When marketing to new people, it can be hard just to make that first impression by telling them who you are, what your success story is, and what your product or service is about. However, in the digital world, emails act as the frontmen of bringing in new clients and or who might be interested in what you have to sell.
What you have to say in an email (what you will type up anyway) will definitely speak volumes about you and your company, because many people don’t want to be bothered with spam or gimmicks when they receive emails.
Here are eight ways to build up your credibility with email marketing that won’t send your emails into the spam or trash folder.
Use A Legit Email
“Using a legitimate email in your marketing venture is a no-brainer,” says Linda Mauldin, a business writer at Last minute writing and Writinity. “However, this practice is often overlooked when companies use marketing automation or sales engagement platforms to get the job done. The best thing you can do is use your own email account; don’t rely on generic accounts, since they’ll make you less credible to prospective users and clients.”
Perfect Your Subject Line
The subject line is what email recipients will see first, before deciding whether or not to open it. So, be sure to choose your words wisely as you write your subject line. Here are some ideas on how you can go about it:
- Hook your subscribers with personalization.
- Create a sense of urgency.
- Say “Thank You.”
As you perfect your subject lines, see which ones get more attention, and lean towards those types of subject lines in the future.
Write Neatly And Sincerely
Since you’re not meeting the recipient in real-life, your email should be a physical extension of yourself. As you introduce yourself, avoid incorporating the following:
- Irrelevant content
- Jarring, blurry graphics
- Unclear, illegible font that can strain the eyes
Also, sincerity is everything. Honest communication receives tons more attention from the receiver than forced gimmicks and slanderous content. If you want to add a personal touch to the email, then that’s fine, but do so in a professional manner.
Be Engaging
As we’ve mentioned before, emails have to have a call-to-action that encourages people to subscribe to your newsletter or explore your website to discover what else your business has to offer.
For example, call-to-actions can take the form of a survey, which allows them to send you feedback and/or any concerns that they might have. By engaging with recipients this way, and forming an action plan, your audience will know that you are (and will be, in the future) listening to them.
Have A Current Email Signature
Email signatures don’t have to be boring, but they still have to look and feel professional. Be sure to have the following, when creating (or updating) your email signature:
- Your full name
- The professional title you have
- Contact information: business address, phone number, email address, etc.
- A headshot (so that recipients can know the name and face of the person that sent the email)
Send Links To Social Media Accounts
Almost everyone is on social media nowadays. How about you?
Along with your email signature, you need to leave your recipients with links to your social media like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Make Your Web Presence Known
Like with social media, you need to have a solid presence online.
When a prospect researches you online (through your website or through your social media pages), not only do you need to keep your things up to date, but you also need to set up privacy settings that will protect your accounts from illegal activities such as hacking. As you update and spruce up your website and social media pages, you’ll build more credibility that people can count on.
Avoid Being Labeled Spam
“Normally, emails that are deemed deceptive or irrelevant are considered spam,” says Aidan Austin, a marketing blogger at Draft beyond and Research Papers UK. “And, when your email is deemed as spam, the recipient will most likely have it sent to the spam folder, where it will be deleted permanently sooner or later. Only emails that are deemed authentic to the user will be looked at.”
To avoid being fined for unintentionally sending “spam” emails, the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 wants you to abide by the following rules:
- Provide users with an “unsubscribe” link that’s valid for at least 30 days after sending.
- Include not only your email and phone, but also your physical mailing address.
- Never falsify headers, subject lines, names, or reply-to addresses.
Conclusion
When it comes to email marketing, you need to make the right approach and do the right and sensible thing, so that you don’t scare off potential customers. In fact, even the most sophisticated email strategies can eventually backfire on you, if your prospects either don’t trust you at all or don’t trust you enough. So, don’t be afraid to make the necessary adjustments in your emails, and let the marketing magic work for you!
Angela Bryant is a writer and editor at Luckyassignments.com and Gumessays.com. As a writer, she specializes in topics related to social media and business.