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Welcome to the The Marketing Source e-newsletter! Our goal is to provide you with real-world marketing tips.If you have any ideas for articles, please send them along.
E-Success or E-Disaster? E-Mail Marketing 101
Your e-mail inbox is no doubt crammed full of marketing messages that range from spam about Viagra and vacations to sales notices from your favorite retailers to e-newsletters you have subscribed to.
But is all this e-mailing paying off? More importantly, how can you use e-mail strategically to push your organization's communications efforts forward?
You may have no clue about starting an effective e- mail program. Or perhaps you are using e-mail but not seeing the results you had hoped for. Here are the basic ins and outs, do's and don'ts, pros and cons to make your e-mail marketing campaigns deliver.
What's the goal?
Like any other marketing campaign or materials, you have to know what results you want to create an effective e-mail strategy. Are you looking for increased on-line or on-site sales? Staying in touch to build loyalty? Creating buzz about new services and products? Positioning your organization as a helpful expert resource?
Be realistic about what response you expect. E-mail isn't a magic bullet that will double your business overnight. But you can get results if you are creative, strategic and consistent in your efforts.
What do your customers (or subscribers) want? Like other media venues in our crowded marketplace, your inbox is a battleground for attention. Your marketing e-mail is thrown in with work and personal messages, as well as other marketing e-mails and spam. You better make sure your message is relevant and helpful, or it's headed straight for the recycle bin. The best way to do that is to know your customers, understand what is important to them and communicate it concisely and in a compelling way - the same things you do for any effective marketing material or campaign.
The "Perfect" Message
Actually, there is no such thing. The right message and the right format depends upon your goals. To position yourself as an expert or show photographs of products, you might want a nicely designed e- newsletter that's packed with information and is easy-to-read. To push someone to your web site, a short and snappy text message that piques curiosity may work best. If you have extensive information but want to provide an overview to capture people's attention, consider a text message that includes links to specific articles or information on your site. Think about who you are sending to and which format best fits your message, and you'll be on your way. If you're just starting a program, working with an agency that specializes in e-mail or direct response can save you lots of time and help you create a model you can follow in the future.
Build Your E-List
Obviously, the more people on your e-mail distribution list, the better your reach. But how do you build your list? First, make sure your web site includes an easy sign-up in several prominent places so people can request e-mail updates or your e- newsletter. (Hint: it should be right on your home page, and maybe in the margin of inside pages.) Second, make sure every piece of ad, press release, business card and electronic document in your organization includes your web site address so you can drive more people to your site. Third, make gathering the e-mail addresses of customers part of your sales process. You'll also need to make sure the addresses get into your database so you can group and sort them to target your e-mails.
Hit the Send Button
Once you have your list and a carefully-crafted message, you'll need a way to distribute it. Many companies use an outside vendor because it makes managing your lists, tracking responses and sending the e-mails simple. Your organization may have internal software or programming expertise that allows you to handle this yourself, but these solutions frequently don't have the ability to automate or effectively track e-mail campaigns. It's at least worth a look at an outside service.
Legal E-Mistakes are Costly
Federal law (the CAN SPAM Act) requires that you get permission (also known as opting-in) to send commercial e-mail and explains how you must identify your organization in your e-mails. The rules vary depending on whether or not you are sending to people who are your customers. The FTC oversees these guidelines, and it takes the rules seriously. Kodak was recently fined $26,000 because e-mails it sent didn't clearly state that the e-mail was an ad, provide an opt-out mechanism or show a postal address - all required by the FTC guidelines. Legal issues are an important reason you should work with an outside resource to make sure your messages and permissions are in compliance with the law.
Who Can Help
The Marketing Source can help develop effective e- mail strategies and campaigns. We are also sharing a few of our favorite resources for more information on e-mail marketing.
Flyte New Media A great collection of articles, blogs, links on e-mail marketing, e-newsletters and more from Internet guru Rich Brooks (designer of Marketing Source web site and our go-to guy for Web info)
Constant Contact A web-based e-mail marketing company with reasonable prices that let you manage lists, create messages and e-newsletter, track results and more. Their site includes tons of info on e-strategies, materials and implementation. You can even get a 60- day free trial.
Clickz An information site for e-mail marketing where you'll find statistics, trends, strategies, help from experts and more.
FTC Guidelines The FTC's fact sheet on the law, requirements and how to find out more about legal requirements
So what's the bottom line? The beauty of e- mail marketing is the ability to communicate consistently and immediately with your customers and marketplace. It's also cost-efficient and scalable, meaning you can start small and build on your success. Done right, e-mail marketing can be another powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.
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