As the Incredible Hulk I often have the problem of overdoing things with my physical strength and stamina. I sometimes run into the same issue when I send out my email marketing messages. If I use more images than text in my email message, then my spam assassin score catapults over the recommended score of 0.

To resolve this issue I try to keep to the rule of thumb in terms of the image-to-text ratio I use in my standard email newsletters. I aim for seven parts text and three parts image.

However, as you may have experienced too, from time to time I need to send a super Hulk offer to my fans that is more graphically intense than a standard email newsletter – almost 100% image. The Hulk has learned the hard way, as the first few times I tried this approach my opens were low because the Hulk went bulk (my message didn’t get delivered). Now there’s no need for you to make the same mistakes I have. I’m here to give you some tips on what you can do when you need to increase that image ratio.

I know two things to do when sending these types of email messages. These are my “Hulk No Bulk” tips for image-to-text ratio:

1. I use alternate text for every image in the message, and rewrite the image text as alternate text. This lowers my spam score significantly.
2. I rewrite the image text below the main message in a small font size, so that the text in the HTML version matches the plain text version. Having plain text and HTML with different sets of text will also drive my spam score up, and put the Hulk into the bulk. Another reason this is a good idea is so that your fans/clients will see the main point of your messages in the event they block images by default.

Although a seven-to-three text-to-image ratio is recommended, just know you can flex your email marketing muscles like me to lower the score by implementing my “Hulk No Bulk” tips above.

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Keep an eye out on the blog for more killer email marketing tips from the summer’s hottest superheroes.

My name is Madame Natasha, but you can call me the Black Widow. Being a superhero certainly has its perks (the whole not aging thing is saving me a fortune on face cream), but let’s be honest: fighting crime doesn’t pay the mortgage. That’s why I recently launched a line of plastic explosives for the on-the-go superhero. I’m taking a bite out of the weaponry market with my new side business, and I am doing it with the help of email marketing.

Speaking of email marketing: Nothing makes me want to karate chop a marketer in the face more than when he sends me an email that doesn’t have a link to view his message online. When I create my marketing emails, I always generate web versions. This is why:

My suit may be black, but colorful product images are what make my marketing emails knockouts. I guess you could call them my marketing Widow’s Bite. The fly in the ointment is that some email clients don’t display images, and they all render HTML differently. Even when their email clients do load images, some subscribers choose to block HTML from loading because of security concerns.

I want to make sure my subscribers see my great email designs and product images, so I always give them the option to view my emails in their web browsers. They just click a link, and all of a sudden, they’re seeing my beautiful email online. A web browser not only displays all of my message’s images and styles, but it also offers a lot more real estate than that tiny little reading pane popular among so many email clients.

I don’t age, and my emails don’t have to either. When I send an email, I publish it to the web. Then I share the link on my website, in my social media posts, and on my blog. My emails get life beyond the inbox and greater reach, which means more customers for my business.

You shouldn’t have to be a member of an international espionage group to find my past newsletters. I put a lot of time and effort into my monthly newsletters, and giving my subscribers access to past issues is a must. When Spiderman wants to know more about the dyed-to-match mobile explosives I featured in my holiday newsletter, he doesn’t have to dig through his email. He can find my December issue and all the other issues from last year in one place: my online message archive.

Now that you know the why behind including a link to a web version, here’s the how:

1. Place the link at the top of your message, so it’s one of the first things your subscribers see.
2. Give the link a clear call to action, such as View this email in your web browser or If you can’t see the images in this email, click here.
3. Test your link! Make sure your message is displaying properly online.

I have kung fu, weapons, and espionage training at my disposal, but when it comes to email marketing, web versions are my tool of choice. What’s the email marketing best practice you can’t do without? Let me know below!
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Keep an eye out on the blog for more killer email marketing tips from the summer’s hottest superheroes.

Are you just getting started with Twitter? Not sure where to begin? We’ve compiled 6 tips for people who are new to the social media marketing space on Twitter and wanted to share them with you.

Take a look at our presentation on Slideshare and let us know what you think!

By Tiffany Ogren, iContact for Salesforce Customer Success Manager

They say, “Tony Stark, you’re a narcissist.” Well, listen…I’m just doing what I have to do to be successful. It’s not my fault that I’m so good at it. From my home and appearance to the beautiful company I keep and even my iron suit, only the best surrounds me. The same goes for my emails. Even my marketing is cloaked in the most powerful envelope fields. “Such as…?” you ask. C’mon, I didn’t become what I am today by giving away all my secrets that easily…

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Ugh, all right, fine. If you’re going to pout, I’ll share this one secret with you. Just don’t tell Pepper that I cracked this easily.

If you’ve been paying any attention to the news, you’re aware that I enjoy donning my incredible iron suit to save lives – yours included. Sure, I’m self-obsessed, but give me a break – I’m helping! Now, I’m not proud to admit this, but unlike some of my cohorts, I have no superpowers. Well, unless of course you count natural genius and unmatched good looks…which I do. My incredibly high-tech suit is what changes me from your average billionaire / intellectual virtuoso into the Iron Man that you also know and love. This works for me in my professional life (yes, I’m a professional national treasure), and it’s made me successful in my email marketing as well.

Of course, I create the most beautiful, most interesting, most effective emails for my business. Let’s just say that in the land where content is king, I’m actually king. However, just because my emails are the best in the business doesn’t mean that my subscribers know that before they open them. That’s the most basic challenge in email marketing, and it’s exactly where my envelope fields come in so handy. My envelope fields, or the name and email address from which I’m sending my message, are the iron suit for my emails. They are what protects my precious emails – which are also brilliant and dashing, I may add – and let my subscribers know that this message comes from a trusted source, and that it is likely something that will interest them. C’mon, if you received an email from “Stark Industries” that was sent from dailydeals@stark-industries.com, tell me you wouldn’t be itching to open it. Here are the keys:

• The from name is recognizable. When you see Stark Industries, you know exactly what to expect.
• The from name is professional. I’m emailing you about my business, so it is from my business. I don’t expect my contacts to know the names of all of my employees, so I keep it professional.
• The from email address is valid and monitored. People may reply to my email with questions, compliments or orders. I do not want to miss those!

Ok, secrets spilled; you’re not getting another thing out of me. I’ve got to get back to designing my newest armor, and you’ve got to log in to revise your envelope fields. Until the next sequel…so long.

-Tony

Keep an eye out for a post from The Hulk next…He’s got template tips for you!