Wait! Before you send that marketing email, ask yourself these questions:

Why am I sending this email?

It isn’t the best idea to send out a marketing email simply because someone told you to. No. There needs to be a purpose to your email marketing campaigns. Determining a specific and measurable goal for each email that you send is fundamental to email marketing success.

Have I got permission?

Don’t blindly send emails to a database that was handed down to you. Make sure that everyone on the list consented to receive emails from your company. Never pay for a database! You want to send emails to people who actually desire to read your content.

Do I have an eye-catching subject line?

In the midst of a hundred other emails in an inbox, will yours stand out? Just like newspaper headlines, email subject lines sell. You need to persuade the reader to open your email so ensure it is short, punchy and enticing. It also needs to match the content of your email – don’t disappoint your reader.

Is it coming from me?

Emails that come from individual email addresses, instead of a general corporate email addresses, are usually received better. When people receive an email from [email protected], instead of [email protected], it fosters a relationship with the reader and develops brand loyalty.

Have I written to an individual?

It’s easy to fall into the trap of addressing a group of people when sending out an email to a database of people, and in the process become impersonal and distant. Imagine the person you writing the email to and create content that you know they will enjoy reading. Another key is to personalise your email wherever possible, especially in the salutation.

Is my email readable?

A page full of unbroken text will put most people off. Make your email digestible by keeping your sentences and paragraphs brief. Highlight certain ideas by using bullet points, bolding and italics. Many people are just going to scan through your email, so make sure they get the key point of your email in a matter of seconds.

Have I been brand consistent?

Your email needs to be consistent with the brand it is coming from. The corporate identity expressed in the email must be the same as in any other marketing communication medium. The visual appearance of the email, as well as the tone of the content, must distinctly represent the brand.

Is my content engaging?

Your email should be appealing. The content should be applicable to where the reader is at on their life journey and it should grab their attention. Perhaps incorporate a few relevant images or videos to break up text and capture the reader’s imagination. Is it shareable? Make sure social media sharing links are visible because engaging content can reach many many people than those in your address book.

What do I want the reader to do?

There must be something you want. What action will the reader take in an ideal situation and how will you prompt them to take this action? The CTA (call to action) in the email needs to be clear.

Has the email been tested and check?

Before sending an email, have you check what it will look like in a variety of email browsers and on different screens? There is no going back once you click send, so read over your email again to make sure you catch any spelling, grammar or other errors.

Am I sending the email to the right people?

Don’t just send out an email to your entire database simply because it is easier. Taking the easy route never produces the results you need. Segment your market and target your email to the relevant segment.

Is it the right time?

Sending a killer email on a public holiday won’t give you results. Look at the calendar to determine the best time to conduct your campaign, and research the best time to send an email. Remember to consider the people you are sending to, as they may have different habits to the norm.

Can the reader unsubscribe?

You obviously don’t want anyone to unsubscribe, but it is essential to give your readers the option to unsubscribe from receiving any further content. At the end of the day you do want to communicate with the right people, so don’t panic if people do unsubscribe. Focus on getting more people from your target market subscribed.

How will I know if I have achieved success?

You need to decide what you are going to use to measure the success of your email or campaign. Don’t use open rate or the rate of unsubscriptions because these metrics can provide misleading information. Rather look at things like subscription growth, engagement such as forwarding, clickthrough rates, conversion rates and bounce rates.