Email Deliverability Checklist

Advanced Email Marketing Tips Top 10 Checklist To Improve Email Deliverability

Deliverability Checklist
Relevant
Deliverable
Compatible
Personable
Focused
Test
Simple
Fresh
Recognizable
Viral
More about this topic online: http://emailmarketingtips.verticaltraction.com/2010/03/16/top-10-improve-email-deliverability-and-response/

Relevant: Appeal to each of your primary audiences
Unless you only offer one product/service and subscribers would only subscribe for one reason, you need to segment your list and provide relevant content to each segment.
See my recent post: 6 Easy Steps to Implement An Email Segmentation Strategy http://emailmarketingtips.verticaltraction.com/2010/03/02/6-easy-steps-to-implement-an-email-segmentation-strategy/

Deliverable: Dot your I's and cross your T's.
Setup domain authentication (previous post)
Keep your list clean (stop sending to unopens)
Watch your text to image ratio
Don't go overboard with the superlatives, ALL CAPS and spammy words
Include a copyright and link to your privacy policy
Use clean HTML code - sloppy errors are flags
Don't let mistakes affect deliverability. All sorts of things affect deliverability but don't let the basics slip by.

Compatible: Design for the various previews in email clients
Preview your email templates in the major email tools such as Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, Apple MailThis is the best reference I've found for understanding which CSS styles render in which email tools: http:// www.campaignmonitor.com/css /

Personable: A friendly person wrote this - not a company
The days of stuffy corporate speak are over. You are trying to build a relationship with your prospects through multiple channels. Don't blow it in email.

Focused: Don't create distractions and keep it short
For whatever reason, many email templates are full of distractions (navigation links, house ads, etc). Focus on:
Your subscribers' needs
Your goals

Simple: Simplify the layout
Unfortunately, most marketers don't revisit their email layouts and templates as often as they should. If you aren't testing, how do you know what to change?

Fresh: Work in design elements that keep it fresh
Just a visual queue to your subscribers that this isn't a resend and they should take notice.

Recognizable: Review your from, subject line and headline strategy
Don't get too generic with your from email and from name and don't change them.
You want subscribers to add you to their address book. If you change your address and/or from name, it won't be in their address book.
Choose something recognizable and run with it.

Viral: Make it interesting and incorporate share icons
How much effort does it take from the first key strokes of an article to the moment you hit send to get your email out to your subscribers?
If you add up the hours and cost, you might take your email marketing more seriously. Take another hour or so to review headlines, intros and photos to make your email something people want to share (assuming your content is compelling in the first place).

BONUS: Useful: Reference previous and up-coming content
People don't read every email you send. Reference previous content and hint and upcoming content.

Other Posts You Might Find Useful
6 Easy Steps to Email Segmentation http://emailmarketingtips.verticaltraction.com/2010/03/02/6-easy-steps-to-implement-an-email-segmentation-strategy/
How to Manage Your Email Reputation http://emailmarketingtips.verticaltraction.com/2010/03/05/how-to-manage-your-email-reputation/
Dedicated Landing Pages: The Other 50% of your Email Marketing Campaign http://emailmarketingtips.verticaltraction.com/2010/01/30/dedicated-landing-pages-the-other-50-percent-of-your-email-marketing-campaign/
Welcome New Subscribers with a Campaign http://emailmarketingtips.verticaltraction.com/2009/12/22/welcome-new-email-subscribers-with-a-campaign/

About
I’m a 15-year veteran of interactive marketing
For the past 6 years, I have focused on email marketing and squeezing out every last percentage point possible in email response rates
Rob Van Slyke
Interactive Consultant
[email_address]
713-681-7771
vertical traction
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Email Deliverability Checklist

by vertical traction on Apr 21, 2010

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Email Deliverability Checklist — Presentation Transcript