| Offering high levels of process automation, | | | | a distillation of your email's overall |
| recruitment software plays an indispensable | | | | message and strongly appeal to the reader's |
| part in reducing a staffing agency's | | | | self-interest e.g. what do they get, how do |
| administrative burden. However, today's | | | | they benefit.Sign postsGenerally it's |
| recruitment applications are designed to do a | | | | considered best practice to keep your emails |
| whole lot more than just reduce paperwork. | | | | text length to about 250 words. The body |
| They can make a significant contribution to a | | | | copy must support your "hook" with a clear |
| company's marketing and sales | | | | focus on benefits, and then close with a |
| activity.Effective client contact management | | | | clear, direct call to action. It's extremely |
| and timely, personalised business | | | | important that there is no ambiguity about |
| communications are essential to the success | | | | what you want the recipient to do e.g. "click |
| of any recruitment company. The first step | | | | here," "register now," "reply."Mind your |
| in getting more from your marketing and sales | | | | languageA well-written email message uses the |
| activity is to better understand your | | | | active voice and short, concise sentences. |
| existing and prospective client base.In | | | | This is critical as the stark reality is that |
| today's frenetic business environment it's | | | | most readers won't progress beyond the first |
| simply not enough to send generic email shots | | | | couple of lines. You have to be clear, |
| to everyone on your database and hope they | | | | direct and focus on how your offer benefits |
| generate some interest. With numerous | | | | the reader. Avoid diluting your message by |
| demands on their time and attention, your | | | | making more than one offer or going into |
| existing clients and prospects surely won't | | | | needless detail. At the same time, it's |
| appreciate another bland missive to an | | | | important that you include all essential |
| already bulging Inbox. Worse still, they | | | | information such as the cost savings to be |
| might simply block all future email | | | | gained, contact details and deadline to |
| communications from you.An audience of oneThe | | | | respond, for example.ReadabilityAlmost as |
| days of "load and send" email campaigns are | | | | important as what you say is how you present |
| long over. Today email marketers are focused | | | | your text to the reader. Try to keep your |
| on increasing response, conversion and | | | | paragraphs short - no longer than five lines. |
| retention rates using a combination of | | | | Use 1.5 or double line spacing, and a font |
| personalisation, segmentation and triggers. | | | | that's easy on the eye and big enough to |
| Increasingly segmented and triggered emails | | | | read. Use bullets to emphasize key points, |
| are driven by behavioural data, such as which | | | | but avoid text in all caps or multiple |
| links a recipient clicked, whether someone | | | | exclamation marks. Set text width at 68 |
| did or did not open an email, what pages they | | | | characters or less per line so it displays |
| visited on the sender's website or whether | | | | correctly in e-mail applications. Also, avoid |
| they did or did not take a specific | | | | breaking or wrapping URLs into two lines - it |
| action.Design mattersSomething like 95 | | | | may cause technical problems. The more |
| percent of all commercial email campaigns are | | | | barriers you eliminate the better your |
| sent in HTML today. As a result, design has | | | | chances of a positive response.NoteAs |
| become critical for a number of reasons. | | | | mentioned earlier, you should always give |
| Recipients might have their email setup to | | | | recipients the option to "opt-out" or |
| block images. Many people now use their | | | | "unsubscribe" and elect to be permanently |
| Outlook "preview panel" as a handy filtering | | | | removed from your mailing list. Failure to |
| tool to weed out unwanted emails. Designers | | | | do this or to act on the recipient's wishes |
| also need to consider inconsistent rendering | | | | is not only bad business practice, but could |
| by different email clients. The way an email | | | | make you liable to prosecution under current |
| looks on Gmail differs from Yahoo, for | | | | UK anti-spam legislation. The Office of the |
| example. Some designers have adopted a | | | | Information Commissioner enforces UK |
| purely graphical approach to email campaigns | | | | regulations. Any breaches of enforcement |
| in an attempt to bypass content filters, but | | | | orders can result in fines of up to £5,000 |
| this brings us back to where we | | | | in a magistrate's court, or an unlimited fine |
| started.Bombarded by evermore junk mail, most | | | | if the case is heard by a Crown Court (trial |
| people will only read about 15-20 commercial | | | | by jury).Keeping trackHaving segmented your |
| emails per day, and in many cases much less. | | | | audience, prepared your marketing message and |
| As a result, layout, readability and | | | | sent your email out, you'll want to know it |
| usability are critical to differentiating | | | | has been received and acted upon. Tracking |
| your emails from everyone else's. In reality | | | | email responses is essential if you are to |
| your email will have just seconds to provoke | | | | identify and eliminate weaknesses and build |
| interest, convey value and trust, and prompt | | | | on the strengths of your campaigns. Here are |
| action.Democracy at workEmail has been | | | | some suggestions that will enable you to |
| described as the ultimate democratic form of | | | | monitor and analyze the effectiveness of your |
| marketing communication. After all, it's the | | | | email marketing for free. For accuracy, be |
| recipient who decides whether they want to | | | | sure to use a unique tracking code for each |
| opt-in or opt-out of your mailing list; if | | | | of your different email test variables and |
| and when they open, read and act on your | | | | keep accurate records.MS Outlook provides you |
| email; how much information they wish to | | | | with a simple tracking facility which informs |
| share with you; and when they want to | | | | you when a message was sent, when it arrived |
| unsubscribe.Recruiters who do not wish to | | | | and when it was opened. The downside here is |
| fall foul of increasingly stringent anti-spam | | | | if the recipient just glanced at your email |
| legislation and want to build genuinely | | | | in the panel view of their Inbox and then |
| lasting client relationships will learn to | | | | deleted the item you'll only know because you |
| deploy various tactics to increase trust and | | | | will never receive a corresponding "read" |
| build brand loyalty, such as ensuring only | | | | message from your Outlook tracker.To switch |
| permission-based emails are sent from your | | | | on MS Outlook 2003 email tracking:1. Launch |
| company, switch to a double-opt in | | | | MS Outlook |
| subscription process, and publicise your | | | | |
| privacy policies. Those recruiters recognised | | | | 2. Click on the Tools menu at the top of the |
| and trusted by clients and prospects will be | | | | page, scroll down and click on Options. |
| able to mine for more information. In turn, | | | | |
| this will enable them to deliver higher value | | | | 3. Click E-mail Options, which is top-right |
| emails through ever-greater personalisation | | | | of the Preferences page. |
| and segmentation.Recruitment software mail | | | | |
| centresToday's sophisticated, made for | | | | 4. Next, click Tracking Options. |
| purpose recruitment applications, such as | | | | |
| Bond Adapt, RDB Pro and Eclipse integrate | | | | 5. Select the Read receipt and/or the |
| with third party email clients and offer a | | | | Delivery receipt check boxes |
| range of contact management or Customer | | | | |
| Relationship Management (CRM) features.Chris | | | | 6. Click OK.One idea is to simply ask |
| Pawsey, Business Development Team Leader at | | | | respondents to place something unique in the |
| Bond International Software (UK) Ltd, | | | | subject line that acts as a tracking code for |
| explains: "Bond Adapt integrates email via | | | | your email campaigns. However that puts the |
| Microsoft Outlook. Since Outlook is by far | | | | burden of responsibility on your respondents, |
| and away the market leading product we (Bond) | | | | which is something you might to avoid. |
| make use of many of the functions therein. It | | | | Instead us the following little trick to |
| is also possible to integrate Bond Adapt with | | | | automatically place what you want in the |
| other email clients."It is this contact | | | | subject line of a response email |
| management or CRM functionality that allows | | | | message:Click on this |
| recruitment agencies and staffing | | | | subject=Send-Info.aboutyourcompanyReplace in |
| professionals to create and retain email, | | | | the above example with the email address you |
| letter and fax templates; conduct email | | | | want to use and a unique campaign code.When |
| marketing campaigns; and record response | | | | the above link is clicked on in your email |
| data. However, what these applications | | | | promotional message, the text immediately |
| cannot do is prepare marketing materials, or | | | | following ?subject= automatically appears in |
| ensure promotional activity is properly | | | | the subject line of a new email message. |
| monitored and measured to ensure continuous | | | | This should work in most email packages.Vital |
| improvement.Matter of designIf you want your | | | | statisticsIf you have access to even the most |
| emails to succeed in generating interest in | | | | basic website statistics you can track hits |
| your services then they must always look | | | | to your web pages by placing a question mark |
| professional. Don't make the same mistake | | | | (?) after your web address (URL) when used in |
| many applicants do when sending CVs/resumes | | | | each email promotion, followed by your unique |
| in response to job advertisements i.e. fail | | | | tracking code.For instance, you send 3 email |
| to spell check and proofread them properly. | | | | promotions. Each carries a corresponding URL |
| If you send an email full of spelling | | | | tracking code:Email Ad 1. |
| mistakes, it will cost you sales and could | | | | |
| permanently damage your credibility.Next, | | | | Email Ad 2. |
| send test versions of your emails to | | | | |
| yourself. You can sign up to any number of | | | | Email Ad3. with your own unique tracking |
| free email account providers such as Yahoo, | | | | codes added to the end of a URL don't |
| MSN Hotmail and Google's Gmail. Include these | | | | adversely affect the ability of recipients to |
| email accounts in your test mailings. The | | | | access your web pages in any way, but will |
| point here is to catch any formatting errors | | | | show up in the server log files. To |
| that might show up in the different email | | | | determine the exact number of hits that a |
| programs. It's quite common to find a HTML | | | | particular email generates, look at your log |
| email that looks great in Outlook and is | | | | files within hours or days of sending your |
| missing all of its images in Yahoo or | | | | mail shot. You can check with your ISP or |
| Gmail.Before you send your email you should | | | | web host for access to your log files.If you |
| also ask yourself one fundamental question: | | | | don't mind having other peoples advertising |
| "How relevant is this email to the | | | | on your website then there is a range of free |
| recipient?" Don't assume that the recipients | | | | website tracking services available. Take a |
| will automatically see why your email is | | | | look at and Landing pagesHaving created a |
| relevant to them. Often it needs to be spelt | | | | cracking email campaign it's vital you follow |
| out. Succinctly explain how your recruitment | | | | through. Creating email or advertisement |
| company can help them and why now is such a | | | | specific landing pages is another excellent |
| good time to spend money on your services. | | | | way to track your recipient or audience |
| You might want to consider using a | | | | response rates. Landing pages allow you to |
| professional copywriter to help you.Two of | | | | build on the initial success and interest |
| the most effective ways to highlight the | | | | generated by your email or advertisement. A |
| relevance of your offer are to put a strong | | | | landing page gives you the opportunity to |
| emphasis on the benefits and make your offer | | | | present more detailed product or service |
| exclusive. Tailor any promotions you run so | | | | information, answer commonly asked questions, |
| that they are exclusive to your recipients, | | | | overcome resistance, build confidence, and |
| giving them a strong reason to act | | | | gather client or prospect data by including a |
| immediately.As well as facing an avalanche of | | | | short form, for example.Your landing page |
| commercial emails every time we visit our | | | | should reflect the look and feel of your |
| In-boxes these days there's also the | | | | email or advertisement in terms of design |
| ubiquitous spam, much of which comes with the | | | | layout, tone of voice, fonts, images and |
| added threat of viruses. In fact, a recent | | | | colours. In turn, these must be sympatric to |
| article in London's Metro daily newspaper | | | | the overall design of your company website. |
| suggested that as many as one in every 43 | | | | Consistency is the golden rule here.Pack your |
| emails received world-wide is infected with | | | | landing pages with lots of recruitment |
| some harmful entity. So, not only does your | | | | specific keywords and then submit the |
| email have to compete for the recipient's | | | | individual URLs (web addresses) to search |
| limited time and attention, it also has to | | | | engines. Search engine spiders love landing |
| overcome their fears and apprehensions.Even | | | | pages because they are so targeted, and |
| with a good understanding of your target | | | | traffic searching for your keywords and |
| audience, establishing which email design | | | | phrases will find itself directed your way.By |
| elements work will be a matter of trial and | | | | using some of the simple, free tracking and |
| error. To help you identify weaknesses and | | | | analysis methods explained here you can |
| build on strengths, it's a good idea to take | | | | continually refine your email marketing, |
| one email design and then produce two or | | | | measure its effectiveness and get more from |
| three variations (split test). For example, | | | | your recruitment software. For more |
| you might use the same headline and | | | | information and professional help preparing |
| supporting image, but change the subject | | | | your next email campaign, sales promotion or |
| line. Response levels and email tracking | | | | advertising visit Charlie the copywriter |
| will enable you to identify strengths and | | | | |
| weaknesses of your promotion.Email Design | | | | Charlie Trumpess is a marketing |
| TipsEffective subject linesSubject lines | | | | communications copywriter with over a |
| should be clear, direct, attention grabbing | | | | decade's corporate experience. Today he |
| and benefits related, such as "Reduce your | | | | provides copywriting services to small and |
| recruitment spend by 60%."Get your hooks into | | | | medium size businesses. |
| 'emJust like other forms of advertising, | | | | |
| emails have to capture the reader's attention | | | | Visit |
| within the first couple of sentences. | | | | |
| Otherwise, it's all over. The hook should be | | | | Email: charlie@charlie-the-copywriter.co. |