| You have a website and now you want to create an | | | | customer. |
| email marketing campaign. Since you're just starting | | | | What do you do with the email addresses you |
| out, you probably don't have many subscribers - | | | | collect? |
| under these circumstances you can easily take care | | | | You've been working hard and now you have several |
| of this marketing aspect yourself. As your subscriber | | | | or more subscribers. You've saved their emails so |
| list grows, you will eventually need an email marketing | | | | you wouldn't lose them. Now what? Well, you do the |
| service. Along with the collection and storage of your | | | | same thing an email marketing service would do; you |
| subscribers' information, they provide a number of | | | | create a spreadsheet or database to store the |
| other useful tools that you will want to take | | | | information. I prefer a spreadsheet. |
| advantage of. But, for now, save your money and | | | | This is pretty straight forward and simple. There are |
| do it yourself. | | | | a number of spreadsheets available or packaged with |
| The basics to getting subscribers, specifically their | | | | your word processing software. I use Excel, but I've |
| email addresses: | | | | also used a number of others in the past. They are all |
| 1. Most websites offer some type of contact form; | | | | basically the same. |
| install it on your site and check it to make sure it's | | | | If you're unfamiliar with spreadsheets you can |
| working properly. | | | | purchase a book on the subject or see if your local |
| 2. Write helpful articles in your area of expertise and | | | | library has one. You can also search online to see if |
| submit them to ezines. This will lead visitors/readers | | | | there is any free information available. |
| back to your site. | | | | You may be wondering why you can't just create a |
| 3. Make sure you keep your blog active by posting | | | | word text file to store your precious subscriber |
| to it at least once a week. | | | | information - you actually can. The reason it's not |
| 4. With the articles you publish on ezines and | | | | advisable is because using a spreadsheet allows you |
| interesting and informative blog posts, the visitors to | | | | to easily move things around, create new rows or |
| your site will certainly want to sign up for your | | | | columns, sort, and so much more. Until you have so |
| newsletters or informational emails. They won't want | | | | many subscribers that it pays to use an email |
| to miss out on anything. | | | | marketing service, using a spreadsheet will make your |
| 5. When the visitor fills in the contact form and clicks | | | | life a little easier. |
| 'send' you have an email address and potential | | | | You've done it! You've created a spreadsheet! |