Whatever your business, whether it’s B2B or B2C, email marketing is a cost-effective way of targeting your prospects and connecting with your current and past customers.

Why? Virtually everyone uses email on a daily basis.

But there are caveats:

Substance with the right message is important.

One valuable email-marketing tool is video (more on that later).

You must have an accurate list. Also important is to take steps to maximize your chances to entice recipients to open your email for higher click-through rates.

You must also comply with the CAN Spam Act.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur with a site or a blogger but don’t have an email list, consider starting now.

Bloggers and Web site owners can benefit from the same potpourri of strategies to attract visitors and to persuade them to join an e-mail list. There are at least 13 ways to build a list.

For important email marketing tools that are either free or have gratis trial options, here is a list:

Blacklist check

Even if you’re 100 percent ethical, you can appear on a blacklist, with will block or weaken your delivery results.

Chrome DevTools

If you use Chrome, Chrome Developer Tools will identify and correct any problems in your email coding or HTML.

Dotdigital

You can create a campaign with quick, easy design tools. This U.K. provider offers a 14-day free trial. 

Email deliverability test

Consider sendforensics for a free email deliverability test.

Free Images

For personal or business use, you can get more than 300,000 free photos and illustrations.

HTML to Text Email Converter

This is a tool from Mailchimp that will enable you to create a text-only version to recipients who cannot receive HTML emails.

IsNotSpam

Before you launch your email campaign, this service will analyze your email content and will identify verbiage that will likely activate spam filters.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp provides a free plan, if you have 2,000 or fewer email recipients and if you send 12,000 or fewer emails during a month.

Mosaico

This is a free, easy-to-use, open-source software that will help you to design your emails. Your emails will appear on your recipients’ screens exactly as you intend. 

Previews

Zurb’s service will show you how your subject line, from line and preheader will show in your emails.

Sender Score

Return Path’s service alerts of problems by checking your email’s sending IP domain and address, and gives you a grade on your reputation.

Subject Line.com

On a scoring scale, this service helps you to check your subject lines for any possibility of spam issues. It will also explain why there is a problem.

Again, here’s a caution:

It’s important to optimize your email content to make certain you get the highest click-through rates. One great approach includes the use of a strategic video.

From the Coach’s Corner, here are related marketing tips:

Marketing – Have You Considered the Potential of e-Newsletters? — There are several benefits if you include e-Newsletters in your marketing mix. The most salient is that they’re a great way to achieve top-of-mind awareness with your customers.

Marketing Tips via Mobile Devices, Reviews, Coupons — Digital marketing opportunities keep growing and growing. For instance, 70 percent of consumers research product reviews while they shop in stores. Ninety percent are relying on their mobile devices as they make in-store buying decisions.

For More Sales, 8 Vital Mobile Marketing Tips — Put your brand where prospects and customers are likely to see it. That means leveraging mobile marketing.

“I want to do business with a company that treats emailing me as a privilege, not a transaction.” 
-Andrea Mignolo

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Author Terry Corbell has written innumerable online business-enhancement articles, and is a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services. For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule him as a speaker, consultant or author, please contact Terry.