13 Tricks to Make Your Email Campaigns Delete-Proof

Your customers' email addresses are a precious commodity – a golden ticket that gives you a free pass straight to their inbox, where (at least in most cases) you have far less competition for their attention than in their Facebook or Twitter feeds. If they’ve entrusted you with this level of access, it’s important to make sure that you're always a welcome presence and that they not only open your messages but even look forward to receiving them. At all costs, you must avoid abusing this privilege with emails that come so frequently or offer so little value that your recipients unsubscribe. Once you’ve been banned from their inbox, you'll probably never get a second chance to earn your way back in. By using the tactics outlined below, you can create powerful email marketing campaigns that are not only spared from the dreaded delete key but that also further advance the trust your customers have in your brand and, ultimately, drive them to buy from you time after time.

1. Make it worth their while.

The most important ingredient of a must-read email is the subject line. Keep it short and choose your words wisely. The recipient’s decision to open or delete hinges on your ability to make the case that your message is worth their time and attention. The best, most enticing subject lines convey to the recipient that the information that follows is urgent, unique or extremely useful – like in the example from Epicurious above, which featured the subject line "Packed Lunches, Made With Love." After all, what parent who faces the tedious task of packing school lunches every day wouldn’t be drawn in to read more?

2. Inspire and inform.

In today’s age of information overload, a brief but indispensable tip or inspirational message – whether it arrives on a daily, weekly or monthly basis – can be a refreshing change of pace for your customers.

3. Sell them a solution.

Don’t talk to your customers about your products or services. Talk to them about their needs and problems and give them a road map to solutions.

4. Make the ordinary extraordinary.

Emails with no other purpose than seeking “likes” for your Facebook page or follows for your Twitter stream are a dime a dozen and almost assuredly destined for the trash. However, if you can illustrate the valuable content and community connections that your customers are missing if they’re not part of the conversation, they’ll be much more likely not only to take notice but to take action as well.

5. Don’t underestimate the power of a good deal.

Everyone loves a deal, which is why discounts and free shipping offers are sure-fire attention-grabbers. Get more mileage out of your campaign by encouraging your customers to share their special offer with their friends via email or Facebook.

6. Demonstrate incredible value.

Discounts aren’t the only way to reel in bargain-lovers. Another equally effective approach is to provide creative, budget-friendly ideas and strategies that will let them satisfy their wants and desires without breaking the bank.

7. Turn them on to trends.

People like to be in the know about what’s new and what’s coming next. Give your customers the inside dish on the latest trends while highlighting the must-have items of the moment.

8. Show them what they’re missing.

No one likes to think they’re missing out on something that will save them money, make their life easier, solve a problem or even make them the envy of their friends and neighbors. Showcase your most popular products and feature reviews or testimonials from customers who love them. Nothing tips the scales toward a sale like the rave review of another customer who simply can’t live without whatever it is you’re selling.

9. Give the gift of ideas.

From Valentine's Day to Mother's Day to graduations and Christmas, your customers have at least as many gift-giving occasions as there are months of the year. For those times when they're in search of that perfect present, a well-timed email with creative ideas at a variety of price points is a welcome source of inspiration.

10. Gain a lot with a giveaway.

There’s nothing like the allure of a giveaway to motivate your customers not only to read  your email but to take the action you desire, whether it’s reviewing a product, “liking” your brand on Facebook or providing a referral to a friend.

11. Campaign for a cause.

Tying your email marketing campaign to a charitable cause is a win for everyone. Not only will your promotion be more attention-worthy but your customers will get a feel-good boost for choosing to spend their hard-earned dollars in a way that benefits the greater good.

12. Get the party started.

Building your campaign around events or classes offers your customers the opportunity to meet others who share similar interests and learn something new. Enhance your invitation with an exclusive discount for event attendees, and you’ll deliver an even more powerful motivational punch.

13. Invite them in.

Sometimes a simple email can open the door to a much deeper level of engagement. Remind your customers that your experts are available to them one-on-one and that together, you can identify the products and services that are the best fit for their specific needs and goals.

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The Five Types of Brand Evangelists

There’s no more valuable asset to the growth of your business than your brand evangelists.In today's culture of the Web, there’s no more powerful form of marketing than word of mouth. As a result, there’s no more valuable asset to the growth of your business than loyal customers who talk about you, sing your praises and disseminate your content through their networks. If you want to set the word of mouth around your brand on fire, you must identify the core motivations within your fans that spur them to action and give them ways to carry your torch that cater to their passions and personalities. Below we’ve profiled the five types of brand evangelists, what drives them and how to put them to work for you:

The Opinionater

The Opinionater wants to be heard. They have opinions about everything, and they want to share them with whomever will listen. They are the bloggers, the commenters, the reviewers, the frequent tweeters and Facebook status updaters.

How to put The Opinionater to work for you:

The most basic level of engaging The Opinionater is providing outlets for them to express their ideas and insights. Let them review your products or services on your website. Share interesting, original content regularly on your blog, Facebook and Twitter, and allow them to comment and debate. However, if you really want to make the most of The Opinionater’s potential as an evangelist, you have to go further. Social media has stripped away the barriers between customers and customers, so put this to your advantage by soliciting The Opinionater’s input on what they like, what they don’t like and what they want to see more of. Starbucks does this in a very sophisticated way on their “My Starbucks Idea” website, where fans can submit suggestions and requests for everything from drinks and merchandise to community involvement. However, you can achieve the same outcome in a less structured fashion simply by asking your followers on Facebook and Twitter for their opinions. To keep the The Opinionater loyal to your cause, it’s important to reassure them that these ideas are being heard. Respond to their comments, recognize their great ideas publicly and let them see their suggestions in action. They’ll feel invested in helping you because they’ll feel like they are a part of your success. If they feel like no one’s listening, you’ll not only risk alienating them, but you might find that suddenly you've got a very vocal critic on your hands.

The Informer

The Informer likes to be first in the know so they can be the one to spread the news. You know them as the email forwarders and the Facebook friends who are always sharing links to articles and videos. It’s important to The Informer to get credit for being ahead of the pack. In being the first to disseminate information within their network, they’re able to take ownership of the ideas being presented as if they were their own.

How to put The Informer to work for you:

Give them access to exclusive information that makes them feel like an insider. The Informer loves to join mailing lists, so be sure to offer an email opt-in on your website and send out regular newsletters with timely news, tips and offers. Let The Informer have the inside scoop on trends and sales, and you’ll set their forwarding fingers in motion.

The Fame Seeker

The Fame Seeker is driven by the allure of attention. They crave the spotlight and want to be celebrities within their own circles. They want to achieve their 15 minutes of notoriety in as many places around the Web as possible. They want to be the first to comment, or at least the one with the wittiest contribution that gets the greatest response. They want to see their name and their photo anywhere and everywhere they can get it, and they have profiles on multiple social media platforms.

How to put The Fame Seeker to work for you:

Recognition is the name of the game. Give them ways to participate in your community that are all about them, and then reward them for their participation. Call them out from the crowd, and you'll have a fan for life. NASCAR driver Ryan Newman’s Fan Club site is built around keeping The Fame Seeker engaged and active. Every member has the ability to share what’s most important to them – their photos, their videos and their opinions. Popular content is rewarded with points from other members, and the top points earners are elevated to a place of special prominence within the site on the fan club leaderboard.

The Trendsetter

The Trendsetter is constantly on high alert for what’s new and what’s coming next. They have a reputation within their circles as the one that’s always sporting the latest and greatest iteration of their obsession, whether it’s coffee, shoes, jeans, gadgets or cars. As a result, when they buy what you sell, it puts you immediately at the forefront of the tribe they belong to.

How to put The Trendsetter to work for you:

The task of putting The Trendsetter to work starts at the very core of your brand. You must position yourself as a company that’s always ahead of the curve. You must offer something genuinely special and unique to entice The Trendsetter to become your standard-bearer. Apple is the epitome of a brand that is in touch with The Trendsetter. Every new product they bring to the market is not only technologically innovative but impeccably designed. The iPad is a status symbol just as much as it’s a useful productivity tool. But you don’t have to compete on the same level as Apple to win over The Trendsetter. What you must do is earn a place in, listen to and respond to your tribe. When you can give them something that no one else in your niche can, it puts you on The Trendsetter’s radar. For example, let’s say you own a restaurant. What’s hot in the culinary world right now? The slow food movement. Create a special section of your menu dedicated to dishes made from seasonal ingredients sourced from local growers, and yours will be the restaurant that Trendsetter foodies all over town are suddenly talking about.

The Crusader

The Crusader is the torchbearer for the causes they believe in, and their loyalty runs deep because their passion is for the mission. They’re not interested in being seen wearing or carrying the trendiest label. They’re consumers with a social conscience that identify themselves with brand whose values and corporate culture inspire them.

How to put The Crusader to work for you:

Make them one of you. Give them a badge to wear that proclaims their belief in your cause. Arm them with information, tools and resources to be your advocate and help spread the word about what you stand for. TOMS is a brand of shoes with a simple mission: for every pair of shoes their customers buy, they donate a new pair of shoes to a child in need. On April 5, TOMS is sponsoring an awareness campaign called “One Day Without Shoes,” and they’ve enlisted their Facebook fans in the cause by creating an app that lets them share what they’ll be doing “without shoes” on April 5 and encouraging them to go “virtually barefoot” by using the campaign’s logo as their profile picture.

It’s time to hand over the megaphones.

Thanks to the evolution of social media and the culture of the Web, word of mouth is no longer an invisible phenomenon but a very public and powerful reality of today’s marketing. No matter the size of your company or the nature of what you sell, you have a powerful sales and marketing force in your customers, fans and followers. These loyalists are at your fingertips, ready and waiting to spring into action. All you have to do is provide the right tools and the right platforms, and you’ll reap the rewards of the trust they build on your behalf.

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