The basics of email marketing are so simple that they can be mastered in an hour or so. Just assemble a list of email addresses, compose a message and send it out. However, if it was really that simple, everyone would be doing it successfully. There are a number of common errors that can handicap your email marketing campaign. By avoiding these errors, you can help your business thrive.

Do not just send out an email whenever the mood strikes you. The time at which people receive your emails can greatly affect the response that you get from them. You need to make sure that your emails are sent at times that fit with the schedule of your target audience. By doing research on your audience, you can figure out when is the best time to send a message if you want to get a positive response.

Spam filters can block your messages before they ever reach your recipients, so make sure that you are not using terms that can trigger a filter. If your subject line contains terms such as “free,” “amazing” or other common trigger words, you run the risk of setting of a spam filter that will keep your message from getting through. Research these terms so that you know which ones to avoid in your subject lines.

Images can jazz up your messages and make them more interesting, but you should not rely too heavily on them. Many people have images turned off in their email programs so that they do not load automatically. Include text in your messages so that your recipients can still get your point even without seeing the images. If you rely too heavily on images to convey your message, many people will not know what you are trying to tell them.

Your email messages need to be concise and to the point. Get your message across in the fewest words possible, and do not waste a lot of time with introductory material. After you have written your message, go over it again and remove any fluff or filler that may have snuck in. Emails should not be too lengthy. If you have something more involved that you want to share, post it on your blog and then email a link to this post.

You want as many people as possible to join your email list, but you also need to make it as easy as possible for people to opt out of receiving messages from you. Do not make it difficult to unsubscribe from your list. Include a link in each message that will take people to a simple page that unsubscribes them in a single step. The simpler it is for people to opt out, the less often they will tend to do so.

Once you remove such weaknesses from your marketing strategy, you will begin to see better results from the emails you send. Be sure to check your marketing program regularly to make sure that you do not fall back into any of these bad habits. The more vigilant you are, the better your campaign will do.