Your Mother Was Right, First Impressions Mean Everything
In the Ireland/Nash chapter on Email and Newsletters, a case study highlights the importance of not sending "Please Drop Dead" emails. I completely agree with their analysis and suggestions. The first email a campaign sends to its supporters will set the tone for future emails and largely determine whether or not the subscriber will continue to open your emails or trash them along with their junk mail.
When I signed up to receive email updates from the DNC, I received this email:
I will say this is more positive than the case study in the book, but the second paragraph focused on how to unsubscribe. This is not a good strategy. A better strategy would have been to encourage some sort of action on the part of the subscriber.
Here's an example of what I mean. Last month, I signed up to receive email updates from the Jerry Kilgore campaign. I instantly received a welcome email that said:
Right away, the campaign is asking me to take action. This is effective email outreach. At the bottom of the email, the campaign included a short unsubscribe line.
First impressions are lasting impressions. Campaigns using email newsletters and updates should focus on the first impression they make on subscribers. Ask yourself, do you want people to read your emails? If you answer yes, focus on making a great first impression
When I signed up to receive email updates from the DNC, I received this email:
Thank you for creating an account on democrats.org, and welcome to our online team. Democrats.org is an important part of our efforts to reach Democrats everywhere, and to provide you with the tools to participate in the Democratic Party and the debates important to our nation.
If you did not request this information, do not be concerned -- it has been sent to this email address only. To manage your account and email subscriptions, please click on the link below:
I will say this is more positive than the case study in the book, but the second paragraph focused on how to unsubscribe. This is not a good strategy. A better strategy would have been to encourage some sort of action on the part of the subscriber.
Here's an example of what I mean. Last month, I signed up to receive email updates from the Jerry Kilgore campaign. I instantly received a welcome email that said:
Welcome to the Virginians for Jerry Kilgore on-line community!
Thank you for signing up for our e-mail updates and becoming an important part of our team. We'll be sending the latest news and campaign updates in the coming months right to your inbox. In the meantime, please visit www.JerryKilgore.com to learn more about Jerry Kilgore and his plan for improving Virginia.
Please don't keep this information to yourself! Please invite your friends, family and neighbors to sign up for e-mail updates using the link below:
Right away, the campaign is asking me to take action. This is effective email outreach. At the bottom of the email, the campaign included a short unsubscribe line.
First impressions are lasting impressions. Campaigns using email newsletters and updates should focus on the first impression they make on subscribers. Ask yourself, do you want people to read your emails? If you answer yes, focus on making a great first impression
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