| The use of email as a marketing tool has been long | | | | to send any sort of bulk email without this feature. |
| used and abused by internet marketers around the | | | | There are two ways two create and manage an |
| globe. This has become such a problem that | | | | effective email list or database: |
| development of spam blockers and similar applications | | | | - Offline - This means using your email program |
| has become an industry itself. But how can you, as a | | | | (Outlook, etc) to email your list. This is however very |
| legitimate (and considerate) marketer harness the | | | | inefficient and unreliable. You will also use a lot of |
| power of email marketing in their business? | | | | internet bandwidth in the process and end up getting |
| First things first - build up an opt-in email list and send a | | | | blacklisted as a spammer in most cases (due to the |
| weekly, biweekly or monthly newsletter with useful | | | | difficulty of unsubscribing). |
| content. The keyword here is "useful content" - no-one | | | | - Online - This entails using an online bulk emailing |
| is interested in reading about which employees had | | | | service. These companies will host your database, |
| their birthday this month, or that you've just bought | | | | manage unsubscribes (as required by law), and send |
| new office stationery.. | | | | your email newsletters on time, every time. I highly |
| Use your newsletter to provide informative and useful | | | | recommend going this route as it is the only viable |
| information, such as "How to XYZ" or "What to do | | | | option in the long run. |
| when XYZ happens". If the reader finds this | | | | Two bulk email service providers that have proven to |
| information useful, there's a good chance they will | | | | be very reliable are: |
| forward it on to other prospects, who will then also | | | | - Aweber - The leader's in bulk emailing, with pricing |
| visit your site and join your mailing list. Your email list of | | | | options from $1 USD per month. They are very |
| prospects then grows virally with little effort on your | | | | user-friendly and offer a wide range of email |
| part. | | | | templates to get you started. |
| Freebies, competitions and giveaways are always | | | | - TouchBasePro - A South African based emailing |
| popular newsletter tactics. Always design your | | | | company. Good for starting out from about R100 per |
| newsletters with the reader in mind - think along the | | | | month, but not a lot of customization or email |
| lines of "why should they bother reading my email | | | | templates. |
| when they have a million other things to do". This will | | | | If you remember to always consider your email |
| get you into the mind-set of the email marketer... | | | | content from the reader's point of view, and dedicate |
| Please note that, by law, every email sent to your list | | | | your campaigns towards useful content, you can be |
| needs to have an "unsubscribe" link or method by | | | | assured of great success using email marketing as a |
| which the user can unsubscribe from the list. It is illegal | | | | viral tool. |