In essence, the secret to constructing highly-effective E-mail marketing messages is being relevant, not annoying. Interesting, not boring!

So how do we come to TERMs and provide relevancy? The easiest way is to determine exactly what E-mail characteristics annoy people, and then avoid creating E-mail with those characteristics! Here are seven things almost everybody agrees is annoying, and what you can do to avoid each one:

1. The E-mail doesn't apply to me.

You must make sure your E-mail is targeted and relevant. In most cases, this is a simple function of your database and marketing activities. Potential sellers receive information relating to your marketing process and resources; actual selling clients obtain showing updates, a series of price reduction letters, and offers.

This also means you must be careful in how you acquire your leads. If you obtain leads from your web site, make sure your E-mail fulfills the promise you offered to obtain the prospect's contact information. If you rent names, make sure the data provider gives you a clean list. If you advertise and gather leads, make sure you place the leads in the right database!

2. The E-mails never stop.

Situations and circumstances change. Today I might be highly motivated to seek the services of a professional real estate agent because I heard about a pending layoff. Tomorrow, I discover the pending layoff was just a nasty rumor without substance. And I don't want to receive your E-mails anymore! So you must provide a mechanism for allowing people to remove themselves from your database and your E-mail series. It is the only professional thing to do.

3. The E-mail is too long.

What is too long? When your message passes the point of relevancy and transcends into the realm of boring. It's a fine line, but a line which you need to locate and mark out clearly with indelible ink. Because if you ever cross it... you risk losing your prospect.

Force yourself to get right to the point of your communication immediately. In fact, one of the simplest ways to improve your writing skills is to simply eliminate the first paragraph of your message. Try it. Write a marketing letter from start to finish without going back and proofing. Just write. When finished, start editing by simply crossing off the first paragraph. Now read the letter. Chances are... it now packs the punch it was previously missing.

4. The E-mail has attachments.

Never send unsolicited E-mail attachments. Never. People who requested E-mail from you don't mind attachments; people who didn't won't be amused. They'll be annoyed. In fact, in most cases, you'll never want to send unsolicited E-mail anyway. But if you find you do... nix any and all attachments.

5. The E-mail insults the reader's intelligence.

If your E-mail message isn't relevant, you've insulted your reader's intelligence. If you send a step-by-step report on "How to Buy a Home" to a prospect you has previously bought and sold 4 homes, you've insulted your reader's intelligence. Again, this annoyance can best be avoided by integrating your database of contacts with the appropriate marketing campaign.

6.The E-mail reads like an advertisement.

Remember, unlike a display ad, E-mail is a personal medium. It is written to somebody, by somebody. Person-to-person. The best way to avoid this annoyance is to set out writing your E-mail marketing messages addressed to your spouse, or your mother, or a good friend. Write a letter. Write as if you are speaking one-on-one to this person. Don't sell. Persuade.

7. The E-mail isn't readable.

This is a fluke of technology which is easily solved. Simply be careful about pasting text from your word processor into your E-mail program as many special characters may not survive the transfer. Likewise, if you are unsure if your intended reader uses an E-mail program which will translate an HTML formatted document, send your message in either plain text or plain text and HTML. When in doubt, it is always safer to opt for the "least common denominator", that is, go with the technology most likely to be used by the most people.

Some special characters to watch out for include:

• Bullets (use asterisks instead)
• Curly Quotes
• Hypens
• Franctions
• Ampersands

Okay. That's it. Avoid those seven annoying characteristics of E-mail messages and you will be well on your way to creating highly targeted, highly efficient E-mail messages which people will enjoy, appreciate, and look forward to receiving.

Published: December 31, 1998

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