Everyone shoots off emails without much thought, assuming that it is just a quick way to get some information over to another person. When it comes marketing a product or services with email, however, it is an entirely different matter. Ineffective emails can actually work against you and cause you to lose the confidence of the very ones you are trying to reach. Make your email marketing campaign count by using some ideas here.

A crucial element to any email marketing plan is the actual content itself. People will likely give you a few seconds before they decide to hit the “delete” button, so get started right. Be friendly, yet professional, and get to the point quickly. Do not build up to your offer or information, hoping to entice them to keep reading, because they will likely never get that far. Make your offer in the first two sentences, then expound on it with details after you have captured their attention. Always check for grammar and spelling to ensure that you do not lose credibility. Do not rely on a spell checker alone; ask for proofreading from those around you, even if you consider yourself a good writer. Sometimes you will know the material so well yourself that you do not realize when you are not explaining it well enough to a novice.

Make specific offers and give readers a chance to opt-in if they choose to. Ideally, you will make direct sales from your email campaign, but this may not always happen. Create a way for them to sign up for more information, and definitely insert a link to your website. Make it easy for them to be a part of your network, without the need to spend a lot of time doing so. Get them involved first, then try to get more information later if it requires a time investment on their part. Remember that once someone clicks out of your email, there is only a slim chance that they will return to it.

Give incentives that require immediate action. Make sure that you use the email platform to give them something different or a deal that they cannot get merely by going to your website. Consider providing a code that is needed to get access to a particular deal, and give it an expiration date. People are deluged with so many offers and content via email that they tend to put things aside for later – then never return. Give a sense of urgency and a reason to buy now.

Above all, do not use email for heavy sales pitches that make readers feel like they are being played on with a mass marketing approach. Nobody wants to get caught in a huge net that is thrown out in wide water, hoping to catch anything that swims in unaware. Give a sense of authenticity and make readers know that their business matters to you. Part of being genuine is also giving your readers a way to opt-out. If they no longer want to receive your emails, provide a button to click, without the need to go to your website to do so.

These things may sound pretty basic, but it’s easy to overlook the foundational principles that make for an effective email marketing plan. Use the ideas here to stay on track and reach the clients that can help build your business into a big success.