| First of all it's hard to dispute the numbers, IT focused | | | | media. |
| marketing has significant cost advantages: | | | | Social Media will assist in not only building your email |
| - Commercial e-mail returned $43.62 for every dollar | | | | lists, but in developing the trust and loyalty all business |
| spent | | | | seek to achieve with their customers. Here are the 3 |
| - Internet search advertising returned $21.85 for every | | | | basic steps to get you started: |
| dollar spent | | | | 1) Register your company name at all the popular sites |
| - Direct mail only returned $15.22 for every dollar spent | | | | because if you don't, someone else will. Here are a |
| - Catalogs only returned $7.32 for every dollar spent | | | | few of the more popular sites to get you started: |
| As companies begin to realize the cost differences as | | | | - - - - - - and don't forget about registering a Blogging |
| noted above and the impact on their profit margins, | | | | site as well |
| they will begin the transition to incorporate email | | | | 2) Assign someone in your company to monitor these |
| marketing into their budgets. Additionally there are | | | | sites to listen for your company name, your |
| some other great benefits that traditional marketing | | | | competitor's names, and words that relate to your |
| does not provide. | | | | product and/or service. |
| * It allows targeting and segmentation based on | | | | - Listening always comes first |
| customer needs and wants | | | | - If there is no mention of you company you have a |
| * It is data driven which is trackable and reportable and | | | | problem |
| provides almost instant feedback | | | | - If there is negative PR you need to respond in a |
| * It drives direct sales via your website or online sales | | | | positive manner |
| * It builds relationships, loyalty and trust and this is key | | | | - If there is positive PR you need to thank the individual |
| * It supports sales through other channels, partners and | | | | person for their post. |
| media | | | | 3) Begin to use the social media sites to drive traffic to |
| Email marketing solutions support database integration, | | | | your web site. |
| segmentation and various other tricks and techniques | | | | - Mention your company, products/services and web |
| such as auto-response and nurturing programs for | | | | site in your messages and posts |
| improving the targeting of outgoing messages. These | | | | - Post at least once per day - (there are tools |
| types of solutions can now generate on-the-fly emails | | | | available that will allow you to post once and write to |
| customized down to an individual recipient basis based | | | | multiple sites) |
| on how they respond or not to your campaign. | | | | For a list of many of the free tools to do this go to - |
| With every email campaign you send out, it generates | | | | Remember you can reach millions of new customers |
| immediate feedback with actionable data you can use | | | | each day that could purchase your product or service |
| to refine your approach and messages as well as | | | | Remember your goal with social media is to create |
| measure your ROI. Some of the immediate action | | | | awareness of your product and services and have |
| generated comes in the form of sales, downloads, | | | | people go to your site. Do not attempt to sell your |
| inquiries, and registrations. | | | | product or services with these tools that's what the |
| While the goal of an informative email newsletter and | | | | email campaign and web site do. |
| other emails is to send prospective customer/clients to | | | | If you do this properly and effectively you can easily |
| offline stores and events, prepares the way for | | | | reduce your traditional marketing budget by upwards |
| catalogs, builds awareness, contributes to branding, | | | | of 40% and at the same time continue to increase |
| strengthens relationships, encourage trust and loyalty it | | | | sales and grow you business. |
| still needs to incorporate some aspects of social | | | | |