According to the Direct Marketing Association email marketing generates $43.62 for every dollar spent on it That is an absolutely stunning rate of return and virtually unparalleled in any other marketing option open to you.
Take the plunge into email marketing and discover how easy and profitable it really can be!
1. Choose a Web-based provider
In the early days of the web, it was enough to randomly harvest a few thousand email addresses, feed them through a mail program and start reaping the benefits. That approach is no longer applicable: it can cause serious legal problems and is likely to get your ISP account dropped
The major email service providers have the capability of reaching inboxes through permission based email marketing with an efficiency you would be hard pressed to achieve in any other fashion. They also enable you to study every aspect of your email campaign through their extensive email tracking and reporting; set up comprehensive surveys; enjoy extensive email list management tools; and receive guidance from experienced professionals.
2. Start gathering email addresses
Relevance is the most important factor in garnering your opt in subscribers. Is there really any point pitching your SEO services to Facebook Grannies?
Similarly, your prospects should already have a predisposition towards your product or service in order to be legitimate targeted leads. Every face to face opportunity at trade shows or other events should be used to collect business cards and email addresses. Every aspect of your online presence should be keyed to your subscription page, from your landing page on down to the signature on your own emails.
List building or pay per lead systems can be effective, but make sure that the prospects are tightly targeted for your specific SEO niche or risk wasting your money.
3. Choose a template
Theres no point trying to reinvent the wheel when your email service provider can supply a large number of attractive and fully customizable email templates.
Whether youre launching a newsletter; sending out invites; running a poll or survey; or simply promoting your SEO services, youll find that templates allow easy drag and drop composition which allow you to add your own content, images, links, video and much more quickly and easily.
4. Plan out your topics & send schedule
Like every other aspect of successful sales, your email campaign should not be haphazard and shotgunned.
Work out a longer term schedule of topics. It works wonders for your conversions, especially if they are keyed in to fixed time events such as the seasons, specific product launches, Black Friday, expos, and other occurrences which are relevant to your audience.
5. Send an email campaign and track your results
Tracking every possible aspect of any email campaign has been refined to a high art by the major email service providers, and you can benefit by carefully reviewing the metrics of your email marketing such as opens and click-throughs.
Every email marketer learns from each and every email send, so you will soon be an expert in interpreting the statistical figures and fine tuning your next campaign to be even more effective.
About the Author: Francis Santos
