Priority number one in email marketing is your contacts. Here are some tips for developing a list that will certainly reap the reward of quality feedback and long lasting client relationships.
Collect people, not email addresses. By collecting names, mailing addresses, and other information in addition to email addresses, you can begin to promote the needs and interests of your customer in a way that is both personal and meaningful. “Dear Amy” is much more effective than “Dear Customer”
Avoid mistyped email addresses. If you are allowing customers to subscribe to your email address online ask them to re-type their address to avoid submission errors such as @gmail.cmo or @htmail.com
Don’t fix mistyped email addresses. Let’s face it. Email is personal and many of us think twice before giving out our information. If you receive an obviously mistyped submission resist the temptation to fix it. When the email bounces simply remove it from the list.
Make it easy for subscribers to change their email address or update their profile. You’ve worked hard to build a lasting and meaningful relationship with your customer base. Giving them the ability to update their information means you stay in contact and have reliable information to work with.
Make unsubscriptions effective immediately. If someone decides that your information is no longer in their best interest respect their decision.
Motivate customers to sign up for your emails by offering them a special deal. They’ve just given you a valuable piece of information and permission to use it! Shouldn’t they get something, too?
Don’t hijack email addresses. It takes time but build your contact list in a way that establishes trust and never add contacts that haven’t requested to participate.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Why Email Marketing Works
It seems to me that there are a lot of people out there that have never considered an email marketing campaign before. Or those of you who have but harbor serious questions like: Wouldn't I just be producing spam? And even if I'm not spamming, what about blogs, Twitter and all the other clever ways we can communicate online? It's true, there are a lot of different electronic communications out there to choose from so why engage in email marketing? Because it works... and here's how:
It saves you money. An average cost of an email marketing service is about $15.00 a month for 500 recipients. So let's do the math... $0.42 x 500 = $210.00. If you sent just one first class mailing a month to your customer base then an email service already saved you $195.00. Now, think about what you've saved if you sent one mailing a week? It adds up fast.
It allows you to talk directly to your target audience. This is not the shotgun technique. The people involved in your email marketing campaign should have requested it either by signing up on your website, responding to a feedback card, or by your own solicitation. The point is that they want to hear what you have to say. You are talking directly to the people that are already interested in your services. It's a very streamline approach that can lead to direct sales.
It offers meaningful feedback. Many email marketing services will also manage a database of your contacts and the links you've included in your emails. This means you can easily see how many people have viewed your email and what they were most interested in while they were reading it. Knowing the specifics about how people use your email means you can adapt over time and make each mailing more effective than the one before. No guessing! Don't you love a sure thing?
It maintains your branding and helps your technology work together. Your emails should be an extension of your website. Colors, logos and buttons, should all be the same. Showing your customers that you have a clear identity builds recognition and trust. Remember, these are professional solicitations and shouldn't look like the casual messages that we get from our friends. And of course, you've spent a lot of time and money making sure your website looks great. Isn't it nice to have all this marketing work together?
Need more convincing? According to research conducted by the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing generated an ROI of $43.62 for every dollar spent on it in 2009. Go ahead and check it out. (Direct Marketing Association Article)
It saves you money. An average cost of an email marketing service is about $15.00 a month for 500 recipients. So let's do the math... $0.42 x 500 = $210.00. If you sent just one first class mailing a month to your customer base then an email service already saved you $195.00. Now, think about what you've saved if you sent one mailing a week? It adds up fast.
It allows you to talk directly to your target audience. This is not the shotgun technique. The people involved in your email marketing campaign should have requested it either by signing up on your website, responding to a feedback card, or by your own solicitation. The point is that they want to hear what you have to say. You are talking directly to the people that are already interested in your services. It's a very streamline approach that can lead to direct sales.
It offers meaningful feedback. Many email marketing services will also manage a database of your contacts and the links you've included in your emails. This means you can easily see how many people have viewed your email and what they were most interested in while they were reading it. Knowing the specifics about how people use your email means you can adapt over time and make each mailing more effective than the one before. No guessing! Don't you love a sure thing?
It maintains your branding and helps your technology work together. Your emails should be an extension of your website. Colors, logos and buttons, should all be the same. Showing your customers that you have a clear identity builds recognition and trust. Remember, these are professional solicitations and shouldn't look like the casual messages that we get from our friends. And of course, you've spent a lot of time and money making sure your website looks great. Isn't it nice to have all this marketing work together?
Need more convincing? According to research conducted by the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing generated an ROI of $43.62 for every dollar spent on it in 2009. Go ahead and check it out. (Direct Marketing Association Article)
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