Email Part #2:
Things You May Be Doing To Sabotage Your Online Presence
Last time, I covered what you're most likely
doing to sabotage your online presence through email correspondence.
Now, I'm going to show you a couple of things to help create
a top-notch online presence. Online etiquette is often overlooked.
Not surprising since email has made it easier than ever to
communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world. It is cheaper
than a phone call, mailing a letter, and even faxing a few
pages. As a result, email has fostered a state of misinformation
and confusion - spam, junk email, advertising, bcc abuse,
etc.
All of the junk mail you usually receive is because someone
on the other end wants to stand out and reach as many people
as possible. Most recipients don't want to be bothered with
unsolicited correspondence. So here is a list of things you
can do to make your message stand out and avoid smearing your
name.
1. Keep it short.
2. Be professional - no slang, perfect grammar, etc.
3. Send in plain text only.
4. No attachments.
5. Add a signature.
6. Avoid spamming at all costs!
(See Part I of this article for 1 to 4)
A good businessperson never conducts correspondence without
including basic contact information. The same applies to email.
Most email programs can automatically append contact information
as a "signature." An effective signature should
be no more than four lines and contain:
Before you get too excited about creating an email signature,
think very carefully about the headline item. It shouldn't
describe you or your music. (Yes, I said should not.)
Instead, a headline should describe your web site. The point
of a signature is to create interest. This can be done with
a headline that is either intriguing or blunt.
Examples:
Intriguing: "What are Lullabies for Fatigued Metal?"
Blunt: "Get a free CD of the Ralph Mongers."
Often times, the name of an act says it all. Concentrate
on how to make people regret never having visited your web
address. Plus, most of the popular email programs will make
lines 2 and 3 a link within the message itself, making it
all the easier for curious readers of your headline to click
on impulse. Now that's dangerous advertising!
Also, notice that the example above doesn't include a phone
number or physical address. You certainly don't want phone
calls from Cambodia at 2am on Sunday mornings, and wouldn't
want 4 billion complete strangers to know where you live.
What if you suddenly become famous? Call me paranoid, but
I speak from experience. One of the first things I encourage
my clients to do is get a PO Box and a voice mail number for
their act - expenses that can be written off on your taxes.
Well that's it for this month. Want more? Visit our site
and order our new pamphlet on non-Spam email promotion techniques.
For a limited time it can be yours free when you purchase
the The Complete Guide to Internet Promotion for Musicians, Artists
& Songwriters. This guide covers in more detail
how to draft emails and what pitfalls to avoid. It also covers
how to integrate email with your web site effectively, increase
your contact list, and generate repeat traffic to your web
site. Visit here to get your copy today.
Next time: I will get into the basics of setting up
an e-commerce section on your site. Learn how to increase
impulse buys by processing credit cards, adding security,
and increasing interactivity on your site. All here on
MusicPromotion.net.
About the Author: John Dawes is an
independent Internet consultant and founder of MusicPromotion.net,
a company specializing in affordable web hosting and design for artists. He is
most known for his informative articles on Internet music promotion and is co-author
of international bestseller The
Complete Guide to Internet Promotion for Musicians, Artists & Songwriters,
with music industry guru Tim Sweeney.
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