Don't Send That Email!

I know you get tired of me saying it but we all know that social media is rented ground. At any given moment of the day, your Facebook or Instagram could just up and go "poof" and you could end up in their jail zone. This is why you need to have an email list.

Having your email list allows you to be able to contact all your readers and followers even without having social media.

I've done various email blogs in the past so this one will refer back to some of those but will also dive a little into a bit more of the logistics angle. Let's figure out how to get your email program going and make it the best.

What Program Should I use?

There's lots of hubbub right now about using a website email. I'm not going there at all except to say that yourname@gmail.com is not a professional email. Moving on!

There are so many email programs out there that it's hard to choose. If you are just getting started, keep it as simple as possible. You can always upgrade later. I started with Mailchimp a bazillion years ago and still don't pay anything. Until you have pretty many people on your list, you may also be able to get away with a free program. Also, if you have a website already, you can see if they have a simple system to use. We have a Wix website and I know they have email. But, I had Mailchimp first so we've stuck with that. These are the ones that Forbes has listed. I'm not familiar with most of them but I have used Constant Contact and Flodesk and found them fairly easy to navigate.

How Often Should I be Emailing My List?

At minimum, go for sending a monthly email but the more complicated answer is that it depends on your overall strategy. When someone first comes into your sphere, it's important for them to get to know you a little bit. A good way to enable them to do that is to have a welcome series of a few automated emails going out over a few days telling your story. Once that ends, then, they are in your normal rotation of emailing. Sending just one a month isn't really enough for them to get to know you but as a small business, I get that it's tough to schedule them too frequently. I try to go for a once-a-week update to let people know I'm here for them and what I can offer. I suggest you start monthly if you don't have any emails going out now and then try to work up to weekly.

Does the Subject Line matter?

Yes. Think about the TONS of emails you get daily. How do you decide which ones to open? We did a blog with several tips on subject lines but the main idea is that you need to pique their interest. One thing I have noticed recently is that when I use an emoji in the subject line I seem to get more opens. Try it and let me know if you get the same reaction.

I think we can all agree that the emojis make the subject lines in this photo more interesting right?

What Else Can Make My Emails Better?

Here are a few general tips I've learned over the years to help my emails get better results.

• Use 18pt font. Apparently this is the most universal easy to read size.

• Use the recipient name in the subject and the opening.

• Use highlighting, bold, italics and emojis to keep interest and highlight important items.

• Use the PS feature or TLDR to get some specific points across at the end.

• Don't send on Mondays. People are already overwhelmed with their inbox. Tuesday-Thursday are supposedly the best email days. I do sometimes send things on Fridays because my audience is primarily small business owners and I know many catch up on email reading over the weekend. This is a case of test, review and know your audience.
  

Email is still alive and well and certainly working for sales. With a few tweaks, you can make yours better with each one you send out.

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Rebecca Paciorek is an Online Business Manager specializing in assisting authors, coaches, and speakers in their business growth through traditional and digital means.