There was a time that you could put up your offer for a free Newsletter and you could be guaranteed nice opt in rate. Now a days it takes a little more than a post that reads “Sign up for my free newsletter.”
It makes you wonder if E-mail marketing is dead?
A related aspect of online marketing that can be as annoying as it can be effective is targeted e-mail campaigns. Improper use of this avenue has lead to the use of so-called “junk” e-mail filters and huge campaigns against vendors and sites that knowingly send out millions of e-mails to any e-mail address they can harvest.
Junk e-mail is typically sent without regard to whether or not the person in question is a potential customer or not. Returns of less then 1% on these campaigns are common, and still considered a “success” because the costs are so low that any return seems worthwhile.
So is it worth my while to consider this strategy? While e-mail is one of the most abused forms of advertising on the Internet, it can be a great way to start a marketing campaign. Use it carefully and correctly, especially with customer acceptance and true manned “removal” systems.
So what is the key to successful e-mail campaigns?
The key to successful e-mail campaigns is to target people who would actually want to hear from you about your product, and then to personalize your e-mails in such a way that it isn’t apparent you are mass-marketing. One thing you will need to get started is an autoresponder. This will help you automate the process of capturing the prospects name, email and building rapport by sending follow up emails with value added content and hopefully converting them to a client/customer. This is of course after you build trust and demonstrate your expertise. You’re working on the know, like and trust factor throughout this process. Just be sure you act responsibly, or you may find your e-mails going into junk e-mail bins and all your marketing dollars wasted!
If you’re looking for a great autoresponder I recommend Aweber. It’s great to use while getting started. You can click here to learn more and get a 21 day free trial.
Consider adding e-mail marketing to your marketing plan. If you feel a little shakey and want additional support in this area and Online Marketing as a whole, I invite you to join other dynamic entrepreneurs and I for The Online Marketing Breakthrough Boot Camp.
Click here to learn more and secure your enrollment.
Empowering you!
Robin aka The Empowerment Diva
Comments
Thanks for your comment Tamara.
You definitely don't want to add them to your list without their permission. When collecting business cards for instance, let them know that they will receive updates from you and if you're at an event post a little note on the container you're using for the cards and possibly a disclaimer on the registration. Just a thought. You want to protect yourself from spam alerts.