Email marketing
Email is a very powerful marketing tool when used well. If you are going to communicate with people using email, please make sure they opt-in. Judicious use of email to encourage people to keep considering adoption as a first choice method to starting/building their family can work well. Here are some things to consider to get you started.
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Make sure your contact list is up to date and remove opt outs
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Create a plain text version to match the content in your HTML version
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Ensure links go to the right place. Guide people to your website
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Track links using Google Analytics – find out what works and what doesn’t. Adjust future messages accordingly
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Personalise emails and make sure that names are correct. There will normally be a send preview option
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Make sure you have an unsubscribe button and that it works correctly
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Don’t send from a ‘do not reply’ or ‘no reply’ email address
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Subject lines should be less than 40 characters; they should not contain exclamation marks, excessive punctuation or be made up of ALL CAPITALS
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A/B test subject lines
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Make sure your email has a clear call to action. Say something important immediately – a good start will ensure better open rates
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Keep copy short and to the point
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Use local content – make your message relevant to your reader’s geographical location
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Spell check and ask a colleague to proof read
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Check your email works well in different browsers including mobile devices
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Best days and times for maximum open rates are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at about lunchtime