I like lists. This one was recently done for a potential client – you don’t have to buy into all of it, but if it ensures you think, “why don’t we do that” and come up with a good answer, that’s fine.

Ten things you must do to get good marketing results….

1. All marketing must be exciting and interesting to read. Look at anything, read the first line, and think, would I, as an outsider, bother to keep reading when I have another 100 emails in my inbox?

2. Always write about the reader and the benefits to him her, or about things that will interest the reader. Never about you.

3. Consider why a customer should buy this product from you, rather than someone else.

4. Consider why the customer needs this product and reflect that.

5. Write regularly – if your writing is really good people will want to read it. If it isn’t there is nowhere to hide. Nothing compensates for poor writing – people will delete within a second.

6. Use the best lists possible which go directly to the person you want to reach. If such a list is not available, research it – it will be worth its weight in gold.

7.. If emailing ensure that you have a facility for instant auto unsubscribe for readers. And then constantly improve the quality of the writing so they don’t unsubscribe.

8. Know what your competitors do, and make sure you are different.

9. Always ensure that you are applying the laws of the psychology of perception. If you have not heard of this start with http://www.theory.bz/factors.html – not every article is on this topic, but even those that are not are still interesting.

10. Measure the results. Measure the open rate, the click through rate and the purchase rate. Note the problem and improve that area. Then do it again and again.