeting of the email. “Hi Kim Morgan” can elicit far better responses than “Dear Valued Customer”, but it is possible to create a greeting with personality without personalising it. Occasionally, the subject line can be personalised as well to boost responses.

body

This is where the content of the email goes. Don’t be tempted to use too many images: it can increase the size of the email, and it can obscure text when images do not load. Be sure that text is not on the image, but rather can be read without an image being loaded.

footer

A standard footer for emails helps to build consistency, and is the customary place to keep the contact details of the company sending the email. At the very least, this should include the name and contact email of the company. It can also include the privacy policy of the sender. One way to grow the email list is add a “forward to a friend” link in the footer. The most important part of the footer is a clear unsubscribe link.

unsubscribe link

It is mandatory to have an unsubscribe link on all commercial emails. Interactive emails are best constructed with lightweight HTML capability allowing the email to open quickly. This helps to capture the user’s attention before he/she moves on. The structure must allow readers to scan and navigate the email easily. The length of paragraphs, emphasis through bolding and colours as well as sectioning information with bullets and borders all contribute to a well-structured email.

create content

Email content that is relevant and something that readers will value, is vital to ensuring the success of an email marketing campaign. Valuable content is informative and should address the problems and needs of readers. It is important to realise that the reader determines the value of the content, not the publisher.

Successful email campaigns provide value to their readers. This value can vary from campaign to campaign. Newsletters can offer:

Humour
Research
Information
Promotions

However, avoid being marked as spam by staying away from words like “free”, “buy now” and “discount”. test for display and deliverability The email should be scored to see that it will pass spam filters, and the design should be tested to ensure that it renders clearly in as many clients as possible. Make sure that images line up, that copy is clear and that all the links work.

Emails can be tested for platform compatibility at www.sitevista.com/email.asp. An email’s spam score can be checked at spamassassin.apache.org.

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