10 Essential Steps to Developing a Successful E-Mail Marketing Campaign

by: Fabian Lim

Developing and executing a successful e-mail marketing campaign is becoming more challenging. The SPAM problem isn't improving and laws are tightening their grip on e-mail marketing.

So, you need to carefully develop your e-mail marketing campaign with great care.

Here are 10 steps you can use to develop a successful e-mail marketing campaign:

Step #1 - Define the purpose of your e-mail campaign

Whilst this step may seem pretty obvious, you will be surprised at how many e-mail marketing campaigns are carried out without a clear purpose or goal.
This is especially prevalent with online newsletters or e-zines - many don't provide the reader any valuable or useful information.
So, start your e-mail campaign right - by first defining a clear purpose or goal.

Step #2 - Develop a clear call to action

A call to action is a specific set of instruction(s) contained within the e-mail with the sole purpose of leading the reader to take a specific action.
Here's an example of a call to action: "Click here to download your f~ree Special Report"
With the introduction of the CAN-SPAM act and advancement in SPAM filter technology, it is difficult enough these days to get your e-mail pass SPAM filters, yet alone opened and finally read.
It would be a sheer waste of time for both your reader and yourself if you didn't create a clear call to action in your e-mail.

Step #3 - Personalize your e-mail message

Use your full name in the From: field rather than your company's name.
And use your recipient's name in the subject line.
This will increase the "open rate" of your e-mail (The "open rate" is the percentage of e-mails opened against e-mails successfully delivered), because recipients will more likely open and read e-mails from people they recognize.
Personalization will also reduce the probability of the e-mail being mistaken as SPAM.

Step #4 - Develop an interesting subject line

It's true.
First impressions DO count in e-mail marketing!
If you have an important e-mail you want your reader to open and read, you need to develop an interesting subject line to woo your readers attention.

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