E-mail marketing is so effective it’s easy to begin to think of it as simply an engine that drives your sales results. The problem with this thinking is that it removes the human element from the equation. And, the success of e-mail campaigns relies on the human element. Your e-mail must be a personal experience for your prospects. Here are four questions you need to answer to get you headed in the right direction to make your prospects’ e-mail experience better.

1. Why did your prospects sign up to receive your e-mails?

You have to know the answers to this so you can make sure you meet those objectives. Then you begin the work of striking a comfortable balance between pleasing your prospects and driving revenue.

When you know why your prospects want to hear from you, you can create very strategic content so it’s not necessary to bombard your prospects with too many e-mails, which will only work to turn them off on your brand. Predictive modeling can help you further segment your prospects to ensure a better e-mail experience for them.

2. How often do you think about your prospects when you develop your e-mail campaigns?

We’re all a little guilty of it. We fall into the trap of thinking of e-mail simply as a tool for driving leads. We sometimes forget that there are living prospects on the receiving end of our e-mails. And, e-mail is a great medium to really address your prospects’ different needs and wants, developing content that speaks to them. Always keep the human element in mind when executing your e-mail campaigns.

3. Is your content hitting the right note?

I believe e-mail is a great way to have a personal conversation with your prospects. So, even when you’re announcing a special sale, a new product launch – whatever – you need to make sure you are keeping it personal for your prospects. Tell them why it should matter to them. This thinking should start at the subject line with a message that has meaning and relevance to the prospects receiving the e-mail.

Prospects only view your e-mails for a few seconds. To have impact, your e-mails must be “scanable” to easily determine value. Best practices really apply here. Often the urge is to overdesign e-mails, but you do so to your peril. Keep in mind that most prospects view your e-mail on a mobile phone. Keep reminding yourself of that when you’re tempted to keep adding to the design.

4. Is how you’re saying what you’re saying making a connection?

It’s not only important what you say but also how you say it. The tone of your e-mail matters. The tone should be in line with your brand and reinforce how you want prospects to view your brand. There is a tendency to forget this when creating content for e-mail.

Your e-mails should also set a good customer service tone. Give prospects links to helpful or pertinent information. Don’t make them hunt for it.

E-mail is a personal medium that works wonders to drive leads and sales. It has a high ROI. Make sure you are using it to its fullest potential.