Email marketing is a valuable tool for any modern business, but it can backfire if you don’t use it carefully.
I recently saw an email that was very short, started with my name and included unsubscribe details – all of which are good points in an email. But it also included three links to a web page they were promoting – not three pages, but three links to one page!
In a short email, I am quite capable of finding the link even if I have read further on – it will stand out!
Over do something like providing links, and I begin to wonder why you are pushing it so hard and I get suspicious. Finish with “This isn’t hype” to convince me this is hype and not substance.
Add in a comment like “Seriously, this puppy is sick” and the email has no credibility – I deleted it without clicking on any of the three links!
So the lessons from this email are:
- treat your readers with respect – they can find links in short emails
- avoid unnecessary repetition – it is boring and raises questions as to why you need to repeat it
- avoid statements that are cool or trendy – not everyone will agree with you and they age your message quickly. What is cool today is sick tomorrow and wicked the day after, and so on
- if your content isn’t something (e.g. hype, spam,viral) then you don’t need to write that fact – it is more likely to raise suspicions than allay them
Use your words (and links!) wisely!
And many would like more people to read their blog – whether it is to promote their business, share their passion or express their opinions and experiences, they want someone to read what they have written.
When commenting…
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008If you leave a comment in a blog, you presumably want to contribute and have your comment included on the blog site. So make sure this is going to happen by getting it right.
Recently, I have received a few comments and pings that aren’t spam but have faulty links so I have not approved the comments.
In one example, the same person gave two comments and had a URL starting with http://http://www so the link obviously didn’t work. The lesson here is to check whether you need to add http:// or not when completing a form – don’t assume every blog/website owner will take the time to fix this error.
Another example if a link that takes a very long time to open and then goes to a page that doesn’t display well or completely. The credibility of the site, and therefore the comment, is reduced. In my case, it meant I couldn’t see how they had linked to me so I wasn’t comfortable accepting the link in my comments.
The result? Your comment is not approved or is only approved once the link is deleted.
Tags: approve, comments, links, URL
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