Unlike
spam, most customers use their own list of e-mail addressesthat
they've been collecting. Don't have an existing e-mail list? Forthose
that use this powerful system for prospecting, there are many
resources available to us to obtain "opt-in, permission
based" e- mails. These are commercially available e-mail
lists that are comprised of businesses and consumers who have
grantedpermission to receive unsolicited e-mail.
Whether
you offer a product or service, there is no better time thannow to give email marketing a try. eMail Manager™
helps you findmore customers and keep existing relationships
strong.
And,
it's easy, effective and surprisingly affordable. Get started
today and see what email marketing can do for your business.
Why
Email Marketing? Five Great Reasons.
Email
marketing is one of the most powerful marketing tools available
to businesses of all types and sizes. No matter how you define
success, you can achieve outstanding results with email marketing
while investing only a small amount of time and an even smaller
amount of money.
"I
think over time we'll see small businesses adopting e-mail marketing
because it has the inherent advantages of being 'faster, cheaper
and easier' to execute. Coupled with the potential to target more
precisely than today's solo or shared mailers, there's a real
win for the small business owner," said Neal Polachek, senior
vice president of The Kelsey Group.
So,
Why Email Marketing?
1.
It's Inexpensive
Email
marketing is an affordable way to stretch a tight marketing budget
- and whose isn't these days? Unlike direct mail, there is virtually
no production, material or postage expense. Email marketing is
20 times more cost effective than direct mail, and can cost as
little as fractions of a penny per email.
"Previously,
we were sending these kinds of mailings through first-class postal
mail," said Robin Parker, owner of Studio: Dance, Arts &
More. " With several hundred members and prospects, that
really adds up quickly. Email marketing is much less expensive
than sending out postcards or flyers. We save about $4,000 just
in materials and postage."
2. It's Effective
Email
marketing enables you to proactively communicate with your existing
customers and prospects instead of passively waiting for them
to return to your Web site or storefront. It is a highly effective
way to increase sales, drive site or store traffic and develop
loyalty.
Increasing
sales
"In
response to our first campaign, WatchZone received 100 online
orders - all from a segment of 15,000 current customers,"
said Shavi Mahtani, CEO of WatchZone.com, a leading site for fashion
and sport watches at discount prices. "The average sale was
about $150 per order. We were very happy with that result. Frankly,
it exceeded our expectations."
Driving
Traffic
"The
increase in traffic was substantial," said Travis Erickson,
controller for GolfBargains.com, online "Pro Shop" for
golf enthusiasts. "We've noticed that even if the recipient
isn't interested in, say, our golfing irons promotion, they'll
think, 'Wow, that's a great price - I wonder what else they have
on sale?'"
Building
Loyalty
"We're
technically not an e-business," said Robin Parker, owner
of Studio: Dance, Arts & More, "but we're using email
marketing to capture the names of site visitors so that we can
provide them with information, news, and schedules that make their
lives easier. That helps us build and retain loyal members. We
believe email marketing will increase the lifetime value of our
members by encouraging more frequent visits to the studio and
strengthening our relationships with our members."
3.
It's Immediate
Email
marketing generates an immediate response. The call to action
is clear: "Click here to take advantage of this offer",
or "to learn more about this service". Initial campaign
response generally occurs within 48 hours of the time the email
campaign is sent.
"Orders
pour in within 24 hours after I send my newsletters," said
Emitations.com CEO, Au-Co Mai. "In an economy where most
companies are suffering, I can't believe that I'm actually thriving
and breaking revenue goals every month."
4.
It's Targeted
You
can easily segment your lists using a variety of criteria or interest
groups so that your promotions go to the individuals most likely
to respond to your offer.
"Because
many of our customers are collectors, they are only interested
in hearing about the newest collectible arrivals," said Lars
Mohlin, President, House of Ascot, a mail order gift and collectible
business. "While others are looking for promotions, the collectors
often dislike receiving mail messages offering discounts. We target
email campaigns to our subscribers' opt-in interest categories,
this has resulted in a 40%-50% jump in revenue."
5. It's Easy
eMail
Manager™ provides marketing products for small
and medium businesses. It includes professional HTML/Text differentiation,
list segmentation and targeting capabilities, as well as, automatic
tracking and reporting. So, you are free to concentrate on your
unique message.
"This
is definitely something a non-techie can do," said Shavi
Mahtani, CEO of WatchZone.com. "It took us about 45 minutes
- start to finish - to build and compose our e-mail. And each
campaign since then has taken less time to set up."
What
to send?
Think
about what you would say to your customers if they were standing
right in front of you in your office, at the register, or if a
customer called you on the phone and asked "what's new?"
There
is no better time than the present for you to show your hand.
This issue of hints and tips 'ups the ante' with suggestions to
get you started.
Email
Newsletters
Use
an email newsletter to keep in touch with your customers on a
regular and scheduled basis. Your newsletter can include articles
on topics of interest to your readers, relevant news, case studies,
your own commentary on the issues of your industry, useful information
about your products or services, or - my personal favorite - hints
and tips.
A
newsletter can help you:
Email
marketing is the easiest, most cost effective and immediate way
to reach out to your customers on a regular basis.