E-Mail Marketing
With proper education and the support of a well-rounded internet marketing agenda,
an e-mail marketing strategy can be cost-effective and a high-response-rate tool
for developing relationships with receptive audiences. E-mail marketing allows a
web experience to transform from passive to interactive through means of establishing
consistent communication with the customer by informing them of promotional events,
special offers, and marketing campaigns, and from newsletters, surveys, and sweepstakes.
E-mail marketing should not replace a business's overall marketing program. However,
there are two aspects of this particular media of marketing that provide great appeal:
it is virtually free and provides immediate response. There are no printing or postage
costs. The expense is creating the message, a low sacrifice relative to projected
rate-of-return. Response time is generally less than 72 hours, according to when
it was received and whether or not there was a reply.
Permission-based, or opt-in, e-mail marketing separates itself from other illegitimate
e-mail tactics, such as spamming or e-mail blasts, by targeting people who have
willingly offered e-mail addresses in relation to the business through previous
association. Equally important to an ethical web-based relationship is the ability
for the receiver to opt-out when desired. If the foundation of an e-mail
marketing campaign is based upon these principles, then potential to develop loyal
relationships and repeat business is significantly gained.
Permission-based email marketing can be broken down into the following process:
- Email Lead Capture
- Database Profiling
- Effective Message
The pre-requisite to executing a successful e-mail marketing program is an evolving
and continual collection of e-mail addresses. Collecting e-mail addresses and centralizing
them into a proper database will allow for businesses to target relevant information
to the appropriate set of people.
There are several ways of collecting e-mail addresses. Permission-based e-mail marketing
directs communication by way of e-mail messages to people with previous, current,
or associated contact with a particular business. One great method of e-mail collection
is on a web site. This is an easy way of providing an interactive online experience
and getting e-mail addresses from potential or current customers expressing interest
in a company's products/services-especially if there is reason or value attached
to the e-mail address, such as a free gift. Collecting business cards, requesting
e-mail addresses from the customer by phone, or person-to person exchange are just
some of the ways of generating a good e-mail list.
The e-mail lists that are frequently bought and sold online are usually not practical;
they do not target people who are interested in the product or service and are often
outside of the target area. Cheap, easily attained lists that are the driving force
of e-mail blasts will often cause banning. Quality lists are available, but are
rarely affordable to a small business.
A company's e-mail list should continuously grow and be maintained. Contacts should
be profiled within the context of their association, status with the business, expressed
interests, occupation, and so forth in accordance to business objectives. Is the
contact a prospect or a customer? Are they a decision maker within a company? A
good customer relations software program, such as Microsoft CRM, is an excellent
tool for managing and organizing e-mail contacts.
Once a database of e-mail addresses is established, a message can be created. An
e-mail message should link to a web page providing the real pitch and carry a sense
of urgency.
Other requirements of an effective message are:
- It must have value to the reader
- It must be relevant to the contact's interests
- It should have clear intent with a well-thought out purpose
- It must not promise something it can't deliver
The best way to determine the effectiveness of an e-mail message is to test
market. Testing two different messages against a split group of contacts
and measuring the response generates insightful statistics that lend to a more successful
e-mail marketing campaign. For example, a message can be tested with or without
graphics to determine which is more productive. A web analytics program or e-mail
database program capable of splitting lists and measuring response is necessary
to achieve this purpose.