Do you include graphics or only send text? What sort of layout is most effective? How the heck do I build an opt-in list? There are so many items to consider when you create an email marketing campaign that it can be hard to know where to start. Use the tips in this article and you’ll be up and running in no time.

Minimize traditional email marketing activities during the holidays. Customers are preoccupied with family and friends, and are less likely to be paying attention to business email. Your odds of ending up in the spam box are considerably higher, which could have longer term implications for your bottom line. The major exception to this would be a business directly related to the holiday activities. Otherwise, give yourself a break and enjoy some downtime yourself. Business will be back on track in a day or two.

The easier it is to subscribe to your email newsletter, the more subscribers you will have. If you have a physical store, ask your customers for their email address when they make a purchase. If you sell on a website, ask them for their address when they are ready to check out.

Use consistency in your message. For every email, use the same colors and logos. See to it that the font you’re using is readable. People will eventually recognize your layout and know right away that you are the sender. Familiarity cannot be underestimated when developing a business strategy.

Make sure your emails are consistent with any branding you have done. You should be including your company colors, logos and anything else unique to your business in your emails. Customers should be able to recognize your emails when they arrive in their in-boxes so that they are not automatically deleted.

You should send your emails as a plain text every once in a while instead of always sending them in HTML format. This gives things a more personal touch and helps the subscriber feel that you are trying to connect. Do not use it too much though because then you may be seen as being too unprofessional.

Have a look at some examples of spam so that you will be aware of what to avoid doing. Get a free email address, post your new email address in various places on the Internet, and it won’t be long before your inbox is jammed with spam. Take a look at those emails and learn what you don’t want yours to look like. If you see any similarities, adjust your email marketing campaign. Make yourself stand out from spam to improve your reputation.

Make all of your marketing emails personal. With today’s email marketing tools, you can do much more than simply adding a first name into an email message. Use all of the things you know about your readers. Segment your subscriber list by interest or buying behavior, and create messages that are likely to appeal to that group of people.

Choose appropriate but useful fonts for your messages. Try and select a font family that accomplishes two things. It should reflect your niche or industry, as well as the tone of your content. It should also be a universal category of fonts that will work on all computers and email devices.

Be persistent. Studies show that it takes a minimum of 7 to 8 impressions before your advertisements will take effect on a potential customer, and it could take many more. You need to touch base with your customers at least once every few weeks, and assume they will not buy your product or even click your links for several iterations of messages.

Get permission from individuals before you send any e-mail to them. Never send out e-mails to people without their consent. Unsolicited e-mails in a person’s inbox can easily be considered spam. You don’t want marketing to annoy people. Make sure your get permission before you turn off any potential customers.

Try getting inspiration from your competitors or other people in your niche. Try signing up for their email campaigns to see what is working for them. This can give you a better idea of what you’re up against and why something may or may not be working for your own campaign.

Once you have the format of your email marketing messages set up, you should check it on multiple email clients. In the same way that different browsers can display web pages differently, a strange email client may show your message in an unexpected fashion. Make use of all of the popular free email clients and ensure that your message is going to appear properly on them.

You will have found the answer to many of your questions here, so take what you’ve learned and implement it into a successful email marketing campaign. If you have further questions, you can continue learning by reading articles, blogs and forums, never stop searching out knowledge. Your rewards will be worth it in the end!