subject: How to Use Email Marketing [print this page] How to Use Email Marketing How to Use Email Marketing
Email marketing is a marketing strategy that uses e-mails as the medium to provide communication between your company and your target audience. Simply stated, email marketing is a very cost-effective way for your marketing team to contact either current or potential clients or customers in order to solicit their business.Like most things, though, email marketing has its pros and its cons.On the bright side, e-mail marketing is a lot more affordable than either direct mail marketing or telemarketing. Essentially all that you will need is a means of delivering your emails.Because of laws against spamming people, the safest thing that you can do is to send your emails out through an email marketing company. These companies are helpful and will provide other services as well. And, because the email companies keep on top of email marketing, a higher percentage of your emails will get through to your intended recipients.In addition, when you use their email marketing software these companies will track the emails that have been opened. They will also track which parties respond to each specific email.One of the beauties of this type of marketing is that you can schedule emails to be sent even weeks in advance. And the delivery time takes only seconds.One of the drawbacks of using emails is that some companies find that the percentage of people that respond to emails is less than the percentage that respond to either direct mail marketing or telemarketing campaigns. However, because of its cost, email marketing is something you should definitely consider.Where Do You Get Your Email Marketing List of People to Send Emails To?There are a number of ways to get the emails of people you will market to. One way is to make sure that you get all of your customers' email addresses when they buy something from you. Another way is to offer to give people something of value in exchange for their emails.If you have a website then you can trade some valuable digital information in exchange for people opting-in to your email list. If you have a brick and mortar establishment, such as a restaurant, you could have a signup sheet near your cash register. Just offer something worthwhile in exchange for people's emails. You may want to offer a 10% discount on their dining, or 50% off their next meal, etc.Another much easier and more efficient method would be to rent an email marketing list from a list broker. Email marketing lists are highly targeted lists of people who fit your specific criteria. Your criteria could include people in a certain geographic area, people who have bought a product similar to yours, people in specific age group, people who earn a certain amount of money, etc.The marketing list that you rent or purchase can include, among other things, the name, phone number, and physical address.When renting or purchasing email marketing lists it is important to work with well established companies that can ensure that the files they provide are 100% Can Spam compliant. When you send emails you must comply with the email marketing regulations.
