| Let me ask you a question - what do you think is the | | | | visitors are 100% organic, there because the search |
| best direct marketing solution for your small business? | | | | engines sent them based on their inquiry, he could |
| Is it direct mail? | | | | have as much as 15% growth in his database of |
| Is it telemarketing? | | | | prospects each month. |
| Is it door to door marketing? | | | | With the help of a 21st Century direct marketing |
| Is it email marketing? | | | | solution, you can reach an unbelievably large number |
| Which one is it? If your answer was email marketing, | | | | of people very easily. Let us now take a look at some |
| pat yourself on the back. It is the right answer. If your | | | | of the most important things you should keep in mind |
| answer was something else, you have got it wrong. | | | | about email marketing. |
| Let me tell you why. | | | | 1. The newsletter you send out should be really |
| If you run a small business, your ultimate goal should be | | | | attractive. It should contain the right mixture of images |
| simple - to get a lot of new customers and clients, to | | | | and content. But make sure you don't overdo the |
| retain existing customers, and to improve your | | | | images. If you do, it will take a lot of time for the pages |
| business consistently. You should find the most | | | | to get loaded. |
| effective way to do it and broaden the scope of your | | | | 2. Small business email marketing should always be |
| business slowly but surely. | | | | done on an opt-in basis. You send emails only to |
| The most effective way to get new clients and | | | | people who have opted to receive emails from you. |
| customers to your small business, like I already | | | | Never ever send promotional emails to people without |
| mentioned above, is email marketing. Why is small | | | | their explicit permission. This will create a very bad |
| business email marketing considered the best way of | | | | image for your business. |
| direct marketing? Let us take a look. | | | | 3. The sales copy is the most important thing about a |
| The Internet has become an incredibly powerful | | | | newsletter. The copy should be interesting, intriguing, |
| medium and every day more of your potential and | | | | and compelling. After reading the copy, the reader |
| existing customers are using it to a greater and | | | | should definitely take some action - call you, email you |
| greater degree. At any given point of time, hundreds | | | | back, or check out your web site. |
| of millions of people access the Internet for various | | | | 4. One of the most important reasons why email |
| reasons - some of them are only 30 miles from you | | | | marketing is considered the best direct marketing |
| but who would never ever have known of your | | | | solution for small businesses is that it is very simple, yet |
| existence without the Internet. | | | | very effective. When you send out a newsletter to |
| If you have a strong online presence, the scope of | | | | people, you usually include a link to your web site. Now, |
| your business will be increased beyond your wildest | | | | after reading the newsletter, if someone wants to |
| imagination - if all you do is connect with the people | | | | know more about you and your business, all he needs |
| just outside where you are and just a little farther than | | | | to do is click on the link. It will take him to your web site |
| they traditionally look for the products and services | | | | and he can get a lot of information. In other words, it |
| you offer. | | | | requires an extremely small effort from the customer - |
| When this wider audience you are now attracting - | | | | just a click of the mouse will do. So, response rates |
| using bot online and traditional advertising and | | | | are usually high. |
| promotion - your number one objective is to capture | | | | 5. Sending emails to people is a nice way to remind |
| then while they are there. They will never be back. | | | | them about the latest news from your side. You can |
| You have one shot! | | | | also send promotional offers, discount coupons, service |
| A business owner told me recently that his company's | | | | credits, and other such things to entice customers. |
| web site gets 1,000 unique (for the first time) visitors a | | | | As you can see, running a small business email |
| month. He does nothing other than offer a few articles | | | | marketing campaign is really easy once you |
| and free tools - and gets 3% of them to opt in to his | | | | understand the process completely. So, get started |
| list. | | | | today and get the best results. |
| If he had an actual strategy in place - because the | | | | |