Email marketing is still one of the most effective forms of low-cost Internet marketing. It is one of the most widely-used internet marketing techniques and has an excellent reputation for capturing targeted prospects to your web site.

Using email as an internet marketing technique is virtually free! The only cost that can arise is the cost of an auto responder, some of them are free but I would not recommend them. Other than purchasing an auto responder your email marketing expenses are nil. That is why this internet marketing technique is one of the most viable on the internet.

The key is building a permission based list of email addresses that you can market to. When I refer to market I don’t mean sending them emails everyday asking them to send money. What I do mean is having an email marketing plan that builds a trusting relationship with your list so you can provide high quality and informative information to them.

With the increasing success of niche marketing on the internet email marketing still is an effective internet marketing technique. Niche marketing allows small, home based, entrepreneurs the opportunity to compete against the big boys! Find your niche, build your list, and be on the way to success. I am about to show you a way to drive your email marketing campaign into overdrive and create a never ending supply of cash with one press of a button.

1. Do Not Spam!!!.

Email marketing is not about spamming. It is about providing information to people that have requested you to send it to them. The information you send to them must be valuable to their interests.

2. It Starts with a Powerful Subject Line.

If you can’t get them to open it then your success rate will be zilch. The trust factor comes back into play here. When your name or company name appears in the subject line and you are recognized as sending them quality information your emails are more likely to get opened. Other effective tips to use include: using extra white space creatively, adding text symbols, starting each word with a capital letter, and ask questions. DO NOT make any outlandish or unbelievable claims, that just tends to turn people off and they think you are a scam artist.

3. Use the Power of Information and Your Subscriber’s Own Interests to Make the Sale.

You do not want to come off sounding like you are trying to sell them something. People want information so they can make informed decisions. By giving them information on topics they are interested in they are more likely to purchase from you at some point in time. Be genuine and have their interests at heart, believe me that this type of marketing will pay greater dividends in the long run.

4. Content is the Difference!

The content of the body of your email is critical to your success. Don’t make it too long and keep the fluff out by being concise. Tell them the information, describe the benefits of the product or service and let them decide. When you set up your email marketing campaign, remember that not every email you send has to have a potential sale in it. In fact it is best if it doesn’t because people get tired of being hassled and asked to spend money. Send them emails that include interesting articles about their interests, or simply a link referring them to a web site that they may like. The best way to reach out to your subscribers is to send them useful information. By doing this you will build trust and they will view you as a partner in their success.

Compiling a list of subscribers and sending them quality information is a very effective internet marketing technique. Remember to keep the information simple, the message honest, and build their trust with great content. Follow this easy outline and your email marketing campaign will produce a bountiful harvest.

Email marketing is a proven Internet Marketing Technique [http://www.onlinemarketingreviews.com] and is a great way to enhance your internet marketing efforts. Mark Williams has other terrific tips and Internet Marketing Strategies [http://www.onlinemarketingreviews.com/articles.html] to help your marketing efforts.

Author: Mark Williams
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Online Marketing, especially email marketing, will increase a Small Business’ bottom line more than by traditional means. Beginning an email marketing campaign is the first step towards freeing up company or organizational resources that may be under utilized by other types of marketing such as: direct mail campaigns, print, radio and television advertising. Even if resources are not being dedicated to these types of marketing, small and medium-sized business owners and entrepreneurs will want to embark upon an email campaign – because it’s so cost-effective and the Return on Investment is high if it is done properly.

Traditional Marketing Versus Email Marketing
Let’s face it: marketing of any type can be expensive. ROI is not always guaranteed and it can be hard to measure. For example, the traditional return on investment from direct mail and print advertising is 1-3%. Essentially, if a company invests $100,000 per year in one of these methods, the sales department can expect to bring in $1,000-3,000 per year. This is an enormous cost for marketing that is quickly becoming outmoded and outdated. Is it worth it?

The answer depends upon how much money company stakeholders want to spend in marketing. Today, many companies and organizations are interested in conserving resources and getting more mileage from their marketing investments.

By comparison, an investment in email marketing will yield far better results. The Direct Marketing Association just released an economic impact study on the ROI of email marketing, “Commercial email returned a whopping $43.62 for every dollar spent on it in 2009.” Statistically, Email marketing ROI is outperforming traditional types of marketing.

Segmented Email Marketing Campaigns Yield Better Results
A return on investment can be driven even higher with proper market segmentation and expansion of an email list. Targeted lists tend to bring in more ROI because customers and prospects are either familiar with the brand or are already searching to buy a specific product or service. Chances of closing sales on this type of prospect are much greater — and often involve a commitment of less time and money.

How an Email Campaign Can Help Search Engine Marketing
Email marketing campaigns have additional benefits to a company or organization’s bottom line. Targeted email campaigns can also increase website traffic. The purpose of email marketing is to either inspire a client or prospect to buy (or contact the sales department immediately), or to drive traffic through a website where an individual may become more familiar with the brand. Prospects and customers that visit a website via an email campaign are better informed about products, services and specials and are likely to become return visitors and loyal clients who want to build a relationship with the company or organization.

Three Steps to a Successful Email Marketing Campaign
There are many facets to beginning and continuing a professional email campaign that is effective. First, a company or organizational leader must select the right email service provider, because a large volume of emails cannot usually be sent via most email addresses without being ‘flagged.’ Some examples of email platforms include Vertical Response and Constant Contact. Second, a targeted email list must be compiled and converted into the proper format for the email service provider website or software. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the content for a monthly, bi-monthly or weekly email campaign must be in sync with other marketing strategies, and created and executed on a regular basis.

Online Marketing for Small Business Should Include an Email Campaign
If emails received from any company are to remain ‘in-box worthy’ then the information must be interesting and offer relevant information to the intended audience. Email marketing is similar to other online marketing methods because there must be a steady stream of generation of new, interesting content for it to be a success and generate real ROI. Without proper strategy and execution, an email campaign might just fall flat and not produce the results anticipated.

In the beginning of the Internet’s popularity, when email marketing was in its infancy, not much was known about the ROI of email campaigns. There was very little written about effective Email campaign methodology and measurement of ROI. Now, email marketing has become a type of science, with most Web analytics programs providing accurate measurement of results. Small businesses marketing online benefit greatly by hiring a consultant or expert in email marketing to formulate, execute, and measure the results of Email campaigns.

For more information about email marketing that converts visits to sales, visit http://www.conversionpipeline.com.

About Conversion Pipeline

Conversion Pipeline is a strategic marketing communications company focused on the small business and non-profit sectors. Conversion Pipeline offers a variety of custom-tailored marketing, communications, branding, social media, and revenue generating strategies aimed at elevating brand awareness while increasing the revenue pipeline. For more information please visit http://www.conversionpipeline.com or contact the Pipeline creative team at info@conversionpipeline.com.

Author: Michael Delpierre
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Email marketing is an ever evolving art. It morphs and changes from one hot topic – or “must have” – to the next. Below are twelve current hot topics in email marketing listed in no particular order. Any serious or casual email marketer should know what these are and should use as many as them as he or she can in their email marketing endeavors.

1) Welcome or Welcome Series

Everyone likes to feel welcome when they join a group. This is especially true when someone opts in to your email marketing program. Be sure you make these new subscribers feel welcome. Send an appropriate and timely welcome (and maybe an offer) to newbie’s to your list. Better yet, design a Welcome Series. A Welcome Series is a string of welcome emails that not only says hello to the new subscriber but also can provide them more information about your brand and what you offer.

2) Segmentation Strategy

Careful, well though out, and flawlessly executed email segmentation is crucial to the modern day email marketer. The days of loading and blasting your list are over. Take a look at this post by clicking here to learn more about email segmentation strategy.

3) Testing Plan

Testing is one of the most important actions an email marketer can take. Be sure to test frequently and use the results of your tests. Re-testing is another good habit to get into. Some examples of common email tests are subject lines, personalization vs. no personalization, dynamic content, creative versions, time of day, day of week, various offers, gender, offer code in the subject line, and location just to name a few. The options are endless.

4) Survey Campaigns

Email is not a one way medium. Be sure you “talk” to your subscribers and email recipients. Ask them what they like and dislike about your emails and your organization. Pick their brains on new ideas and solutions to problems. Your subscribers can be your best advocates and your worst critics. Be sure to leverage their opinions and thoughts with an email survey.

5) Anniversary, Birthday and Other Special Campaigns

Everyone likes to be rewarded and recognized. Send your subscribers a special email just for them. This could be an anniversary email thanking them for being on your list for a certain amount of time, a purchase history/thank you email, a happy new year email, or some form of a birthday email or other thank you. Get creative with your special emails for your subscribers.

6) Triggered Campaigns

Every time someone initiates a transaction with your website, be sure to capture this action and respond via a triggered, automatic email when appropriate. This could be sending an email when a subscriber updates his or her preferences, places and order, has an order shipped, asks a question, posts a review, etc. These touch points build brand recognition and loyalty. You can also use these one-off emails to entice more people to join your email list.

7) ReMarketing (Abandoned Cart Campaigns)

One especially important and potentially lucrative triggered campaign is the abandoned cart (a.k.a. ReMarketing) campaign. This is an email sent to someone reminding them to purchase items/processes which have been abandoned – or left – in their online shopping cart. ReMarketing is a great way to nudge potential purchasers into converting.

Social Media Integration

Everyone seems to be tweeting, Facebooking and doing other awkward sounding social media actions. Be sure you include these important social media outlets in your emails. Allow subscribers to rave about how great you are on various social media sites or browse your corporate social media pages. Email marketing must adapt as the marketplace and subscriber preferences change.

9) Personalization and Dynamic Content

Use personalized or specialized imagery, product placement, or text when you can and when appropriate. Instead of saying “Dear Customer” in your message, it is much nicer to use your recipient’s first name – ‘Dear Balthazar” as an example. Also, utilize the data that you have on your subscribers. Some common dynamic content strategies are using different messaging based on the customer type, location, nearest store, browse or purchase behavior, recency, or email interaction.

10) Opt-down

One great way to save a potential unsubscribe is to offer an opt-down option. An-opt down is when your give your subscribers the option of receiving less email instead of them opting-out completely. This is a win-win. You keep the subscriber in your list, and the subscriber only receives the number of emails they request.

Here is an example of the opt-down from Eddie Bauer. This retailer offers one email per week and one email per month opt-down options.

11) Email Change of Address (ECOA)

ECOA is a list maintenance and hygiene process that keeps your email lists up-to-date by identifying incorrect addresses and updating them with accurate ones. Companies like Experian can take your bounced or inactive email lists, run them through their database, and return you updated email addresses for certain subscribers who match in their database. This helps identify past subscribers who have since switched email addresses but have not notified you of the change.

12)Email Append (eAppend)

Email append is a list growth and acquisition process that takes an offline customer’s contact data and appends a valid email address to them. Companies like Experian can take a list of your offline customers, run them through their database, and identify customers with known email addresses to add email to their contact information. This helps grow your email list and reach your known customers through email. Be sure to use a reputable source for the append. You do not want to contaminate your list with bad email addresses.

That’s all twelve of them!

What do you think is the most important must have item for email marketers today? Which is the least important? What else is out there that should be included in this list? Share your thoughts below if you think there’s something else worth mentioning.

Jordan Lane is an Email Marketing expert and is the founder of the site [http://www.EmailMoxie.com/]. EmailMoxie.com provides free Email Marketing Knowledge, Best Practices & Tips. Take a look!

Author: Jordan Lane
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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In our world of mass information, email marketing can be both a challenge and a boon. Despite the new social media age, email marketing is still a quick and cost-effective way to reach out to your target audience. Yet, all too often we see talented professionals with outstanding services to offer- but are not approaching their campaign with critical thought and execution.

Common email Marketing Mistakes

“Memail” Marketing
Sending your customers email newsletters and messages that are only about you or your company is not smart e-mail marketing. We have nicknamed this unhealthy marketing practice: “Memail” Marketing. Memail Marketing is selfish and will alienate your subscribers. They will become annoyed, see no value, unsubscribe and have a negative reaction to your brand.

And worse, if you subscribe people to your email lists without their specific permission and send them a “Memail”, this is a serious danger to your company and others! The bottom line: If your email is more about you then it is about your customers, then your marketing execution is not helpful to you or to your readers.

Lack of Strategy
Think critically about your use of email as a marketing tool. Define who you are targeting. What information can you include in your message that would be of value? Where is the call to action (why should your customer open this)? It is ok to talk about your company as long as it is helpful, relevant and educational. The goal here is to create an email marketing campaign that will:

o Serve your customers
o Support your sales message
o Sell from a place of education and value

Neglecting the Core Foundation of your email Marketing
Loren McDonald, Vice President of Industry Relations at SilverPop.com, says in his article Email Mistake No. 10: Lack of Personality, Positioning and Proposition:

“One of the biggest mistakes I see with company email programs is the lack of differentiation, personality and a clear value proposition. I call these the “Three Ps” that form a core foundation of your email program:

-Proposition (Value): What value does your email program provide for your customers/subscribers?

-Positioning: How does it differ from your competitors?

-Personality: What kind of image and tone do your email s convey? “

Tips to Building a Successful Email Marketing Campaign

Try these practical healthy marketing tips to guide your email marketing execution so it is on purpose and offers relevant value and you will win big with Web marketing.

Be Authentic and Relate to your audience.
Whether you’re a famous defense attorney, a respected marketing expert, or a shop owner, you HAVE something valuable to offer to your audience. Show that you can relate to your audience’s problems by understanding their perspective. Empathy + Personality = Good email!

Use Your Name or Company Name In the “From Line”
People are more likely to open emails from people/organizations/companies that they recognize. (Example: From: Web Marketing Therapy). Make it very clear who this email is coming from and you will get a higher opening rate.

Be Concise in Your Subject Line
You only have a few short seconds to grab your audience’s attention. Make sure your subject line is concise, to-the-point. Avoid the use of excess punctuation (Example: Read This!!!!!!) Avoid placing overused marketing words like “FREE” as your first word (Example: FREE download). Instead, draw your audience to open your email with something they can relate to (Example: Learn How to Blog at Our Free Workshop).

To not BE spam, you have to NOT spam.
Receiving a business card from someone you just met does NOT mean that you can add their name and email to your newsletter list unless they specifically agreed to it. This is about respect-if you simply assume people will want to receive your newsletters you will run the risk of being intrusive. People who did not agree to be part of any email list may feel less respected by you if they are automatically added onto your list-this in consequence, could mean they will respect YOU less.

Think BEYOND the “Box”.
Don’t stick to any prescribed “box” of marketing. Have fun with your emails, make them interesting and engaging-the result could be more subscribers forwarding them to their contacts. If you make your content interesting and fresh, your audience will be more likely to look forward to your next email.

Make Sharing Easy.
Insert social media widgets, forward widgets, and share widgets so that your recipient can very easily share your email s with friends. See if your email newsletter service can insert social media sharing widgets such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn directly into your templates. Have a call to action that is clear and easy to do!

Lorrie Thomas, M.A., is a marketing educator, writer, strategist, web marketing expert and speaker. She is the founder of Web Marketing Therapy, a smart, fun, full-service marketing agency and a recession-friendly self-help online marketing educational resource. Her “wild web woman” team serves small businesses, entrepreneurs and marketers. Their work ensures marketing treats the cause (vs band-aiding symptoms) so all marketing pieces click. She teaches Web Marketing Applications, Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Marketing Applications classes at UCSB Extension and UC Berkeley Extension. Ms. Thomas was on the founding team at ValueClick Media. She speaks nationally on a number of marketing-related topics and caters her presentations to the business, niche, skill sets and professional concerns of her attendees. She writes for several online publications including http://www.wilsonweb.com/. She is has been interviewed by the eCommerce Times, DM News and Tech News World and quoted frequently as a nationally recognized marketing expert http://www.webmarketingtherapy.com/news/

Author: Lorrie Thomas
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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