Some time back, I posted about how email is still a relevant tool in your marketing and communication efforts. But let’s face it. There’s so much spam flooding in to our inboxes that people have become increasingly wary of what they read. So you’ll need to put a little extra effort into planning and creating emails that will keep people interested—and make them want to click the links you send in your emails.

Before you hit “Send”

Here are some things I like to ask my clients before they venture in to any email marketing efforts:

1) Why would people sign up for email from your company?

The answer is simple—they want something in return. Do they want to learn how to do more with your products and services or get special training from you? Are they interested in new products, upgrades and/or services? Do they want discounts and special offers? Do they want the latest news about your brand? Or could it be a mix of all or some of the above?

Understanding what people want from you will help in planning what content to send them and how often you should be in touch with your audience.

2) Do you know your audience?

Is it mostly young professionals, seasoned engineers, trendy youth – or a mix of anyone and everyone?

Understanding your audience will help you decide how you should speak to them – also known as the tone of voice and style guidelines. A good tone of voice and carefully planned visual design will give a professional look and feel to your emails, and help guide them to click where you want them to.

So there you have it—a couple quick and dirty tips to get you started with email marketing.