I got a good laugh from Jason Cupp's tweet about being spammed by individuals and companies in the Green Industry. I can certainly relate.

Green Industry companies don't seem to understand basic email marketing etiquette. It's not like you learn this stuff in school. You learn through experience--mostly by making mistakes.

So, before you hit the "send" button, consider these email marketing "Do's" and "Don'ts". Learn from my personal mistakes and others I've witnessed :-)

Do: provide value first

Don't: sell first

Always provide value to your readers before marketing your services. If you're going to sell or promote something via email, you have to give first. And give something cool--that's my rule anyway.

There's nothing wrong with using email to promote your services. It's actually quite effective--if you consistently provide value.

When I promote a paid webinar or other service to my email list, I always lead with free, valuable content. I never go for the sale right away.

This free content can be simple email tips, instructional videos or even fun contests. This content actually gets people excited about what I'm offering--which eventually leads to sales.

Treat your email list like gold. Don't be like CitiCard (or any other large corporation who doesn't understand the meaning of "value"). These clowns send me an email blast every single day promoting some service or offer I'm not interested in. Just because I have their credit card doesn't mean I want anything else from them.

And their "unsubscribe" process is ridiculous, which leads us to...

Do: allow people to unsubscribe easily

Don't: make it difficult to unsubscribe

The only way to allow people to unsubscribe easily is by using email marketing software to deliver your messages and manage your list. This is sometimes referred to as an "Autoresponder" or "List Host". ConstantContact seems to be the most popular email marketing solution used in the Green Industry.

When I say "easy", I mean someone should be able to click an "unsubscribe" link and automatically be removed from your email list. Do not require subscribers to email you to request being removed from your list. This is just a pain, not to mention the person unsubscribing should be able to remain anonymous.

Do: require subscribers to "opt-in" to your email list

Don't: subscribe people without their permission

This is the rule that gets violated all the time.

Here's the bottom line: If you send a mass email to people who did not opt-in, or give you permission, then you are spamming. Sounds ugly but it's the truth. It doesn't matter how relevant you think your e-newsletter (or whatever) is to whom you are sending it to.

This is what Jason Cupp was referring to. Just because he is the past President of PLANET doesn't mean he wants to receive 100 e-newsletters every week from different Green Industry companies.

Here's the rule: Don't add people to your email list. Just because someone hands you their business card doesn't mean they want to be added to your list.

Instead, allow people to join your list by signing up, or "opting-in" as it is typically called. It's a helluva lot harder to grow your list this way, but trust me, your list will be 100x more valuable in the long run.

I highly recommend using an email marketing solution like Aweber over ConstantContact. Aweber uses a "confirmed opt-in" process while ConstantContact doesn't require any opt-in. I personally use a private label version of Aweber called ProFollow.

How to actually get people to join your list is an article for another time.

Do: use plain text and standard fonts

Don't: get fancy

It's all about the message, not how pretty the email looks.

My emails are just plain ugly! But, they're effective.

Stick with standard fonts and limit the use of html in your emails. If you do this, a higher percentage of your email will get delivered.

Also, not all email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail, etc) interpret html and graphics the same way. Just because your e-newsletter looks pretty on your end doesn't mean it will look the same for everyone receiving it.

Keep it basic, there's no need to get fancy.

Do: use a simple email signature

Don't: get fancy (again)

Be careful not to overload your email signature with too much information or make it too large. I've seen some seriously bloated email signatures!

Bulky email signatures can clutter email, detract from your message and also negatively impact deliverability rates.

Stick with plain text or use a service like WiseStamp and keep it simple.

To summarize: Provide value to your opt-in subscribers, let them opt-out easily if they desire and keep your message easy on the eyes.

Follow these simple "Do's" and "Don'ts" and you'll experience long-term success in your email marketing efforts.

Are you using email to market and promote your services? What has your experience been? What do you think of my "rules" :-)

Feel free to ask questions or share your comments below.