Even in an online world increasingly influenced by social networking sites e-mail continues to play an integral part in marketing and promotion.

Like social networks, e-mail allows you to speak simultaneously and directly to clients, vendors, fans, or any other interested online parties, and unlike most social network presences, you get to define the avenue for direct feedback.

As with any marketing you want to generate interest in your company, strengthen your brand identity, and increase sales.  In addition, e-mail communications, especially bulk e-mail communications are frequently viewed as invasive, so it is important that recipients want you to stay in touch with them in this way.  Each of the tips that follow speaks to one or more of these key elements.

1 - Don’t Spam

The US Congress has defined SPAM as any unsolicited bulk e-mail.

In 2003 that body made it a federal offense to send out such messages and allowed for fines of up to $11,000 per e-mail.

In addition, nobody likes receiving SPAM - it’s akin to receiving junk mail COD.  It costs the sender next to nothing, but the recipient still needs to pay for it in bandwidth, storage, and screen time.

2 - Collect Addresses Responsibly

Encourage people to add themselves to your mailing list, make sure they know when they are doing so, and send a confirming e-mail so that new additions will know that you have their correct address and false leads can remove themselves before you send another message.

Applying a double opt-in (or confirmed opt-in) adds an additional layer of security to the process, and E-mail service providers such as Constant Contact will offer this method as an option.

A double opt-in process actively prevents you from sending further e-mails to an address until after they have confirmed their interest through their e-mail account itself.

This is especially important if you allow people to sign up for your newsletter through your website.  Without such precautions a single prankster could feed a series of bogus e-mail addresses into your list and turn you from a responsible sender into a spammer without you ever realizing it.

3 - The One Click Unsubscribe

First impressions and last impressions are very important to how your brand is remembered - and standing in the way of someone who has decided to leave your mailing list is one of the worst impressions you can give.

Better by far is the single click link that automatically removes the uninterested reader’s e-mail address from your mailing list and sends them to a “farewell” page. Many E-mail Service Providers, like Constant Contact, include links like this automatically.

4 - “Sign” Your Name

You may not be the president of a certain well known men’s clothiers - but there is no denying that your online correspondence gain credibility when you are willing to put your reputation behind them.

At the very least this means you should give your recipients an e-mail address and phone number where they can send comments and feedback (you’ve put something into their e-mail in-box, if they cannot do the same for you, they’ll be bound to wonder why).

5 - Offer Multiple Kinds of Value

It seems that everywhere you look someone is preaching the importance of “valuable content,” conveniently ignoring that there are several types of value.  Do your best to address them all.

Share something that’s worth knowing with your readers.

Offer up timely reminders.

Show your readers a good everyday value.

Offer an economic incentive for staying on your mailing list.

6 - Link Your Website and Your E-Mail Campaign

Your website is also a marketing tool, and like your e-mail campaign it should be aimed at generating interest, strengthening your brand, and increasing sales.

Leverage the work put into each medium by linking the two.  Your e-mails should include links to your website, and your website should allow easy entry onto your mailing list.

Remember, not everyone knows that your logo is a link to your website (it is, isn’t it?).  Be sure to always include at least one traditional underlined text link back to your home page.

7 - Use Proper Grammar (Without Being Stuffy)

Everything you produce represents the quality of your work, including your prose.  Yes, your English teacher had it right; you really do need to know the difference between phrases and clauses, or at least when to use a comma or a semicolon.

But English is a surprisingly versatile language.  While some rules are inherent to the language itself, a great many them are really stylistic standards.  For example, since this is a conversational piece, I can get away with starting a paragraph on a ‘but.’  Were I to write this blog more formally, I would need to restructure a great number of its passages.

Incidentally, as near as I can tell, the rules governing the subjunctive remain the same no matter how informal you get.

8 - Be Honest and Forthright

You readers need to know what your e-mail is about in the first half second.  That means you need a short, accurate, descriptive title that tells your audience what to expect before they even open the e-mail.

It is better for someone to leave your e-mail unread and feel that you respect their time as a busy professional, than to bait that same person into reading off-topic drivel.

It should be noted that for certain brands aspiring to an older aesthetic, it is acceptable to use a Victorian subtitle in which you describe the subsequent content using a style such as this.

9 - Be Polite

Personalize your correspondence if the opportunity and technology present themselves.  “Hello Edward!” leaves a more lasting impression than “Hello Fellow Reader!”

Be respectful of other viewpoints.

Avoid slinging insults.

And perhaps most importantly, don’t write whole sentences in capitol letters or using an oversized font, as this is the online equivalent of shouting.

10 - Be Consistent in Appearance and Timing

A consistent design lends an air of professionalism to your correspondence, while consistent timing allows readers to plan for and anticipate your next installment.

Variety is certainly possible, but it should be handled in a controlled manner so that it looks like it is part of a plan.

In Conclusion

Everything you do through e-mail represents your brand.  As such, you should aim for a well informed, consistent, and helpful presence that avoids the unethical practices used by spammers.  In short, you want your e-mails to be handled as professionally as the  rest of your business.