TRACKING EMAIL NEWSLETTERS
Sending emails from your email client doesn't get you much. Sure it delivers the mail, but how do you track the effectiveness of the campaign? How do you stop the messages from ending up in the junk folder?

Email marketing is a science. By using a email marketing manager such as VerticalResponse or Constant Contact you do not need a MBA to build a successful email marketing campain strategy. Both companies offer statistics on the number of emails opened and links clicked.

Start simple, track the response of emails sent on different days of the week or different times of day. Track the response rate of different subject lines. Soon you will get a clearer idea of what your audience is looking for and will be able to market more effectively.

SEGMENT YOUR EMAIL LISTS
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog! Or in more relevant terms, it's not the size of the list, it's the number of segments in the list.

Sending the same email to everyone on your list is a waste of time! Your subscribers are unique and the emails you send them should be tailored to thier interests. How do you know what they are interested in?

Firstly, you can ask. With Constant Contact you can ask subscribers what their interests are. Give them options; new products, sales, live events, etc. If your company does trade shows you may even want to ask their zip code so you can send an announcement of events in their area.

Secondly, track the response of the emails you send. This is a powerful way to segment lists. Create sub-lists of those that click on types of links such as a specific type of product. For example, your online shop sells handbags and shoes. By tracking who opens the handbags links in your emails you can create a segment. When you have a new handbag to announce or a special on handbags, send the email to the segment. Your success rate will be much higher because you know the content is relevant to the recipient. VerticalResponse provides a powerful list segmenting tool.

Another tool of list segmenting is to keep your email list fresh and up to date. Make a segment of subscribers who have not opened an email for six months. Send these users an email and ask them to update their preferences or unsubscribe. Keeping your list free of perpetual non-responders will help to cut your costs and increase the efficency of your marketing campaigns.