Email marketing is a cost-effective and potent way for Business Solutions Providers (BSPs) and other companies to get their message to clients and prospects. It’s a popular method as well—according to The Manifest, 69 percent of businesses utilize email marketing to reach people. As the saying goes, if you’re going to do something, do it right. So, to help your dealership make the most of its time and effort, here are some email marketing best practices to keep in mind.

Pay extra attention to your subject line

The subject lines of email marketing messages are a lot more important than many people think. Your subject line is typically the first thing recipients see; therefore, that brief string of words creates the first impression for its readers. If it doesn’t intrigue the recipient, odds are they’ll delete the email without bothering to open or read it. You’ll also want to avoid words that are spam triggers, such as ‘free,’ ‘exclusive,’ or any superlatives. Using spam trigger words in your subject lines can result in your marketing emails ending up in recipient junk mail folders.

Don’t ignore your image-to-text ratio 

While you want images in your marketing emails, don’t go overboard. Plain text emails are less likely to stimulate or engage your audience, but messages that are too image-heavy can trigger spam filters and lower the deliverability of your emails. A 40 percent-60 percent text-to-image ratio is generally considered to be a safe ratio for email marketing messages.

Segment your lists 

Sending the same marketing email to all of your contacts will fail to provide you with the engagement you’re looking for. Think about it, what are the odds one message will apply to your entire audience? Instead of sending one general message to all, provide more relevant content by segmenting your contacts into smaller, targeted lists. Segment your lists by demographics such as industry, job title, geography, company size, purchase history, etc. Segmented lists enable you to send messages tailored to their specific interests or pain points. For example, you can send a list of educators or healthcare professionals a marketing email targeting their unique challenges and how your dealership can address them.

Be sure to remain CAN-SPAM compliant 

Federal law sets rules for commercial email messages, and non-compliance by a business can be costly. Did you know each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $42,530? To avoid costly fines, always remain CAN-SPAM compliant. This includes avoiding deceptive or misleading practices, providing your physical address, providing a way for recipients to unsubscribe, and honoring unsubscribe requests in a reasonable amount of time. Educate yourself on CAN-SPAM requirements and follow them. It’s also never a good idea to send marketing emails to purchased lists. You should be sending your messages only to people who signed up to receive them.

Email marketing offers a return-on-investment (ROI) like no other channel. Follow these best practices with your efforts to make the most of your efforts and maximize your ROI. If you would like help with email marketing or a demo of our new email marketing platformcontact Evolved Office today!