If you are an internet marketing specialist who is considering adding email marketing to your online marketing strategy, then listen up. There are things that you need to understand about how to go about email marketing, and things that must be avoided. If you are used to using direct mail marketing techniques, you do not necessarily have to give these up, there is still a place for direct mail marketing when it comes to promoting your products and services. But, you do need to handle your email marketing and your direct mail marketing campaigns differently if you want to go the distance with your marketing plan.
Home based business opportunity seekers have long found that email marketing lists can be a very successful way to do business, and are often not only more effective than direct mailings, but less expensive. This makes email marketing very attractive to any company with a low budget for their marketing. But, there are certain guidelines that should always apply, since it is not exactly the same to use email as it is to use direct mail.
Consider the “Tone” of the Message
Direct mailings can be, well, very direct. They can have a very strong call to action and make demands. Direct mailings appear in the mailboxes of recipients, and you really do not need to have any permission to send them. You can target specific neighborhoods, or you can buy and rent address lists, or just use the phone book. Most people are very accustomed to receiving these kinds of offers every day in their mailbox, and most of them will leave them on the kitchen countertop and deal with them when they have a few spare minutes to go through things. Junk mail and bulk mail may be a small annoyance, but most people aren’t terribly upset by this marketing practice. You do not even have to know a person’s name to send them mail, you always have the option of using just an impersonal “Dear Resident” address or greeting.
On the other hand, if you think that you can just send out bulk emails without permission, you have another thing coming. This is a practice that makes many recipients feel violated, and it feels intrusive when your email inbox is overflowing with offers you didn’t ask for. For email marketing lists, you truly must have permission, explicit permission, to contact the recipient and you really need to tread lightly. Personal addresses are, in fact, personal. You should address the recipient by name whenever possible. And, try to avoid being too pushy or too “salesy” with your message. People tire of having to “act now” or get “today only” types of messages. Every time you use this language with your email marketing list, you increase your risk of being sent straight to trash—or spam! Consider using a more low key approach when developing your email marketing campaign, a respectful and personal touch will go a long way toward keeping your email marketing list fresh and robust.
Consider the Wording of the Message
The words that you choose for your email marketing campaign are very important. Because you will probably use fewer words in your message, they all have to matter. Remember, “free,” “super deal” and “fantastic,” or words along these lines, are highly overused, and therefore, pretty ineffective at selling anything. Instead, keep things simple by making your offer, making it clear and making it personable. Forget about the super strong sales pitch, it will not help you nearly as much when it comes to email marketing. Save the sales pitch for when you really get a customer close to making a purchase and they need convincing. Use your email marketing list to share information and develop a connection with the leads on your marketing list.
When it comes to your subject line, it is very important that you do not misrepresent anything that you will be including in your message once the recipient opens it. Do not make empty promises, or use any kind of deceptive wording, this will come back to haunt you quickly. People do not like to be fooled into opening something. Direct mail has a little more wiggle room in this area, as people seem to mind less when something arrives in their mailbox unexpectedly. But the email inbox is an entirely different thing to most people, and is more private and personal. Be respectful and careful about what language you choose to use.
Finally, when it comes to the wording, keep it short. Direct mailing marketing techniques allow for you to use longer messages, but email messages should be kept short and sweet. The recipient will seek out more information if they like what they see right away, so focus on the condensed, but effective, personal message to the recipients on your email marketing list.
Always Disclose Full Contact Information
Any time that you communicate with the members of your email marketing list, make sure that you are including not only a link to your website, but full contact information for a person who can take responsibility for the message. This is very important for any time when a potential customer has a question, you might just get a sale because you are available.
If a potential customer cannot contact you, they will move on to another offer. You may only have one chance at them, in many cases, so make it count. In the end, it is most important that you are able to be reached, and appear to be a real person when you are using an email marketing list. Unfortunately, the amount of spam that every person receives is outrageous, and you do not ever want to fall into this category, so tread lightly as you proceed with your efforts in the email marketing world. Here’s to your success with this wonderful marketing method for home based business opportunity seekers to make money online!