Poof, when Facebook changes its business page policies, your business page becomes outdated.

With frequent changes to Facebook, Twitter, blogging and other social media, small business can maintain a consistent digital presence with email marketing.  When combined with a properly maintained list, email marketing remains the #1 asset for small businesses.  Follow these 5 best practices for email campaign success.

Format content for high readership

  • “How to” stories
  • Top tips for customers to get the best out of your products or services
  • Opinions and analysis on event, news, product, industry trends
  • Predict the future trends
  • Retell horror story on how you survived a disastrous business decision; include lessons learned
  • Surveys / feedback requests
  • Interviews
  • Statistics and lists
  • Event recommendations; 5 things you learned from an event you attended

Create and follow an editorial calendar and re-purpose plan

  • Develop a 6-month editorial calendar. Include deadlines and accountabilities
  • Re-purpose content in social media posts

Mini-skirt principle: Long enough to cover the subject and short enough to be interesting

  • Subject line – 5 to 8 words or 35 characters
  • Body copy – 250 words (approximately one typed paged double spaced)

Engage

  • Establish reliability by engaging on a consistent schedule versus a frequent and erratic schedule
  • Encourage readership response with visible Call To Action (register, join, sign up, send, donate, learn more, read more, visit our website, volunteer, act now)

Rule of 2

  • Readers decide in 2 seconds whether to click open or delete
  • Readers look at 2 things to determine open or delete – Your From and Subject lines
  • The first 2 words of the subject line are the most important
  • Whenever possible have 2 sets of eyes review before clicking the send button
  • Create 2-way conversations

What best practices do you follow to increase click through and open rates?  Share with our readers in the comment section below.