Never before have we seen such an easy and cost effective way to keep in touch with our customer base and market to our existing database via email campaigns.

So how do you need to structure your email campaigns for optimum response?

Here are 7 key tips in setting up an email campaign that produces a return on investment;

1. Benefit Based Subject Line

It has to be said that creating a subject line is one of the most important things in creating a successful email campaign. To ensure you are getting your emails read, utilise words like, "you" and "your" in the subject line. It will always get a better response hands down.

Secondly ensure that the subject line explains a benefit of reading the email, i.e. "7 Tips to Successfully Growing Your Business."

2. Short and Sweet

Today's consumers are bombarded with interruption marketing and email is no different. Your customers don't want an email that is pages in length and hard to scroll over for a quick squizz to see what is going on.

Utilise catchy headings with a one sentence or one paragraph description of your latest info with a link back to your site to read the rest.

After all your objective is to get them back to the site to make a purchase, is'nt it?

3. Use of Graphics

Regularly update the graphics that you utilise in your email campaigns. After a while people will associate certain pictures with certain products and services that you offer and next time they see the same picture they will subconsciously say to themselves, "I've seen that before, I don't need to look at it again!" Hence lower click through rate and lower sales.

You can download high quality and cheap pictures from www.istockphoto.com

4. Speak Your Target Markets Lingo

Too many businesses utilise long convaluted words that mean nothing to their target consumer. Write as you speak and your copy will always be read more often because of it being more relatable and conversational.

5. Promote Refer a Friend Campaigns

An email campaign isn't only to market to your existing database but to also assist you in growing it. Run monthly competitions in which they win a prize if they refer x amount of friends to your website. All you need is a couple of raving fans that will send it to their entire email box for you to hit the jack pot.

6. Choose Your Topics Creatively

Think of the one thing your client base really needs assistance with but is afraid to ask for help on the matter. This could be things like call reluctance, struggling with confidence and other issues they are afraid to face.

You will literally open the flood gates for fantastic interaction when you delve into the areas where others have failed to go in the past.

7. Utlise Your Real Estate Carefully

Real estate is all about location, location, location and so is the real estate on an email campaign.

The area that is of most value to you is the very first block of any email newsletter as it is what they see first when your email campaign drops into their inbox.

Always and I mean always utilise this section to promote your own business first and above everything else. Then in the subsequent sections utilise these for your articles, tips of the month and referral competitions.

There you have it, 7 key tips to creating successful email campaigns.

Do you have any suggestions you'd like to share with the NWN online business community?

Hit "comment" below and add it today!

Until next time

Ben Angel

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