Email Marketing Bear’s top ten email marketing tips

Earlier this week we asked the question: “Does a bear email in the woods?” The answer (since the coming of Wi Fi at least) seems to be yes. The “Email Marketing Bear” has been seen rumaging around the twitterverse, offering email marketing tips and quips and appears to be gathering quite a following. Following a bear is bound to lead you to honey or a tasty pik-nik basket!

You may notice that there are only nine and not ten tips here. Nine is what the bear gave us and we aren’t going to argue with a bear about his math skills.

Don’t buy email lists

Hyenas sell email lists. That’s why you should never buy any. Because hyenas scavenge for stuff that’s been on the ground. Yuck. Stay with dumpsters, stay classy.

Design for all readers and platforms

Think of your audience when you design email newsletters. Some of your customers are colorblind. Others can only see in the dark or by sonar. Be easy to read!

Know your privacy laws

Always get Mama’s permission first if you market to cubs. Trust me, it saves you a lot of unnecessary grief, not to mention maulings.

Don’t be a spammer

Speaking of which, the only thing more wrathful than a black bear is a black mark against your good name with ISPs. Don’t even consider serving up spam, unless it’s around a campfire, in a tasty hash.

Stay consistent with your delivery

Email marketing success comes when you stay in regular contact with your customers. If you go off to hibernate, you run the risk of finding that an enterprising grizzly’s moved into your turf when you wake up. Uh-oh: competition!

Just because you know someone doesn’t mean they’ve opted in

Just because you and a moose might have both taken a bio-break at the same tree once doesn’t mean you have a relationship with him. Let him decide to join your list and opt in himself.

Stay relevant, be relevant, provide relevant content

You wouldn’t forage for pine cones in the spring, and hunt bighorn sheep in the fall, would you?  Of course not! Tailoring your newsletter content to seasonal or current topics is a great way to stay relevant to your readers and make sure you get those newsletters opened and read.

Bee a Ninja – know who’s on your list

Try to avoid email addresses that go to groups (info@, everyone@, sales@). Just one unhappy camper (the only good thing about an unhappy camper is that they are still delicious) is all it takes to flag you as a spammer and get you banned from national parks ISPs.

Always be prepared

My career makes me a real road warrior. I always keep a signup book or stack of cards with me to collect the email addresses of folks I meet. In a pinch, you can use leaves. But if they’re leaves of three, let them be. Poison Ivy isn’t the calling card you want to give out.

These are great steps toward being a great email marketer. Has the bear hit all the sweet spots? What tips would you add?

Takeaway: These are the “bear” necessities of good email marketing!

More great top ten lists from The eMail Guide here!

New to email marketing? Start here!