| Email marketing is one of the most powerful | | | | per month, which includes unlimited emails. |
| marketing tools available to your small business. You | | | | 2. Email marketing is highly targeted. |
| can achieve outstanding results, while investing only | | | | You can easily segment your email database into |
| fractions of a penny per email message to your | | | | different groups, so that your promotions go to |
| customers and prospects. Combine that with the | | | | individuals most likely to respond to your offer. For |
| potential to target messages more precisely than | | | | example, you may send one offer to existing clients, |
| direct mailings, email marketing is a real win for the | | | | and send a different one to prospects who've |
| small business owner. | | | | expressed interest in your products or services. |
| Do you want to market your business for fractions | | | | 3. Email marketing is proactive. |
| of a penny per message? | | | | Email marketing enables you to proactively |
| Email marketing is one of the most powerful | | | | communicate with your existing customers and |
| marketing tools available to your small business. You | | | | prospects, instead of passively waiting for them to |
| can achieve outstanding results with email marketing, | | | | return to your website or storefront. |
| while investing only a small amount of time and | | | | It is a highly effective way to communicate |
| money. Combine that with the potential to target | | | | promotional offers, news, seminars, which may result |
| more precisely than direct mailings, that's a real win | | | | in an increase in sales, drive traffic to your website |
| for the small business owner. | | | | or store, and develop customer trust and loyalty |
| In tough economic times, it is crucial to continue | | | | through relationship building. |
| marketing your business, and maximize the marketing | | | | Sending out a monthly email campaign will keep your |
| dollars you're spending. Email marketing is a perfect | | | | business in front of your customers' and prospects |
| way to keep your business in front of your | | | | eyes. |
| customers' and prospects eyes! | | | | 4. Email marketing generates an immediate response. |
| Sometimes, people unfamiliar with email marketing | | | | Promotional emails include a call to action that can |
| get nervous about it because the first thing they | | | | result in immediate responses. Initial campaign |
| think about is spam, or they've heard that most | | | | responses generally occur within 48 hours of the time |
| people don't open their email, right? | | | | the email campaign is sent; testing and refining your |
| Wrong. | | | | campaigns is immediate. If you use a list management |
| Targeted mailings that pique interest result in high | | | | service, you can gauge the open rates of your email |
| email open rates, and an opportunity to build | | | | campaigns, which provides useful and immediate |
| relationships with your customers and make some | | | | information you can use to tweak your campaign |
| sales. As for the spam issue, mailing only to people | | | | messages. |
| who have given you permission to do so minimizes | | | | 5. Email marketing is easy. |
| the risk of being labeled a "spammer". Using myself | | | | The Web-based email marketing products available to |
| as an example, I have mailed thousands of emails to | | | | small businesses are easy to use. The services |
| my clients, and prospective clients, and have not had | | | | available through Constant Contact and aWeber, as |
| one spam complaint. | | | | well as others, include professional HTML templates, |
| Following is a list of five reasons you must start email | | | | list segmentation and targeting capabilities, as well as |
| marketing now! | | | | automatic tracking and reporting of your email |
| 1. Email marketing is inexpensive. | | | | campaign effectiveness, such as for open rates, |
| Email marketing is an affordable way to stretch a | | | | bounces, and spam reports. |
| tight marketing budget. Unlike direct mail, there is | | | | If you're not a "techie", have no fear. You don't need |
| virtually no production, materials or postage expense. | | | | a Webmaster or technical person on staff to handle |
| Email marketing can cost as little as fractions of a | | | | the development and distribution of your email |
| penny per email. | | | | campaigns. |
| The expenses involved in email marketing involve | | | | Email marketing works because it allows precise |
| having a hosted website with email capacity. You | | | | targeting of your marketing message, it builds loyalty |
| may also want to consider subscribing to a list | | | | and trust with your customers, it is inexpensive, and |
| management service, such as Constant Contact or | | | | best of all, it drives sales. Include email marketing in |
| aWeber, to help manage your email campaigns. The | | | | your arsenal of marketing tools! |
| fees for this service range from about $15 to $20 | | | | Copyright 2008, Bonita L. |