You DO Have an Email List Dont You?
No matter what type of business you operate, you need an email list. Not just any list, preferably an opt-in list. If it's a double-opt-in list, it's even better. Why?Because your list keeps you in touch with your clients and prospects; it develops a relationship of trust; people buy from people they trust; and finally, it's a very cost effective way of marketing.Take this example of a hairdressing business with a proprietor we'll call Sophie. Sophie obtains the email addresses of her clients in her database along with details of the types of services they generally require eg, perm, haircut, shampoo etc.She and her team know the periods between services so, when clients are due for another hairdo, she sends them an email reminder suggesting they ring a day or two in advance to ensure a booking. Clients respond.Occasionally, she has a low demand day. Her paid staff is going to stand around without a full day of work.Sophie goes through her database and finds several clients who would normally require a new hair job around about that time. She sends them a short email offering several booking times and a small discount if they accept.Bingo! Instead of four hours without bookings, she now has three hours taken up.This is only one of many examples. Veterinary practices email people about their animals' vaccinations; dentists about follow-up work; hardware stores about specials and so on.If you haven't got and maintain an email list, you are missing out on opportunities, including some new ways to make money. Also, if you send letters to clients/prospects now, you can cut out the expense of postage, stationery, lodgement, printing and other associated costs.This is all good stuff, however, your list has to be obtained and managed in accordance with the various Spam legislation. That's why you must get people to opt-in and agree to receive email from you before you send it.Double opt-in occurs when people subscribe to your list from your Internet site and you send them a message seeking assurance that they ... and not someone pretending to be them ... actually completed the subscription. When they reply, the deal is done.This can all be done automatically saving you a tremendous amount of time and money.So, if you haven't got an email list, what will you do about it today?Copyright Robin Henry 2005Robin Henry is an educator, human resources specialist and Internet marketer whose firm, Desert Wave Enterprises, helps individuals and businesses improve their performance by using smart processes, smart technology and personal development. He lives at Alice Springs In Central Australia. Visit Desert Wave Enterprises to read more about email.
Creating Demand With Email Newsletters
You've launched your web site. You've implemented a public relations campaign and spent oodles of money advertising in trade journals, magazines and newspapers. But your site's daily visitors are still in single digits and your sales are...well let's just say that early retirement is no longer an option.Now what?Perhaps it's time to try email marketing. Or, to be specific, an email newsletter. After all, they require minimal effort to produce, and are proven to increase sales.Of course, there are many other reasons why email newsletters make good business sense. Here's just a few of them:
You can create a marketing campaign on a shoestring budget.You can measure the results and find out what works and what doesn't.You can build a personal relationship with a large group of people.Your subscribers pick YOU when they opt-in to your list.You can track customer behavior.You can collect user information for specific, targeted campaigns...the list goes on and on.
So what are you waiting for. It's time to take the next step and put the power of email newsletters to work for you.Starting Your Email Newsletter CampaignBefore you start any type of marketing or advertising campaign, you need a plan. This is equally true for email newsletters. You don't have to put together a 200-plus page document outlining all your goals and objectives, but you do need to define some basics before you begin.
Get to know your audience. It's not enough to say, "they're people who like widgets". Take your cue from magazine publishers. They know exactly who their target audience is, how much money they earn, what social group they fit into and what motivates them to buy. Find out who your customers are, then tailor your newsletter around their needs and desires.Check out your competition. Yes, you do have competition. Find out what they're doing by investing some time to research their product or service. What could you do better? Is there a gap in their service you could fill?Identify your newsletter's purpose. What do you hope to achieve with your newsletter. Do you want to give your subscribers information about your product to help them make purchasing decisions? If so, you must first help them find out more about your product by letting them see how it can make them smarter, healthier, wealthier, or more successful. Or do you want to position yourself as an expert in your field? Your goal here is to provide your subscribers with well-written articles that address issues in your industry. Whatever your objectives, your strategy must focus on your goals.
Creating ContentNow you know what you want your campaign to achieve, it's time to start thinking about content. This is usually where the faint hearted run for cover. Fear not. Creating content isn't as difficult as it first appears. Below are different methods you can employ to keep your newsletter content fresh, relevant and on target.
Write it yourself. By far the cheapest approach in the long term is to write it yourself. If you enjoy writing and if you have lots of ideas for content, then this may be the best option. Only you can decide.Hire Writers to Write for You. If you're not comfortable writing content yourself, you may want to consider hiring a professional writer to write it for you. There are plenty of freelance writers who specialize in writing newsletter articles. You'll find several at http://www.freelancewriting.com/Get Content from Online Article Directories. A low-cost option is to get content from article directories, such as Ideamarketers.com, Goarticles.com, Articlecity.com and Ezinez.com. Articles posted on these sites are generally free, as long as you include the writer's byline when you publish.
Design your templateJust as a magazine has a certain look that will appeal to their subscribers, so must your email newsletter. Decide on a template design and stick with it so your subscribers know what to expect with each issue. Think about how magazines and newspapers have regular columns in each issue. Split your newsletter into bite sized pieces so the content is easier for readers to digest.HTML or Plain Text? It's really a matter of personal preference, and what you think will most appeal to your readers. The jury is still out on whether one sells better than the other, but if in doubt offer two lists: one in plain text and one in HTML. Then let your subscribers decide.Ready, Set, GOYou've defined your objectives, secured your content and designed your newsletter. Now all you need to do is put it together and launch it to your customers. For this you need a mailing list. Begin with your own in-house list-made up of people who have specifically requested to receive information from you. Set up a sign-up form on every page of your web site, advertise your newsletter in online ezine directories or in other newsletters, and announce your newsletter in your signature file--the tagline that is, or should be, attached to every email you send.However you choose to build your list, don't ever, ever become a spammer. Never send your newsletter to anyone who hasn't specifically requested to receive it. Remember, Can-spam regulations require every marketing email to include an opt-out provision and a valid physical address. If you ignore these rules, you do so at your own risk.Email newsletters, are possibly one of the most effective marketing tools available to online businesses. Exploit this opportunity and you're almost guaranteed to pull targeted customers to your site, create demand for your product, gather customer data and secure your company's success.About The AuthorJulia is an independent copywriter and consultant specializing in advertising and search engine marketing services. To learn more about how Julia can help boost your company's profits visit her site at www.juliahyde.com. You may also like to sign up for Marketing Works! Julia's monthly ezine. Visit www.juliahyde.com/form.html to sign up or email Julia for details.info@juliahyde.com
Essential Rules For Effective Email Marketing
If you want an email campaign to succeed, you don`t want to
offend anyone when sending your messages. Turn off a
consumer with your email and you can be sure they`ll
tune out your message. Don`t let this happen to you!A message that earns respect makes sales. That`s why our
first topic for discussion is email etiquette. (Later in the
course, we`ll talk more about how to write an email sales
letter.)Train yourself to always -- and I mean ALWAYS -- stick to
the rules below when crafting your email message.=> RULE #1 - ALWAYS WRAP YOUR LINES AT 65
CHARACTERS OR LESSWhenever you write an email, always format the lines so that
they`re 65 characters, or less, across. To do this, you may
need to do a "hard return" by hitting "Enter" at the end of
the line.Wondering why to limit your lines to just 65 characters?
(Good question! It shows you`re thinking.) There are two
reasons that "less is more":-- The first thing to remember is that looking at a computer
screen for a long time causes EYE FATIGUE for many readers.
The shorter span of characters across the screen makes
reading easier and more appealing to the recipient of your
email message.-- The other reason to go short instead of long is this:
some email clients AUTOMATICALLY ENFORCE LINE-WRAPPING
at 60-65 characters on received messages. If your email
is wrapped at 70, the content will arrive all "chopped up."
This makes it unattractive...and worse -- unappealing.-- Tip within a Rule #1: Email clients such as Outlook
Express allow you to SET THE LINE-WRAP to any
character-width you choose. That means you won`t have to
hit Enter each time after typing 65 characters. Makes life
easier!-- Tip within a Rule #2 - You can type 65 asterisks or
dashes in a Notepad file to create a template. Then paste
your email below it to see if any lines extend too far to
the right.=> RULE # 2 - BE CAREFUL USING ALL CAPSHow many times have you changed the TV channel to avoid
listening to a screaming car salesperson? No one likes a
screaming salesperson...and no one likes a "screaming" email
message, either. Odds are, when someone has over-amped the
volume of their message by using too many capital letters
(not to mention too many exclamation points and other
punctuation) - you`re going to be turned off.On the Internet, email messages written in all caps are
considered yelling. It`s okay to write some sentences and
some words in all caps, but don`t go overboard. (As you can
see in this message, I`ve tried to use capital letters to
help break up sections of the content from time to time)-- Tip within a Rule: Consumers buy from a source they
trust. Emails in all caps are perceived as "shady" or
uneducated, and have an appearance that damages the
credibility of an offer.=> RULE #3 - WATCH YOUR Ps & Qs (Spelling and Grammar)Would you be influenced by an email selling you something
that had noticeable spelling and grammar mistakes? Sure you
would...and the influence would be negative, not positive!
When a consumer reads a sales message that`s filled with
errors, they think to themselves, "Good grief, this person
doesn`t even take the time to get his emails right. His
product is probably the same quality as his emails."When you`re in business, YOUR IMAGE IS YOUR REPUTATION
and your reputation is the reason people buy from you or the
guy down the block. It`s essential that you create an image
of INTEGRITY, CREDIBILITY, and HONESTY in the mind
of your prospects. Sending emails filled with errors doesn`t
hurt your professional image...it destroys it. (Ouch!)Sincerely,Steven AckermanIf you would like to subscribe to my entire series of helpful articles
just go to my website, http://www.Ackerman55.com, fill in your
name and email in the form and hit the "Free Signup!" button