No question about it – spam filters are a good thing. At least when they’re protecting your inbox!

Often, though, legitimate email marketing messages can get caught in the net intended to screen out all of the junk.

While spam filter avoidance is becoming more complex every day, here are three tips to help your message get through:

Limit email size to 50 Kb or less. Virus protection programs subject large emails to special scrutiny to avoid malicious payloads like viruses. That means your perfectly innocent email could be deemed a threat. Check your message size before sending and eliminate any unneeded graphics or attachments.

Don’t have more than 15 recipients in the “To” line. If you’re using your email program to send out mass messages, be warned: emails with 15 or more recipients in the “To” field are often blocked by recipients’ email programs or Internet Service Providers. Better to use a well-known email marketing service so that emails are addressed individually.

Avoid certain “spammy” words and phrases. I’d list some here, but then I’d probably get caught in your spam filter myself! You’ll often see e-marketers use carets (^) or asterisks (*) in the middle of certain words (like fr^e) to avoid capture. However, spam filters are evolving to catch even this trick.

If your emails are being sent out via a professional email marketing service, you probably have access to a content checker that will allow you to test your content for spammy words before sending your email.

So write carefully, test thoroughly, and reap the benefits of well-targeted email marketing!

During last month’s “Building a Client Attractive Website” seminar, one of the attendees asked me a question that, coincidentally, tied rather nicely into this month’s commandment.

Briefly, she wanted to know why the copy on the website (which was designed to attract clients for a local business coach) used “I” and “me” rather than referring to the website owner in the third person by her first name or “she.” She felt the approach a bit too casual, not professional enough.

So why did I disagree – with confidence?

Commandment #10: Thou shalt respect Internet culture and its rules.

The Internet truly is a unique environment, and while most of the well-known laws of marketing apply here as they do elsewhere, they usually are applied with a bit of a twist.

A lot of this has to do with the (often unwritten) expectations that have evolved in the Internet community over the past couple of decades. Anyone who’s ever joined a mailing list and posted a message that other list members considered out of bounds has learned this lesson the hard way. People on the Internet expect certain things. They just don’t always tell you up front.

With that in mind, here are some guidelines for not running afoul of these expectations:

Talk to rather than at. Here’s the reason I chose the conversational tone that the seminar attendee objected to. It’s pretty common, in hard-copy written marketing materials, to see firms and people refer to themselves in the third person: “Sara Smith is a world-renowned motivational speaker …” And that’s perfectly appropriate – in fact, it’s expected, especially if the product or service being advertised is not particularly personal.

But the Internet community values a more personal touch in marketing, and this should be reflected in the words you use. Address your audience as “you,” as if you’re talking to one person at a time (and, really, you are).

Don’t give a speech – have a conversation.

Share expert knowledge. Internet users have come to expect intellectual generosity online. Forums are filled with people who take precious time out of their busy lives to answer newbies’ questions about all sorts of subjects.

While you don’t have to give away the store, you do need to cultivate an attitude of “share and share alike.” Interestingly, the more you’re willing to share, the more you’ll be seen as an expert in your field and will be sought out for your (paid) expertise.

Respect others’ privacy. Privacy is a big deal on the Internet. So be sure that, if you use personal details (like a customer name in a testimonial or someone’s email address), you have that person’s permission to do so.

If you have a letters column, a regular poll, or other information-gathering activity associated with your ezine, be sure that you either (a) make it clear that submissions may be published or (b) “genericize” or aggregate data to protect privacy.

Don’t cloak your intentions. One thing that will ruin your reputation online in a heartbeat is failing to disclose conflicts of interest.

For example, if you provide a link to a program you’re promoting, don’t try to hide the fact that you profit in some way. One newbie member of a writers’ list I subscribe to violated this rule recently by posting a link to a “friend’s” website where a “free” secret to making tons of money could be found. (It turned out the poster had an affiliate relationship with the “friend” whereby she was credited for each “referral.”)

There’s no shame in developing affiliate or other profitable relationships with other businesses. Many online businesses do that (and create nice secondary streams of income while they’re at it). But be up front about it. The Internet makes it far too easy for people to find out what you’re really up to.

Publishing an ezine can sometimes be a lonely business. You wonder if you’re delivering the kind of content your readers are really responding to. I occasionally get emails from readers saying they really enjoyed a particular issue or article. But I know that not everyone can take the time to give direct feedback.

So, what’s an ezine publisher to do?

Commandment #9: Thou shalt watch thy numbers and adjust thy ezine accordingly.

You may not realize that, if you use the right software or online service, you can actually see what readers are responding to! Some services allow you to see who received your ezine (and who didn’t, for various reasons), who opened your ezine, and whether anyone followed the links you provided.

For example, I found out, quite by accident, that case studies are very popular with my audience. Theory is all well and good, but seeing actual results of my work is really what gets the most “hits.” So, I’m trying, as much as time allows, to include write-ups of recent work in my ezines and seminars with links to additional information on my website.

Other ezine publishers of my acquaintance survey their readers periodically to see what interests them. Then, they build their content around the feedback they receive.

Be careful, though, to keep your expectations reasonable. Open rates (statistics showing how many recipients opened your email) for ezines (even opt-in publications) hover in the 35-40% range.

And such “open rates” don’t include those whose email systems do not support such reporting (generally, older plain-text-based email systems). So your “open rate” tells you that at least X% of your recipients opened your email.

Including links for more information on a particular topic often helps with gauging interest. But here, too, you must keep your expectations reasonable. Often, even readers of opt-in publications are hesitant to click on links because of concerns about phishing or viruses. And, too, a lot of folks who are opening your ezine may not want to be seen “browsing the Web” while at work.

So, if the software or service you use to send out your ezine supports it, keep an eye on your statistics, and use that information to adjust your content as you go. You’ll keep your readers happy, and you’ll boost the viral marketing power of your ezine to boot!

Whew! We’ve covered a lot of territory over the past few months, and we’re down to the last three commandments. This month’s is a bit lighter (in more than one sense of the word): It’s all about letting your personality show through your ezine!

Commandment #8: Thou shalt let thy personality shine through

It’s one of the great cliches of marketing: People do business with people they know, like and trust. While the first and last of these are about visibility and credibility (which you’ve been building through your ezine content), don’t forget about likeability!

People on the Internet have an almost legendary disdain for stuffiness and phoniness. They hate corporate-speak and love plain-speak. They won’t put up with dishonesty. And hucksterism? Forget it.

So here’s another area where you have to “watch your language,” so to speak. Fortunately, the rules are pretty simple:

Write like you talk. If you read it out loud and wince, re-write it so it sounds more conversational. It should sound natural to the ear. You want people to get a sense of what you’re like in person.

Talk to, not at. Address your readers directly by using the word “you.” But don’t sprinkle it through your text indiscriminately – construct a life- like conversation.

Write shorter sentences, particularly if you’re writing to an international audience. They’re more readable for everybody. Longer sentences can often be broken up with dashes or ellipses (…) as well.

Use more action words. For example, instead of offering to help your prospects “deal with the barriers to success,” offer to help them “break through the barriers to success.” More active language helps readers get a vivid mental picture of what you’re talking about.

And don’t be afraid to break a grammatical “rule” (like not starting a sentence with a conjunction ;-> ) IF it adds to your ezine’s readability. This isn’t Composition 101! There’s nobody standing over your shoulder with a red pencil ready to assign a grade. (But do use the spell- checker … please!)

Following these rules can help you build your “likeability quotient” with your audience while you’re building your visibility and credibility. So watch your language — and have a little fun!

If you want your ezine to be a great marketing tool, it has to serve your overall marketing objectives. Staying in touch with your market is important, but the information you give them should always be tied to a specific goal, whether it’s driving awareness of your newest (or most lucrative) offerings, publicizing a sales-boosting special offer, or showing off whatever unique expertise you have that sets you apart from your competition. Remember, you have their permission to market to them because they expect something useful from you.

And, thus, we come to our next commandment:

Commandment #7: Thou shalt treat thy ezine as part of thy overall marketing plan.

But how do you do that? Here are a few suggestions:

Tie your articles to seasonal issues. If your business has any seasonal component (say, tax season for accountants and financial planners), center your article ideas on issues that relate to that season. For example, if you’re a CPA or financial planner, you could feature an article in your December ezine on how much more return on investment your clients might earn if they make their IRA contributions in January rather than waiting until April 15th. Sit down and brainstorm the possibilities for tying content to time of year. You might be surprised at how many you come up with!

Write articles about special offers. One business owner I know features an article on a subject, then ties it to a special offer for that month, usually a discount on a related service. For example, if you’re a veterinarian, and you usually offer a September discount on pet dental work, an article on how poor dental hygiene impacts a pet’s overall health would tie in nicely. Again, do a little brainstorming.

Show off recent work. If your work lends itself to showing samples (photographs, etc.), and you’ve done a particularly good job for a recent client, show it off! These work even better when you have a great testimonial to go with the sample. Either way, your work samples may get the wheels turning with other prospects on your list. Who knows – perhaps one (or more) of them will call you on the spot!

Whatever you do, be sure that any articles you include in your ezine are directly related to your business. While you can (and arguably should) be warmly personal in your opening remarks, going off-message by including such things as political content or personal observations in the main body of your ezine is risky at best.

Don’t be afraid to give your ezine “personality” (which we’ll cover next month), but keep it professional.

Last month, we talked about just how much self-promotion you can do in your ezines (and how much is too much). Now, we’re going to talk about more annoying behavior you should avoid if you want your ezine to be a success.

Commandment #6: Thou shalt avoid spam-like behavior.

Man, I hate spam.

No, I haven’t changed my mind about the power and usefulness of opt-in email marketing. I still think it’s a great way to get the word out about your products and services, particularly if you’re a small business with a marketing budget to match.

But a recent change-up in my email configuration accidentally opened the spam floodgates on my email server. (I forgot to turn the spam blocker back on when I was done configuring. Oops.)  Messages that had formerly been blocked started appearing in my inbox by the bucketful. I saw the same subject lines and the same offensive content over and over (and over and over …) again.

And I got a real-life object lesson on just how annoying certain email behaviors really can be … and how engaging in those same behaviors can earn you, a legitimate email marketer, a permanent place on someone’s spam blocker blacklist.

If you want your ezine to be welcomed, time after time, compare your outgoing mails to this checklist:

Is your subject line clear? One day, when I was clearing out an unusually large number of spam emails, I accidentally added the sender of one of my favorite newsletters to my blacklist.

Why? The subject line sounded suspiciously like one of those vague “Hi!” intros that the more notorious spammers use to trick people into opening their mail.

Always make your subject lines both clear and businesslike so your recipients know exactly what they’re getting. (Arguably, the CAN-SPAM Act of 2004 requires it.)

Does your unsubscribe mechanism work? Two local businesses that send out regular emails about their offerings just got their entire domains blacklisted on my server – as a last resort. I can’t tell you how many times I attempted to unsubscribe using the mechanism they provided. I even called one of the businesses to try to get off their list that way.

Finally, I had no choice but to block their content any way I could.

So what’s the big deal? Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like Earthlink and Yahoo! cast a very suspicious eye on blacklisted domains. The more they see a particularly domain being blocked by individual subscribers, the more likely it is the ISPs will block all incoming mail from those servers as a precaution against complaints.

That means your broken unsubscribe not only annoys potential customers or referral sources, it could eventually prevent any of your email – promotional or not – from reaching certain destinations.

Test your unsubscribe link periodically (using a temporary email address) and make sure it works!

Did you watch your language? No, no, I’m not talking about “do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” language. I’m talking about innocent, everyday words that may prompt someone’s spam blocker software to tag your email as spam – or worse, delete it before it reaches the inbox.

Many ezine hosting providers throw in an online tool to check your word usage and tell you how likely it is your email will be blocked. You can also check your content manually against lists like this one (warning: this list contains content that some readers may find offensive).

Notice that mixed in with all the words referring to, ahem, less than polite content are words that many businesses use in promotional activities every day!

If your message absolutely requires that you use one of the common “spam words,” you may try substituting a non-alphabetic character for one of the letters. (Be warned, though – anti-spam software often is hip to this, too. Researchers reportedly have identified 5.6 billion different obfuscations of one particularly popular six-letter word.)

So the lesson is this: watch your content for anything that may get your legitimate emails deleted before being read!

Last month, we talked about the importance of focusing your ezine’s content on a well-defined subject (or set of subjects).  But how much self-promotion can you do?  Quite a bit, actually – but,  yes, there is a limit.  Now we’re going to talk about what’s called the “40% Rule.”

Commandment #5: Thou shalt not overwhelm thy reader with promotional content; yea, prosperous be the man or woman who observeth the 40% rule.
Earlier this year, I received another monthly issue of a popular copywriting ezine.  I eagerly opened it, and before long, my “spider sense” started tingling.  Something was not quite right.  And I had to figure out what.

Just to satisfy my curiosity, I copied the text into a word processor and did a word count.  But it wasn’t just a total word count – it was a comparison of “useful” content to “promotional” content.

And when I was done counting, I reluctantly unsubscribed.

Why?  Over the course of several monthly issues, the ezine had pumped up the promotional content and decreased its more useful content.  Just to be sure I wasn’t imagining things, I compared the last issue’s promotional/useful ratio with an issue from a year before.  The difference was startling.

My “spider sense” had been right – he’d just broken the 40% Rule.

Any permission marketing vehicle, by its very nature, promises to deliver something of value to its recipients.  It’s all about reciprocity – you give me permission to email you, I send you something you can use.

But when an ezine becomes mostly promotional – “Buy my ebook! Register for my seminar!” -  it violates subscribers’ trust.  Granted, it’s not as bad as selling or giving away subscriber email addresses.  But it’s still a violation of an implied agreement.

With that in mind, here’s the 40% Rule:

Purely promotional content in your ezine should never exceed 40% of your total content in any given issue.  And if you can keep it closer to 20-30%, so much the better.

So what constitutes “promotional content,” you ask?

• “Buy my _____” or “register for my _____” or “hire me” messages
• Testimonials from satisfied customers or case studies/white papers on work you’ve done
• Promotional offers (limited time offers, discounts to subscribers for particular products or services, etc.)
• Announcements of new products or services
• Affiliate promotions (i.e., promoting others’ products or services in a way that scores you a sales commission)

Remember, you’re in their inbox by invitation because they’re expecting something of value.  Be a good guest.  Deliver what your readers signed up for with a minimum of “salesy” content.

Last month, we talked about the importance of publishing regularly and how simple, repeatable systems (like an editorial calendar) can help. Now, it’s time to get focused.

Commandment #4:  Thine ezine’s purpose shalt be focused, and thou shalt allow no content that deviateth from that focus.
A fellow writer paid me a compliment shortly after she began subscribing. “I really like your ezine,” she wrote in an email. “It’s got a nice, tight focus.”

That’s the kind of thing I love to hear. Because if I’m big on anything, it’s focus. I cringe when I see marketing materials that are all over the place content-wise, trying to hit every conceivable selling point.

Even worse is the ezine that says it’s about one thing, then features an article that is so off-topic, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Poor focus equals poor results.

But how do you achieve tight focus in an ezine – or any written communication materials? Here are some questions you should ask yourself when you’re in the planning stages – and keep asking every issue to stay on track.

Who are you talking to? Are your readers sales prospects, current customers, or industry colleagues? You can do more horn-tooting with sales prospects and customers than with professional peers. But you’ll have to use less jargon (and fewer words in general) with prospects and customers.

What’s your passion point? I always tell people who are looking to start an ezine to find a “passion point.” Is there an area of your business that’s especially exciting? Do you ever smite your forehead and go “doh!” (in your best Homer Simpson voice) when you see a potential customer suffer a consequence you could have prevented?

Those are passion points. Follow those, and you’ll never lack for good material.

Why should your readers care? It’s great to write about something you’re excited about, but if your readers don’t see any benefit to themselves, it’s all for naught. Find the “what’s in it for them” angle, and write to it.

When is your content most appropriate? Are any of your topics or subtopics seasonal? Are there marketing events (seminars/conferences, special offers, etc.) you can tie content to? We’ll cover this in more detail in Commandment #6 when we discuss your ezine’s place in your overall marketing plan, but this is another reason to make an editorial calendar (see last month’s post).

Where are your ezines going? Studies show that ezines to personal email addresses (domains like aol.com, yahoo.com, etc.) have higher open and click-through rates when delivered on weekends, while those going to work addresses (email domains controlled by an employer) get more response when they hit the inbox during the workday. The “where” question also affects formatting (see Commandment #2).

How do you want readers to respond? I surprised a recent mini-seminar audience with this declaration: “‘Do business with me’ is never a valid goal for a written marketing communications piece.”

Obviously, the ultimate goal is to build your business, which naturally involves convincing people to spend money with you. But there are several steps between initial contact and closed sale, and you should be specific about what step you want your reader to take (phone for free consultation, click link for more information, etc.).

Next month, we move from planning to execution, with a discussion on applying the 40% rule to your ezine content. Don’t miss it!

Last month, we did some thinking about how your readers would use your ezine, which in turn determines what format will meet their needs. This month, we’re hitting the issue of consistency – why it’s important, and how to achieve it.

Commandment #3:  Thou Shalt Publish Regularly and Predictably
Several weeks ago, I ran into an acquaintance who noted (with envy, perhaps?) that my ezine comes out the first Tuesday of every month like clockwork while his is published on, shall we say, an ad hoc basis.  “You must have a lot of time on your hands,” he said.

Hardly.

Publishing an ezine is like any marketing activity – the more consistent your efforts, the more consistent your results.  But consistency isn’t a magical quality that some have and others lack.  It’s a decision anyone can make.

You’ve heard it before: “If I can do it, anybody can do it.”  (Trust, me, I’ve broken more New Year’s resolutions than I can count.) 

But I really believe if even I can consistently publish an ezine with everything I’ve got going on (running a small business, going to graduate school, keeping up with family), then anybody can.  Here are three “butt-kickers” I’ve put in place to help me stay focused:

I don’t wait until the last minute to decide what to publish.  I sat down several months ago and put together what’s called an editorial calendar.  Most print publications consider these an essential part of their operations.

Doing this kind of brainstorming far in advance gives me enough mulling time to plan content around a seasonal event, a future marketing focus, etc.  I can make notes as ideas occur to me, and I can write a bit at a time during otherwise wasted moments.  The result?  No last-minute panic attack!

I commit – publicly – to a publication schedule.  You may have noticed the note at the bottom of every issue: “… published the first Tuesday of every month by Savadra Information Solutions, Inc.”  That accountability keeps me honest!  A colleague of mine in another state calls her ezine “Third Thursday Marketing Tips.”  No mistaking that publication schedule!

I pay for my email marketing application months in advance.  There’s nothing like risking your own hard-earned money to get you moving.  I know if I let my subscription go inactive, that’s just money down the drain. 

And I’ve learned, the hard way, that I get better results from any marketing activity I do if I “stay the course” rather than “try a little of this and that.”  An imperfect but well-executed plan beats a perfect plan that never really gets off the ground.  As my mother used to say to me when I was a teenager, “Do something, anything, even if it’s wrong.”  (See, Mom, I was listening!)

So what does all this consistency get me?  Well, I hope it at least gets me a reputation for good follow-through!  Seriously, it also seems to be producing some good fruit in recent months.  Readers I don’t get to talk with very often nevertheless contact me with referrals for great projects and inquiries about my availability for writing work.

And cultivating that “top of mind” awareness is really what an ezine’s all about, isn’t it?

Last month, we talked about respecting your subscribers – protecting their privacy, talking “to” rather than “at” them, etc. This month, we’re exploring how best to match your ezine format to your subscribers’ needs.

Commandment #2:  Thou Shalt Tailor Thy Format to Thy Subscribers
One of the first considerations any prospective ezine publisher faces is format. HTML vs. text, whole articles vs. abstracts-plus-links – there’s a whole slew of choices to be made! Fortunately, making those choices is easier when you first answer the question, who’s my reader?

Think – hard – about the people your ezine is designed to appeal to. Would they print out your ezine and keep it for future reference? Do they get your ezine while they’re at work – or on their home computers? Do they feel comfortable clicking on a link for more information – or are they wary about going to an unknown website, even for a topic they’re interested in?

Armed with this kind of information, you can start making choices that fit your audience. (And if you find these questions hard to answer, ask your subscribers – clients, sales prospects, etc. You’ll find they’re delighted to tell you what they think!)

HTML vs. text – Generally, if your readers have lower-bandwidth Internet connections (at-home dial-up rather than DSL or an office network), text is a better choice for faster downloading and for hard-copy printing. Long stretches of unformatted text are hard on readers’ eyes, though. HTML (the code used to make ezines like this one, complete with graphics and formatting) is better for long text and for readers using broadband Internet connections.  If your email marketing software allows it, you can offer readers their choice between HTML-formatted and plain text.  Just make that choice clear on your sign-up screen.

Style guides – Professionals in journalism and academia use style guides to ensure consistency in their writing. Ezine publishers should, too. Making certain spelling (e-zine vs. ezine) and style (acronyms, names, etc.) decisions ahead of time will make your text more polished and professional. It will also make your newsletters more searchable if you use them on your website as content (a good strategy for search engine placement). Go to your local library or bookstore and check out the Associated Press Stylebook, the Chicago Manual of Style, or the New York Times Manual of Style and Usage for ideas.

Text organization – There are all sorts of ways to organize the content of your ezine. While this is not an exhaustive list of formats, here are some typical ways ezine publishers organize their material. Borrowing from web copy expert Rachel McAlpine’s terminology, here are some formatting ideas:

• One-Shot Read – Contains one medium-length article in its entirety (with perhaps a short ad or intro). Since the ezine has only one real subject, the subject line is much easier to write. Be sure to add subheadings to break up the text for easier scanning. One of my favorite examples is Fabienne Frederickson’s Client Attraction newsletter.
• Mighty Meaty – Features several longer articles in their entirety. It’s usually best to list the headlines near the top of the ezine so readers don’t have to scroll all the way through to see what topics are covered. If you’re using HTML, you can make your headlines links to take readers directly to each article. These are good when you have lots of technical detail your readers will want to refer to later. See the Exchange Messaging Outlook (geared to techies who work with Microsoft’s email server product) for an example.
• Capsules plus Links – Gives the reader an article abstract with a link to the complete article on the publisher’s website. This is a popular format for breaking industry news. Marketing Sherpa does a variation on this theme with a longer abstract and link for one article, plus shorter descriptions and links for other articles.
• Hit-and-Run – Features several one- or two-sentence article descriptions with links to full articles on the website. Most of Computerworld Daily’s email newsletters stick closely to the classic hit-and-run format.

No matter what choices you make, remember: There’s no one right answer for you. Consider both your reader and your content carefully, then make your choice!