Archive for October, 2008:
Email Marketing Lists What You Should Know
Many companies the world over are in search of ways to build their email marketing lists. Established companies make attempts to obtain the email addresses of existing customers and new companies are struggling to compile an original email list. Let’s explore the things you should know when it comes to building your email marketing list.
Try networking with local businesses. Attend meetings in your local area (i.e. seminars, and city commerce luncheons) to exchange cards and information with other professionals. Exchange business cards and be sure to follow up – via email of course. However, you should make sure that the people in this network are interested in what you have to offer and the possibility of sharing contacts with you. It’s poor form to contact businesses that wanted nothing to do with you.
Try attending trade shows. Set up a booth or organize a presentation, or simply ‘attend’ a show and use it as a networking opportunity. Obtain general contact information and offer promotions and ‘free’ gifts. The people who fill out your information form have automatically ‘opted in’ to your marketing strategy.
Organize and attend informational seminars geared to both consumers and business contacts alike. Use registration information and other networking techniques to obtain contacts for your email marketing lists.
Retail storefronts are a great place to expand your email marketing lists. You can design a drawing or a contest that requires registration. You’ve probably engaged in this marketing technique before without even knowing it (i.e. registering to win a new car while shopping at the mall). Any storefront opportunities are well-received and are a great way to add to your email marketing lists of contacts.
Get involved in local events. Many people are addicted to openings, parties, musical concerts, and any other event that draws people together. You might even consider sponsoring one of these events yourself or joining with other like minded business people; to sponsor the event. Doing so can afford you the opportunity to increase your Internet mail address listings and help you get your name out there.
Direct mail marketing techniques, such as sending out postcards, is a great way to grow your email contact lists. You can mass issue postcards with your company name and website and collect contacts as they visit the site or make inquiries. Offering some type of incentive will earn you the best response.
Consider telemarketing. This process can be time consuming but well the efforts if done properly. You can use phone calls to touch base with prior customers and it is a great way to rekindle old business and perhaps make new contacts. Just don’t allow your telemarketing staff to call during lunch and dinner time hours.
Email marketing is just like any other form of marketing and is designed primarily to open the lines of communication and to make contact with people. You should do your best to translate your everyday interactions with people into business growing leads and contacts. To deploy a successful email marketing lists campaign, you must cultivate your people skills and always adhere to the Golder Rule; treat your customers as you would expect to be treated in a given situation and your business will go far.
Tags: email marketing list, email marketing, telemarketing
Email Marketing Design – Create the Best Campaign Possible
Creating a successful email marketing design depends upon a few key points. The first key is to keep it simple. If your email contains a flashy attention-grabbing window of opportunity, but no real content, you’re not going to get the results most businesses desire. People steer clear of the gimmicks, so if your current campaign is ‘gimmicky’ you may want to consider revamping. If you make the decision to revamp consider the following.
Try a simple email newsletter. The reason for this is a recent report by Nielson Norman Group, the average e-mail user only reviews and Internet newsletter for an average of 50 seconds. Whereas, marketing campaigns boarded by e-mail only hold the reader’s attention for around four seconds. As you can see the newsletter format will hold your average readers attention 10 times more than the normal email. Which in turn brings us to the actual design of the newsletter or the e-mail.
It’s important to create a simple email marketing design that both captures the attention but also keeps the attention. The simple truth is that most consumers and e-mail users only read a fraction of the e-mails they receive. The rest of the e-mails that they actually open are merely scanned for content. Depending upon the individual, different advertising dynamics are found appealing. For this reason, you’re e-mail newsletter or advertisement should appeal to each of these demographics.
Aside from simplicity, an effective email marketing campaign will utilize ASIC principles of design. By promoting contrasting colors to draw the eye and call readers to action over the amplification of certain statements. You may also want to consider the very e-mail inboxes from standard for e-mailing sources. For example Hotmail and AOL both offer varying standards when it comes to opening e-mail. It’s a good idea to use colors and fonts that will be visually appealing in any e-mail genre.
Most e-mail forums have moved on to the concept that design segment should not contain more than 200 to 300 pixels. This means that your e-mail design should not be disproportionate. Try to ensure that you’re marketing design has a smooth flow and is distributed evenly for the entirety of the content.
There have been countless studies on how most Internet users read e-mail and various documents throughout the web. Your desire should be to gain reader attention and you can be sure to do this by using an e-mail marketing design. The most effective design is constructed around a five second view of any page. That means any information put on your page should be readable/scannibal within a five second time constraint.
It’s a good idea to use your knowledge. When it comes to marketing and media, to ensure that your message takes up less real estate than standard e-mail advertisements. If your e-mail add takes up too much space or comes across too spammy, most ISPs will automatically filter it out as junk. The imagery you placed inside your e-mail should convey a rapid message, don’t make the mistake of using photos and logos for mere beautification. To make the most of your marketing campaign ensure that your pictures says something besides "I’m pretty".
E-mail marketing is a rapid response industry. This means you must be certain to give your potential clients every opportunity to make contact with you. You can be easily contacted via contact information placed within your messages. Be sure to include links to your site, your address information, your phone numbers, your fax number and any other information that can be used to contact you on a daily basis, in every e-mail that you send to potential clients.
Let’s face it! Without the proper email marketing design your email campaign may well be predestined to fail. Knowledge is power! Use what you have learned here and from other resources well and your email campaign will stand a much better chance of adding profit to your bottom line.
Tags: email marketing design, email marketing
