I remember when E-mail was going to become the marketer’s new best friend. It was far, far cheaper than print, and — as we were told by the pundits of the time — people were going to beg us to send them e-mail.

Then came spam.

In a few years, e-mail went from fab to forgotten (Spam 1: Pundits 0), and many of today’s marketers now view it as the unwanted, basement-bound stepchild to more glamorous methods.

Is e-mail the forgotten stepchild in the marketing world?

This Chief Marketing Officer article even highlights a survey suggesting a surprising number of marketers don’t pay much attention to their e-mail programs:

And in another eyebrow-raising finding, just 59% of the marketers surveyed said having the call to action appear above the fold in an e-mail is very important.

While putting the offer above the fold would be second nature to anyone with a direct marketing background, many e-mail marketing managers don’t think of themselves as direct marketers, says Mills.

Ouch.

So 41% of the marketers don’t seem to know that — even if you’re not asking for a check — you don’t e-mail simply to spend money.

You’ve got to have some action in mind, and whatever that is — response, awareness, engagement, etc — it should go above the fold.

What else should the “Unfortunate 41%” know?

E-Mail Basics

The Subject: The subject line is everything in e-mail. It used to be enough to cram the word “free” in the subject, but in some cases that actually costs you readers. Then there’s length; some suggest e-mail software requires subject lines less than 75 characters (or 60 characters, or 53 characters). Basically, keep it interesting, try to let the reader know it’s from a trusted source, and don’t beat around the bush.

Keep Key Subject Matter at the Top: Roberta “The Copywriting Maven” Rosenberg suggests that the key content in a landing page should be found in the top 300 pixels, and that’s likely good advice for e-mail too, though preview panes in in mail readers suggest an even tighter window.

Graphics Work… Sorta: Don’t rely too strongly catchy graphics in an html e-mail; many e-mail programs don’t load images unless the sender is in the recipient’s e-mail address book. So don’t assume your graphic is going to do the heavy lifting — and ask your readers to add you to their address books.

Write Tight: You know those 18-page sales letters? Save ‘em for the landing page. Even e-mail newsletters (and the line between e-mail and e-newsletters is blurring more all the time) should be shorter rather than longer, especially if the goal is to drive readers to a Web site. Remember: the “story half-told” brings readers to your site.

Engage, Don’t Interrupt: Don’t treat your readers like wallets with legs. Connect with them through stories, personal anecdotes, or via shared passions and values. Build loyalty now, and you’ll have their trust when it’s time to buy.

Let Your Readers Market: A “Forward this e-mail to a friend” link can be damned effective. Add it where appropriate.

Test On Yourself: Just finished an e-mail? Send it to yourself, and read it in your mail reader, on Gmail — as many places as you can. You’ll be startled by the differences — and (if you’re like me) humbled by your assumptions.

Build a Clean List: I know. This one’s so basic, I feel almost silly writing things like “use double opt-in, make it easy for readers to unsubscribe or change e-mail addresses, offer a venue for reader feedback, and respond quickly to requests.” Some are legal requirements, and the others just good marketing.

E-mail may be the orphan of the online marketing world, but almost any business would benefit from a strong, active, engaged e-mail list.

And many of the e-mails I receive would benefit from a quick read of the basics above.

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