A Plain English Guide to Internet Marketing 

Email Marketing…Really?

Yes, really.  Believe it or not, Email marketing is an easy and cheap way to build two way relationships.

The trick is not to over do it.  We’ve all had the experience of signing up for someone’s email list only to be bombarded with 4 or 5 emails a day.  What happens?  We unsubscribe…in a hurry. 

So…How Does This Work?

Well, the first thing you should do is consider getting an email service to do this for you.  The are several out there, but the two biggest are Mail Chimp and Constant Contact.  Both have distinct advantages and both have plans that have free trials.  After the free trial periods, both have very reasonably priced plans, depending on what features you want. 

The major benefits of using a service are:

  • Guaranteed compliance with the CAN-Spam act.  This is a biggy.  The CAN-Spam act controls all commercial email.  Violations can cost you money. 
  • Your emails are professional looking 
  • You will benefit from the best practices in the industry 
  • It gives people a way to unsubscribe (required)
  • You will get better delivery rates. 
  • Your service can track the results
  • Your cost is low. 

What’s Next?

Next you have to build your list for your Email marketing campaign.  This is not as hard as it sounds. 

You can start with the names you all ready have.  If you don’t have a list of current prospects or customers, start with the names in your personal contact list. 

You can add a “Join My Mailing List” box to your website. 

You can add a link to your Email signature

When you respond to an inbound Email, you can ask them to join your mailing list. 

You can also buy mailing lists, but this typically does not produce quick results.  Remember, building a list takes time.  You want to make sure the people on your list want to be there. 

What do I Talk About in an Email Marketing Campaign?

OK,  This is going to take some work.  You need a plan. This is not just one Email.  It’s a series, and you will need an outline.  Then you need to decide how often you are going to Email customers.  This is important.  Too many and they’ll unsubscribe.  Too few, and they won’t remember who you are. 

Remember, it’s not about you.  It’s about your customer.  Close your eyes.  Imagine your ideal customer.  You are going to talk directly to them.  Here is what you can talk about:

  • The top five questions you get from your customers and prospects (one per Email)
  • Something you have read about your customers and prospects would like to hear 
  • Problems you foresee your customers having in the next year and how you can solve them.
  • Information they need in order to make a decision. 
  • Share your expertise.  Use facts and testimonials to give guidance and directions. 
  • You can run contests and do give-aways

Your Emails should also be short.  Cover one topic and that’s it.  Multi-page Emails get deleted. 

How Do I Get Feedback?

Here’s where an Email Service really proves it’s worth.  

First, they can run surveys for you.  This is an ideal way to find out what your customers and prospects want you to talk about.

Next they can provide tracking information such as:

  • What content information is working and what isn’t 
  • What Emails bounced (undeliverable) and why. 
  • Who opted out and why
  • Who reported you as spam
  • Who clicked on links in the Email. 
  • Who forwarded your Email. 

Is All This Worth It?

You betcha!  Using Email Marketing as a solution to getting your message out there can be very rewarding.  As you build your list over time, you can potentially reach thousands of people interested in your products or services.  

I realize creating copy long term can be a daunting task.  If you would like some help, just go to my Services Page  and look for the email section.  

Questions? Contact Me

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