Debbie-Mayo Smith: Pure and simple delivers the email message

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Previous column introduced my view that email marketing hinges on successfully combining four components, and trying to skirt the pitfalls of each. They are: database, content (the words), technical setup/design and distribution. Each has significant bearing on how well received your email will be (or if it is received at all), and whether it prompts action.

For databases, the primary points were, first, you'll be more successful if you target. Second, if you're selling something don't keep trying. Only do one or two mailouts. You'll catch the sales and avoid unsubscribes.

For content, a significant yet rarely discussed point covered was the need to write with spam filters in mind.

Let's move on to the next component - design of the email; the technical setup. Here are my three top pieces of advice.

Design

Dump graphics. I know, you're thinking no, no no! But let's be honest. Think about going through your inbox in the morning. I can say with 100 per cent certainty that every single formatted email I receive, from Life Pharmacy to Whitcoulls, to Jetstar all gets sent (by Outlook) straight to the junk folder. And this is with Outlook's spam filter on a moderate setting. For those that reach the inbox, 99 per cent show a big blank nothing, or a lot of small boxes pleading with me to right-click to view the images. Ditto with Gmail.

As you know, Outlook stopped showing images over seven years ago. I haven't changed my internal setting to automatically allow images, and never will. I believe most people are the same. Both Outlook and Gmail have settings to enable the graphic content, but in this age of viruses, time constraints and boring emails, who's going to change the setting?

I can't understand why agencies or clients haven't taken notice, and still lower their potential success with the "they know us so they'll give us the click" mentality. How many red x's do you click to see what that marketing email has to say? I rest my case.

If you feel you need images, follow this advice. First, a little background. Most emails are based on a table format. Think Excel - rows and columns. The intersection is a "cell" and in emails it's used to keep an image in an exact location. Each email normally has a whole row across the top - the header. An image is normally placed here - typically, the newsletter or company name.

As mentioned above, what usually happens is the image is barred from showing and all most recipients see in their preview pane is empty space or "click here to view images". My advice is to either completely remove the header or use text instead. Then, for all other images in the email, put them on the right-hand side of the email as most people use a preview pane which is the right third of their computer screen.

Often, plain text is best. When I want to really ensure my newsletter or marketing email gets through to the most people, I ditch the formatting and the colours and send it out in plain text. Plain text means typewriter design. You'll find that people respond more to these as they think them more personal, and removing formatting helps reduce losses to the spam filter. Spam filters take away points for formatting such as non-standard colours or font sizes. Have a look here.

Distribution

When sending personalised emails, you have three options.

Use MS Office Word. Write the email with Word and it will bind it to Outlook contacts or any Excel, Access or CSV file for a personalised merge which it sends through Outlook. With one click you can send as many emails as you like - each different.

However, there are three main constraints. You can't personalise the subject line, can't add attachments, and sending too many emails through your server could alert your ISP or your internal firewall.

Purchase email merging software. For about $100 or so you'll be able to personalise the subject line, add attachments and send them straight out via your server, skipping your ISP.

Bypass your computer as the postman. You can track readers and their clickthroughs and have subscriptions automatically managed by using an online email distribution service. All the NZ ones are affordable. If you'd like more advice, I've got over 500 articles on my website.

Debbie Mayo-Smith is a bestselling author and international speaker.

www.debbiespeaks.co.nz

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