Special Delivery: The Truth About HTML E-mail
Over the last 10 to 15 years, e-mail has gone from an unreliable, dial-up powered novelty to a mainstay of business and personal communications. Sending instant, shorthand notes to each other – and even attaching documents and photos – has literally changed the way we live.
As our use of e-mail has evolved over the last decade, so has the medium itself. Today, instead of sending just words in the body of our messages, we have the capability to send e-mails that function as mini Web sites through the magic of HTML, the code that connects us to artful design, colorful images and endless links to the virtual world.
Most of us receive these HTML e-mails on a daily basis from businesses and organizations with which we have some connection. If done well, they capture our attention, provide useful information and motivate us to action. They are a different animal than standard e-mail for a variety of reasons and really should be considered separately in considering strategies for increasing quality communication with your target audiences.
So, is creating HTML e-mail something that an average business person can do for themselves? What are the bottom-line advantages over regular e-mail and how complicated is the process?
This is not Your Father’s E-mail
Many people ask why they can’t just create a cool design, paste it into an e-mail and blast it to their mailing list. Well, the answer is the same as why you don’t dump all the ingredients for a gourmet meal into the oven and just hope for the best. It takes the right tools and a little know-how to ensure that what you envision is what will actually become reality.
Even when the homemade e-mail looks great on the creator’s screen, if it is not coded properly and sent through a server set up to keep all the pieces together in the right order, there is no telling what the recipients will see. Most often, it arrives as well-intentioned, but garbled, out-of-place content that does nothing to help communicate the intended message.
Even if the e-mail does arrive in one piece and your ISP did not shut you down for being a spammer, how do you manage hundreds or thousands or addresses or handle dozens of unsubscribes or address changes?
Sending regular e-mail with a photo and a couple links is one thing, but creating a newsletter-type piece with a strong header, well-defined columns and real branding power is simply not feasible without the power of HTML and the right delivery system to handle it.
And in case you were wondering, sending cool documents as PDFs to a large list is not a good solution, either. No one is keen on opening attachments if they are not absolutely sure where it is coming from and why they are receiving it.
The Best of Both Worlds
For those who believe that looks are not everything, HTML e-mail has an inner beauty that is sure to impress. Most companies that offer HTML mailing services provide extensive tracking reports on each sent e-mail. The reports include statistics on how many of the e-mails were delivered, who opened them, when they were opened and what they clicked on inside the e-mail. The reports also include percentages of success in each category (often in graph form) and reasons why any were not delivered – by email address.
In short, the sender can use the online software to follow the progress of every mailing – usually within an hour or two of real time. Try that with direct mail.
And those results are usually encouraging (assuming a well-designed, well-written piece was sent). HTML e-mails have a higher click-through rate that plain text e-mails because they are far more compelling and action-oriented.
HTML E-mail – What is it Good For?
The real purpose of HTML e-mail is significantly different that traditional advertising or marketing. And make no mistake, it is about increasing sales – whether in business or maintaining membership in a non-profit or association. But this tool accomplishes that goal by building strong relationships and increasing loyalty through meaningful and regular (usually at least monthly) communication.
It is not meant to be tricky, deceitful or misleading. Good HTML communication provides quality, regular “touches” that instill confidence and enthusiasm in your readers. This can be accomplished by sending special offers such as coupons and discounts; invitations to special events including seminars, conferences and sales events; and newsletters that include practical, useful information that helps the readers become better customers, clients or members.
One important thing to remember is that quality content is a must to make any HTML effort worth your while. People will quickly become bored with the novelty of receiving your e-mail, so original, compelling content is vital to keep their attention. Give them something worth reading and they will. They already get enough junk – provide the value in your e-mails that represents the value you place in them.
I’m Sold. Where Do I Sign Up?
How you go about selecting a company with which to partner in the creation of your e-mail newsletter depends on what you need. If you have a graphic artist on staff with some experience working with HTML code and a writer capable of creating compelling content in a timely manner, then there are a number of services available to meet your needs. They will provide the online tools to adapt an existing template, upload content and mail your e-mails for a monthly fee. Do an online search for “e-mail marketing” to explore your options.
If you are interested in creating custom-designed newsletters with professional writing and editing assistance, then an option is a company such as SalesTouches.com. This Tallahassee-based company offers the same mailing and tracking technologies but adds the customization component to allow those without the time, experience to resources to send HTML e-mails with real impact. For more information, visit http://www.salestouches.com/ or call 850-201-8880.
Submitted by , davemail