Email Marketing: From Spam to Click

Although e-mails are one of the most common ways of communication nowadays, many of them end up in the spam / trash folder. There are a few things to consider so that your emails will be read and your customers will take action:

• Write a compelling subject line; be concise, straightforward and personalize it when possible and test your subject lines, periodically.

• Do not sell from the first line; a subject and text full of salesy / pushy words like “free”, “discount, "offer", "cheap”, "buy", "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”, is likely to end up in the spam folder or the trash folder.

• Focus on ONE goal, specific and clear; too much information and more than one call-to-action (CTA) will confuse your customers, who will lose interest and finally won't take any action.

• Write in human way; context that doesn't sound natural and helpful will be rejected by your customers as it will be considered not engaging and valuable.

• Create tailored content; inbound email Marketing process has four stages: attract, convert, close, and delight. Customers in each stage need different approach.

• It is high time you disposed the "no-reply" email address; you block your customers from contacting you and it is a red flag which will send your email to the spam folder.

• Lastly, proofread your email; misspellings and grammatical errors show lack of interest in creating valuable content for your customers and it undermines your customers' trust towards your company.

Social Media: Why, Which and How?

• Social media offer a free way (most of the time)  to spread your message to your customers.

• You have full control of the content, which can take many formats, like text, images, videos, audio, and interactive elements.

• They offer a two-way communication which results in valuable feedback and engaging interaction.

• The selection of the right social media depends on the specific target group and which social media THEY use.

• The content can vary between text, images, videos, downloadable files and links to websites or subscription forms.

• If multiple social media are selected the message should be unique on all platforms, but the content should be suitable for each one.

• Timing is an important factor; the same campaign may fail or succeed depending on the day and/or hour it is launched.

Online Ads: Outdo, Not Overdo

• Use inline online ads to achieve a seamless ad display within the content.

• Create ads relevant to the content to enhance their seamless display and increase the value towards the audience.

• Don't try to sell, offer a solution.

• Excessive use of ads makes the content unappealing and intrusive.

• Bottom line: User Experience (UX) is crucial.