The do's and don'ts of email marketing

The do's and don'ts of email marketing - a little basics

Email is far from obsolete. Even in the age of social media, it remains a popular communication tool within a company’s marketing mix. Existing customers are best kept informed with newsletters and emails. This way, most companies maintain contact with their customers and prospects. It’s no wonder, since an email or newsletter costs little and can be individually tailored to the company’s needs. If you use a landing page, it is even suitable for acquiring new customers around the clock. Email marketing is suitable for companies of all sizes, as it is an effective communication channel for everyone. It is the digital form of direct marketing, where a customer is addressed directly to trigger an action. Reach can be easily measured and scaled. Newsletters can be sent automatically, and the company responds via autoresponder.

To prevent the email from ending up in the prospect’s spam folder, careful preparation is necessary to stand out from the mass of emails. Even in an overcrowded inbox, the email must catch attention to be opened. Legal aspects must also always be kept in mind. Therefore, you need a well-thought-out strategy with clear goals. What do you want to achieve with an email marketing campaign?

Professional email marketing clearly differentiates itself from mass mailing by focusing on the appropriate target group, as it addresses individuals directly. Additionally, it is the most important inbound channel for interacting with leads and customer inquiries. This generates attention because the content reaches the right target audience and is delivered accordingly.
Basically, two types of email marketing emails are distinguished:

• Promotional emails that are used to drum up publicity. These do not differ significantly from advertising letters, as they present a new product or draw attention to a special offer.
• Info mails convey important news, with exciting tips, tricks or new features. This allows you to inform subscribers about news from your company.

Unlike social media, various features can be combined in one email. For example, a discount coupon can be linked with an automated birthday email. Even cart abandoners can receive an email before leaving the website. Email keeps you top of mind. Reach all age groups with email marketing

You only have to create an e-mail once and can send it to as many recipients as you like. This allows you to reach all age groups, as almost everyone can now use an e-mail program. Even older people who don't spend much time online at least check their e-mails from time to time. The company itself decides who it writes to and is not dependent on the guidelines of social networks. The contact list remains under lock and key and the competition is kept out.

Before you get down to work, you should ask yourself what I can and should do to ensure that my newsletter is read. What does the target group expect from us? Special offers or articles about the product? It's all about a healthy mix. Set yourself goals that you want to achieve with your newsletter.

• Gain new subscribers by creating a landing page that sparks curiosity
• Offer added value with tips and tricks, or a look behind the scenes
• Stand out from the crowd and choose an appealing headline that is exciting
• To do this, you should take a little time to work out the advantage of your offer
• Always address your readers personally
• Guide the interested party, show them important topics, offers and dates
• Tell users what to do, link to the newsletter and provide calls to action

Content should always be fresh and interesting. Avoid bombarding your users with emails. It is not necessary to send a new newsletter every week, as this may cause readers to unsubscribe and you to lose customers. Furthermore, the newsletter must be well-structured, with headings, addresses, and appealing images. It goes without saying that all this should be easily readable on mobile devices. Check your texts for spelling errors before sending. If you do not want to do all this yourself, you can turn to a newsletter agency. Make your work easier with newsletter tools

For newsletter design, a good newsletter tool is recommended, as these offer far more features than a regular email program on your computer. As an online marketing agency, we are happy to recommend the right tool for your needs. It strongly depends on which features you require. With newsletter tools, you have all the important features combined. Most programs allow you to create professional designs. It is also important to measure the email campaign to see how high the open, click, and conversion rates are. Legal limits of email marketing

One of the most important aspects is legal certainty, as there are legal requirements that every company must adhere to. Not everything that is possible is allowed, as data protection in the form of the GDPR sets clear limits. Before you can send out a newsletter, you must obtain the user's consent. To do this, you must adhere to the requirements of the double opt-in procedure. The recipient receives an email in which they must confirm their registration, because an email without consent can result in a warning under competition law, as cold calling by email is generally prohibited. This also applies in the B2B sector, as you are not allowed to write to another company unsolicited. If in doubt, please speak to a specialist lawyer.

You should consider the following things before sending e-mails:

• The newsletter may only be set up with the double opt-in procedure
• Consent should be recorded if possible
• Remember copyright when using images
• You always need an imprint for newsletters
• If you are giving something away, do not link this to the submission of the e-mail address

What may sound like a limitation has an advantage, as your newsletter is sent only to genuinely interested recipients who have a fundamental interest in your offer. Newsletter marketing is a robust tool in online marketing that is far from obsolete. We are happy to explain the advantages of this proven online marketing tool to you in a personal conversation.