Spring is here, at least in the northern hemisphere -- a season of renewal and connection. Enjoy some garden-inspired tips and best practices to help you nurture strong subscriber relationships and grow your email lists: * Start with strong roots: Lay out a clear purpose and key guidelines for your email list as well as communicating the expected message frequency. * Cultivate the landscape for trust: Use double opt-in for subscriptions, always. You'll have specific, prior, explicit permission from all who join your list. Remember to make it easy for people to unsubscribe with one click. * Show your true colors: Simply put, be sure the "From" line states who you are. * Put your best blooms on display: Select your words carefully and craft short, succinct subject lines that show how your subscribers will benefit from opening the message. * Create a beautiful, familiar feel: Use HTML templates for consistent branding and easy recognition, plus time savings across every mailing. * Prune your lists: Track and analyze subscriber engagement. Use this data to reach out to inactive list members to see if they would still like to receive your messages. * Spread your seeds: Give your subscribers attractive opportunities to share your content and promote your lists to their contacts. * Share the harvest: Make sure to optimize your email for mobile devices, including all major brands of smartphones and tablets. * Remember garden cleanup: Avoid cluttering up your list with irrelevant messages, especially with discussion groups. Rake, sweep, repeat and let your subscribers enjoy the view. * Grow your knowledge: Ask people who unsubscribe to shed light on how you can do better next time by encouraging feedback in your automated farewell messages. * Sow success by listening: Encourage subscribers to add their profile information and send periodic surveys. This helps you tailor your messages more closely to their needs and preferences. * Behold the blossoms: Keep using email best practices and enjoy seeing how your newsletters, discussion groups and email marketing campaigns nurture strong subscriber relationships and loyalty. ######################################################################## EmailRules - A LISTSERV Blog for Email Communicators View Blog: http://www.lsoft.com/blog Unsubscribe: &*TICKET_URL(EMAILRULES,SIGNOFF); Contact the EmailRules list facilitators at: [log in to unmask]