Getting ready to take your direct marketing online? Follow these basic steps to create a successful email marketing campaign:
1. Identify the desired audience.
Identify the audience you want to reach with your campaign. The more specific you can be, the better. A well-defined target audience will provide higher response rates and return on your advertising budget.
Take a look at our email lists of consumers who have opted in to receive messages from third party companies. Let us know how you want to refine these lists. We can do “selects” on many demographic and geographic criteria to tailor a list for your campaign.
2. Obtain an email address count from Marigold.
Marigold provides you with a count of the email addresses in our opt-in database that fit your criteria. Pricing for email addresses is by the thousand and varies by list; there are additional charges, again by the thousand, for selects.
Please note that federal CAN-SPAM regulations for email marketing prevent us from giving you the electronic database of addresses.
3. Provide Marigold with your creative, and your test address list.
Send us the email content for your campaign. This includes subject line, the “from” line, text, and graphics, including any links to landing pages on your website. Please check to make sure your creative complies with CAN-SPAM regulations, which specify required elements such as the sending company’s physical address and a clearly identified mechanism for opting out of future mailings. Here are a few tips.
In addition, provide us with a list of addresses for sending a test of the email.
4. Marigold sends a blast of your email to your test list.
Once we have received the creative, we will send a test blast for your approval. This is your opportunity to see exactly how your email will look to recipients. Do a final proofing of copy, and be sure that any links in the message click through to the correct landing pages.
5. Send payment to Marigold.
Pre-payment for the final release is required unless you already have an established account with Marigold you’ve used for previous projects. Clients with established credit histories at Marigold have the option to be billed.
6. Email is sent.
Marigold sends your email to the full list of pre-determined addresses. (Also known as an email blast.)
7. Track responses.
Use website statistics software to track traffic to your website so you can analyze responses to your email campaigns. You may also want to use other systems for tracking activities, such as calls and off-line sales. (If you do not currently have statistics software for your website, Marigold can suggest programs and services.)
Don’t hesitate to contact us for additional assistance setting up your direct email campaign.