E-zines (electronic magazines) are a very cheap, fast and effective method of communicating with customers. Here are some suggestions for making your email marketing campaign more successful:

• Address the customers personally with their name in the e mail.

• Ensure that the subject line of the e-zine is eye-catching enough to encourage customers to open the email. This is the first thing recipients see when they open up their email. Remember that 83% of E Mails are treated as junk and never opened).

• Avoid excessive use of images in the e-zine. (Images increase the chance of your email being caught by spam filters).

• Place the offer or 'bait' at the very start of the e-zine.

• Remind the customer that they are receiving the e-zine because they are members of a unique program. For example, you might write “Only for members of our Loyal Customer Scheme...

• Ensure the web address is prominent in the e mail.

• Ensure the booking method is clear. (For example, “Ring 001 973 24xxxxxxx to book this offer...”)

• Use Booking/Reference Codes where possible. (For example, “Ring and quote Spring Break SP 003”).

• Do not add 'wordy' text, but use short 'soundbites'. Include genuinely useful information relating to the hotel.

• Do not assume that your customers know all your hotel's features. Use the opportunity to promote all areas of the hotel in the e-zine content.

• Where possible use a personal sender. (For example, “from Catherine and the Reservations Team”.)

• Ensure that your recipients have said they WANT to receive your Emails (don't use a database that was just 'cobbled together').

• Pay attention the footer content of your e-mail. Consider adding some links to different areas of your website. Check to ensure that other members of staff are using the same email footer for Corporate Identity purposes.

• Consider using SMS (Text) marketing in addition to your e-zine. SMS Messaging seems to be the star performer at the moment. One possible reason is that it is more direct. When someone is receiving hundreds of e-mails per day, it is very hard to get them to notice and open your e-zine. On the other hand, most people will not ignore an SMS Message. This however highlights the issue that customers in your SMS Database MUST have willingly signed up for your scheme. Do NOT send out text messages to customers who do not want to receive it. Interestingly many Hotels are orientating their SMS Schemes towards Dining and Local Customers (perhaps sending out a text when they have a promotion or themed evening), but using e-zines for their accommodation customers.

Tip: E-mail Marketing does have comparatively low response rates, but if the e-zine contains something of genuine value to the customers, the response rate is automatically going to be higher.