Debbie Mayo-Smith: Three significant tips to get your email marketing right

Here are the five vital components of a successful marketing email.

My business Quick Tip newsletter (www.successis.co.nz) is one of the longest running in New Zealand and Australia. I started it in 1999, and I'm proud to say I rarely get unsubscribes.

Mail Delivery Errors from people leaving jobs - yes, but few pure unsubscribes from purely not wanting it.

I believe there are the five vital components of a successful marketing email.

1. Database
2. Content
3. Technical setup/design
4. Distribution
5. Response management

Each component has significant bearing on how well received (or sadly - received at all) your email newsletter will be; and if action is required, it is taken by your recipient. Let me share my top three database tips with you.

1. Never, never let anyone go. By this I'm not talking about when they ask to unsubscribe. I mean people you meet. Prospects. Customers. Put them on your newsletter database (with their permission of course).

2. Targeted is best. You must ensure your email is as relevant as possible to your recipient.

If one of the articles you are promoting is relevant to New Zealand only - , exclude it from the newsletter to those outside the country. Yes. I'm talking two - or more versions. Why? You might sacrifice a few sales in the short term. Longer term you'll preserve your asset; the goldmine you've worked so hard to acquire.

The goldmine is the trilogy of: one - your marketing database; two - your permission to email those on it; and three - getting them to read your email. In this day of extreme overload, it's vital to be relevant and spot on in your targeting.

This is why one of my top recommendations is to always get as much information as you can into your marketing database. This leads us to point three when your newsletter contains content that sells.

3. Don't try to sell the same thing to the same people too many times. Your first use of the database for a specific offer will get the gold medal. Your second time run with the same subject turns up a few more, a bronze medal. Your third run is a wipeout. No bronze here. Very little take up and lots of unsubscribes.

My advice - if possible, don't be greedy and skip the third email.

Debbie Mayo-Smith aka Ms Effective, gives speeches, seminars and trains on sales and personal productivity. Debbie helps you get more done in less time and increase profitability. Sign up for her monthly quick tip newsletter at www.successis.co.nz. To have Debbie speak at your next event or train your team call 64 27 575 5359 or visit her www.debbiespeaks.co.nz