Resources: Email Marketing 101

What Email Marketing Is

Email marketing is interaction, speed, depth, and communication. No other medium has the power of allowing businesses to communicate with existing and potential customers like email. It has the ability to produce interaction with people in all facets of life from business to school to home. It enables messages to be sent business to business, consumer to business, and so on. Thus, email produces a quick pathway of feedback in helping marketers translate data into measurable and meaningful information. Lastly, soon a day will come when people will not ask, do you have an email address? But rather, which email address should I send it to?

What Email Marketing Is Not

In the beginning, it was common for businesses to send unsolicited commercial email, known as spam. Thousands of lists were created from unsuspecting individuals at Internet newsgroups and sold for profit.

Unfortunately, spam is like anything else -- 98% of people use it wisely and generally have good intentions. It is the two percent that see it as pathway of gold and use it unyielding. Spam isn't going away anytime soon because many still feel that people want to be sent information even though they do not ask for it. Although, if your ultimate goal is to be a legitimate and credible business, it will serve your best interest to avoid it.

Implementing Email Marketing Strategies
Permission Marketing

It is possible to send unsolicited emails without causing irritation or objections. It can be carefully done through using opt-in email marketing.

There are many direct marketing groups that specialize in sending email solicitations to people who showed interest in a particular subject or service. Generally expect to pay between 20 to 30 cents per name. Also, most companies require a minimum order of names.

Email Follow-Up

One of the best ways you can solidify a business relationship is sending a thank you letter or additional information to a customer who made a purchase or requested information. The difference in effectiveness between in-house lists and outsource lists is non-comparable. Experts say that people who have already shown an interest in a particular area are more likely to appreciate periodic follow-up material. Unlike bought lists, the messages sent to people may cause little action for the money you spent. For example, a customer at one time may like a particular gadget, but at any time lose interest. Thus any email or message sent to them will be non-effective, or even worse cause irritation.

When sending follow-up or information emails, it will help you to follow these simple rules:

Subject Line

Subject lines are extremely important because they are the gatekeepers of the message you are sending. The goal of your subject line is to compel your audience to take action and open it. It isn't worth it to deceive your customers. Every customer -- even current customers -- should be treated like they are potential customers. The key is to be simple and give your "potential" customers reason to click and read your message.

Punctuation

Your content should be polished and provide the exact information your customers want. This isn't a time to attract negative attention to your business. Just like the old saying, no news is good news. If people respond to your emails because of poor punctuation, you would have fared better not to even send it.

Keep It Simple

Present your offer or news in a way that your audience can easily understand the message. Also, always include your contact information.

Measurability

If you stay disciplined and consistent with your emails, you will be able to track your lead generation and, more importantly, your conversion rates.

Rich Media Emails

Rich media emails include audio, video, or animation features. The greatest benefit of utilizing this technology is increased interactivity between advertisers and the audience. Also, it increases the ability to extend the marketing message. According to Brady Brewer with Avenue.com, rich media is "more likely to have pass-along value, thereby extending the reach of the marketer's message."

Although many statistics show the effectiveness of this medium, with its seven percent click-through ratio, it is still in its infancy because of the cost. According to Jupiter Communications the per-customer acquisition cost of marketers when using rich media email ranges from $70 to $100.

However, costs for implementing rich media fluctuate depending on the company's goals. Furthermore, cost is decreasing on the whole. The media type and the complexity of the message being represented will affect the bulk of fees. The main thing to keep in mind is that the creative content needs to be valuable to the user and reflect the quality of the brand.

Consistent Overall Message

One of the most effective pathways to a successful email marketing campaign is to be consistent among all your media messages. According to Jupiter's research, businesses can increase the value of their email marketing to consumers by integration across media channels and data. They also advised that companies maintain consistency across all media. The tone and message of the email should be parallel with the look and feel of print, banner and broadcast campaigns. A survey by Jupiter showed that 49 percent of online consumers surveyed said that if they had seen an ad or commercial for the company or product recently, they were more likely to respond to an email marketing message.

Editorial

There are numerous reasons why it is effective to use e-marketing strategies through email. First of all, not only do you have an opportunity to promote specific products and services, but it's also important to expand non-commerce communications as well.

Secondly, as customers fill out forms, purchase items, or make information requests, they should be instantly acknowledged with a "thank you."

Thirdly, all communication -- including in your email marketing campaign -- should represent your company as an expert and a leader in the industry. Rick Bruno, vice president of IMT Strategies' interactive marketing strategies group said, "Compared to click-through rates on banners, which are still clustered under two percent, email click-through rates show a wide variance of effectiveness based on best practices.

Develop and maintain your email marketing advantage by communicating with your "potential" customers. Engage your audience with creativity and focus on their needs. As you mold your objectives, maintain a consistent message, and track your efforts, you will attain high levels of success built on the cemented foundations of customer relations.