Email Marketing – Follow-up, Etiquette, and a Checklist

Good online lead programs have a well-crafted work flow process to follow-up on leads and convert them to an onsite appointment. The length and intensity of the follow-up process is determined by the type of product sold, the characteristics of your target market, and local market conditions.

Good Follow-up Plans Define the Following:

1. Goal—What action do you want the online lead to take?
2. Type—What contact method (phone, email, mail)?
3. Timing—When will the follow-up be delivered?
4. Responsibility—Who will deliver the follow-up?

Email is one great way to follow-up with potential clients … if done correctly. Email marketing done right results in sales. Consumers who give you permission to contact them appreciate hearing from you. In fact, they want to hear from you.

BUT… Spam is a billion-dollar industry and is so out of control that it threatens the very existence of legitimate email marketing. Consumers are so sick of unwanted email that they suffer from THD Syndrome  Trigger Happy Deleting. They will delete any and all email that even closely resembles spam.

The CAN-SPAM Act

The acronym CAN-SPAM is derived from the bill’s full name, Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act. It was signed into law in 2003 to establish the first national standards for sending of commercial email. While it is not widely enforced, the act provides guidelines for businesses to follow about the best practices in email marketing. For a complete understanding and interpretation of this law, you should consult your attorney. This summary is provided for general information only and should not be used in place of legal counsel. Even if your company sends out only permission-based email, the CAN SPAM Act may require you to change the way you send email.

For commercial electronic messages meant to promote a product, service, or content on a website operated for commercial purposes check out our email checklist below.

Email Checklist:

• Do you have a valid FROM email address?
• Is the SUBJECT line misleading?
• Is the FROM email address a working email and available for at least thirty days?
• Is a physical postal address including in the email message?
• Is your domain name registration (your www address) accurate?
• Did you gather your email list appropriately with opt-in, permission-based methods?
• Does the email make sense to a potential recipient?
• Is the message relevant to the target audience?
• Is your Privacy Policy on your website? Does every email link to your Privacy Policy?

Today’s post contains information found in Click Power, Meredith’s book written specifically for the new home building and residential real estate industry. It’s a comprehensive, digital marketing how-to guide for home builders. Meredith steps you through the sometimes overwhelming maze of web marketing and shows you how to optimize your potential online. Order it online at Amazon.com.

Categorised in: Marketing Mondays