Email marketing
Email is a very powerful marketing tool when used well. If you are going to communicate with people using email, please make sure they opt-in. Judicious use of email to encourage people to keep considering adoption as a first choice method to starting/building their family can work well. Here are some things to consider to get you started.
-
Make sure your contact list is up to date and remove opt outs
-
Create a plain text version to match the content in your HTML version
-
Ensure links go to the right place. Guide people to your website
-
Track links using Google Analytics – find out what works and what doesn’t. Adjust future messages accordingly
-
Personalise emails and make sure that names are correct. There will normally be a send preview option
-
Make sure you have an unsubscribe button and that it works correctly
-
Don’t send from a ‘do not reply’ or ‘no reply’ email address
-
Subject lines should be less than 40 characters; they should not contain exclamation marks, excessive punctuation or be made up of ALL CAPITALS
-
A/B test subject lines
-
Make sure your email has a clear call to action. Say something important immediately – a good start will ensure better open rates
-
Keep copy short and to the point
-
Use local content – make your message relevant to your reader’s geographical location
-
Spell check and ask a colleague to proof read
-
Check your email works well in different browsers including mobile devices
-
Best days and times for maximum open rates are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at about lunchtime
If you are considering using email marketing to reach adopters please contact Paul Sutton on 020 7841 0514 (or paul@first4adoption.org.uk) and he will be happy to talk you through the initial steps.