Email Marketing strategies in tough times

Bulk Email marketing is proving to be just the meanscustomers account for over 50% of a company's
for smart businesses looking for innovative guerillaannual sales, they are also higher value customers
strategies to keep themselves ahead of the gamehappy to pay premium rates of around 30% to 50%
during the economic downturn. SME's feeling the pinchmore per transaction. For this reason a CRM program
are looking for ways to cut marketing budgetsis crucial and regular communication via new media
without compromising results. It's now moretechniques such as email is a key player in helping
important than ever for businesses to improvemaintain communication. However, of course no one
efficiency, reduce waste and produce targetedwants to be bombarded with endless email marketing
responsive email marketing campaigns.campaigns but a friendly personalized offer or
1. Direct Response Advertisingpromotion at just the right time will do no harm to
For businesses feeling the pinch return on investmentyour relationship and could provide just the push you
is the key for ensuring profitability. It's now moreneed to increase sales.
important than ever to ensure advertising produces3. Viral Marketing
results and costly advertising campaigns may beViral marketing includes any strategy that encourages
great for raising brand awareness but are not alwaysindividuals to pass on marketing messages to others
the best option for businesses looking for quick salesand with virtually the entire US population having
and ROI. Targeted bulk email campaigns to qualifiedaccess to an email address, it's little wonder that bulk
databases coupled with a strong call to action canemail marketing along with the web is a key viral
prove powerful in reaching impulse buyers at just themarketing channel. With people looking for bargains,
right time to entice a purchase. Statistics provided byemail marketing is proving more powerful than ever.
the eMarketing Association (EMA) found thatEmails are the ideal viral marketing tool capable of
response rates for email marketing are 4 times higherreaching much further than initial recipients alone.
than other direct marketing mediums such as DirectGood offers and promotions are often shared
mail and at only a few cents an email message andamongst friends eager to spread the word of a good
no production costs a simple email message equatesbargain.
to a fraction of the cost.If businesses send out tempting offers and
2. Customer Retention Marketingpromotions then it's only human nature that people
Anyone with a qualification in marketing will knowwill want to share them and it couldn't be any easier
that long term clients are the most profitable. It'sor convenient to pass on a good tip to a friend than
now more crucial than ever to ensure thatvia a quick email forward. Also, people genuinely like
businesses retain the customers they already have.receiving email from friends, with a whopping 94% of
Keeping customers will not only save businessesemail being opened and read which offers great
money but will make them money. According to aopportunities for marketers.
report by The Logic Group, loyal long standing