| Email marketing is among one of the most effective | | | | as cliched as it's become, time really is money and if |
| tools in the online marketing arsenal but unless they're | | | | your messages aren't having any benefit, then there's |
| properly managed, email marketing campaigns can be | | | | no point in wasting either sending them out. |
| so much wasted effort. They can even be pretty | | | | Two things come in handy here. The first is a data |
| counterproductive if not done carefully. | | | | collection - or "analytics" - package for managing your |
| One fundamental aspect of an email marketing | | | | email marketing. This software can track just how |
| campaign that needs to be carefully managed is | | | | effective your campaign is, providing a wealth of |
| making sure that your emails only go to the people it's | | | | research data that you can use to see if you're having |
| supposed to. Which means it only goes to the people | | | | any sort of impact with your campaign. It can track |
| who want it - who've given their consent to receive | | | | which links in your emails get the highest click-through |
| your messages at some point or another. | | | | rate, which of them result in the highest conversion |
| Unsolicited email marketing is known as "Spam" and it's | | | | rate (clicking through then purchasing for example), |
| one of the most irritating things about the internet. Even | | | | how long people spend reading your messages on |
| if you're not selling products as questionable as penile | | | | average before leaving the message, how many don't |
| enhancements/extensions, health supplements or | | | | get read at all by choice - and crucially how many |
| prescription pharmaceuticals, if they didn't say they | | | | don't get read at all because users never see them. |
| were happy to get your emails then you'll still be | | | | Here's where the second thing comes in. |
| regarded as "spam" by the user. They probably won't | | | | Most email providers - and most users too - have |
| bother to read your mail before deleting it - and the | | | | some sort of spam filter to screen out the most |
| next time they come across your brand, their opinion | | | | annoying, repeat "junk mail" messages automatically. |
| will probably be less than improved by your attempt. | | | | Before the user even sees it. If you're not careful - if |
| So, you need to have a clear database of | | | | you use certain phrases that are identified by the |
| "subscribers" for your marketing campaign. By | | | | programmes as likely spam phrases ("Make $$$ in |
| extension, you also need to make sure that you have | | | | your spare time", or "prescription drugs"...) then they |
| an easy method for these people to "unsubscribe" | | | | could be screened. Computers rarely understand |
| from your campaign. In fact this is to some extent | | | | context. |
| legally required (at the very least by private policy) so | | | | Other flags can be raised by the way you send out |
| it's pretty important. Linking your email marketing | | | | your messages, or by the content you put in them - |
| system to an online form - and providing a link to said | | | | there's a lot of different factors. There has to be or |
| form in your messages - will allow you to manage | | | | the spammers would just work around them. Anyway, |
| your subscribers automatically with a minimum of | | | | with an effective management system you can |
| effort. | | | | screen your own campaign messages to make sure |
| Then there's the challenge of making sure that you're | | | | that your messages don't get flagged as spam by |
| getting the desired ROI (Return of Investment) from | | | | automatic programmes. Also it wouldn't hurt to drop a |
| your email activity. It may only cost something on the | | | | reminder to your subscribers that they could add you |
| order of pennies to send out a thousand emails - but | | | | to the "safe senders" list... |