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In my inbox this morning was an e-mail from Sara with a subject line “interesting opportunity.” I don’t know Sara so I should have hit delete, but as an e-mail marketer, I knew this e-mail would give me a good laugh.

1. Personalization consisted of “Dear {username}”
2. Inconsistent copy. Sometimes the word “e-mail” was hyphenated, other times it was not.
3. Improper capitalization.
4. Words were not properly pluralized. My third grade grammar teacher would have a field day with this e-mail.
5. The e-mail was signed “Sara, Administration Dept.” No company listed.
6. The sender did not identify why I was receiving the unsolicited e-mail.
7. There was no link to opt-out from receiving future communications from this mysterious company.

Yes, this e-mail breaks just about every rule for e-mail best practices and building brand awareness through e-mail.


A good brand champion would be sure that all aspects of an e-mail campaign represent the brand. Below are five tips to help build brand awareness through e-mail, and never be like “Sara.”

• Ensure the recipient knows why you’re sending the e-mail. You better be sending it because they asked to receive it. The recipient should feel a personal connection with the sender and therefore the copy and creative of the message. If the recipient opted-in to receive the e-mail, make sure to follow through with the company’s brand promise, and give them what they expect. Make the brand respected; not a brand that randomly sends irrelevant e-mails. For example, I opt-in to receive MarketingSherpa e-mails because their marketing case studies are relevant to me. If a co-worker of mine working in the accounting departmetn, who has no interest in marketing receives the e-newsletter, she may wonder, “Why am I receiving this? What do they want from me?” She then may think, “This MarketingSherpa company is a Spammer. They are not legit.” The MarketingSherpa brand is now eroded forever in her mind. It only takes one communication to kill an otherwise strong brand.

• Have a good entrance strategy. A good entrance strategy is simple, as it helps build a relationship with the recipient. By merely adding a sentence at the top of the e-mail, your company builds a relationship, and in turn strengthens the brand. For example, a new member receives a statement saying, “Welcome! Thank you for signing up for our newsletter! You can manage your profile at any time.” Existing members receive a statement saying, “You are receiving this e-mail because you previously granted (insert your company name) permission to keep you informed of special offers. Enjoy our newsletter! You can manage your profile at any time.”

• Your logo should be visible and clickable in the preview pane. The first thing that should pop off the screen is the company’s logo - correct in color, font and size. The logo gives authenticity to the e-mail straight away. The correct logo (following all graphic standards) is the proof that the e-mail is really from the stated company and not a “phisher.” For example, if you receive an e-mail from Coca-Cola, but the logo is green instead of red, you’d be suspicious. Additionally, a clickable logo allows for an easy and relevant transition from the e-mail to your Web site.

• Use three “top” words that the reader will remember. These three words should be in the subject line and in your call-to-action. The words should be aligned with your brand promise, and words the recipient will remember and associate with your message. For example, “RealSimple.com: Fast & Easy Meals.” The company name is in the subject line, along with the key words “fast,” and “easy.” Those key words are aligned with the RealSimple brand - a brand that helps its readers do what they need to do, so they have more time to enjoy what they want to do.

• Use correct grammar. This may sound like a no-brainer, but the number of typos and grammatical mistakes are astounding. If I had one dollar for every one I found - I’d be a millionaire. It only takes a few extra minutes to proof your work, or better yet, have someone proof it for you. You wouldn’t hire someone who had misspellings, typos and grammar mistakes peppered through their resume. Why would you buy a chandelier from a company that sent you an e-mail titled: “20% Off Shandelleers the Months of Janury?”

If you follow these five simple steps, and remember to not sign your e-mail “Sara, Admin Dept.,” you’ll be on your way to becoming a brand building e-mail champion.

Filed under: B2B Marketing Ideas, Email Marketing, Lead Nurturing, email marketing best practices, email marketing mistakes, email marketing services, email marketing software, internet marketing guides, online marketing