eMail – The New Old School Marketing!

Welcome back to GeekSpeak. Last month I gave you a primer on Social Networking. For this month we are going to go “old school”. Before there was Facebook, before there was MySpace or Linkedin, even before Google- there was eMail. In preparing this article, my Dad and I reminisced about sending our first eMail back in 1986. It was with General Electric in a Fantasy Basketball league. (We drafted Michael Jordan 23 years ago).

The point is that eMail is old.

So why with all of the “new media” should you consider eMail marketing?

1. Inexpensive: The cost per message is very low.
2. Trackable: eMail marketing makes it easy to track the results of a campaign. You can tell who open the message and what links they clicked on.
3. Effective: With the low cost of entry and the ability to track results, businesses can continue to fine tune their offerings to a targeted audience. The end results can be powerful.

Ready to start? I like your enthusiasm, but first some eMail marketing tips.

Let’s determine your audience.

The best place to start is with current your current customers. You can export addresses and names from your computers address book, add a newsletter subscription link to you website and if you have a retail location you can have a box on your front desk inviting people to join your list. Don’t forget the social networks, be sure to put invites on these sites for your eMail offering.

Delivering Value. Before we get too far we should figure out what your eMail is going to offer. Most people think they need to write a elaborate newsletter. This can be a lot of work. These same “most people” don’t have a ton a free time to invest in this type of project. But, they do have something of value that they can share with their customers. Sometimes it is information (as I hope you find this article) it can also be savings or coupons. When I meet with clients we determine how to deliver the greatest value to the readers with the best ROI (Return on Investment) for the client.

SPAM

We can’t forget SPAM or unsolicited bulk eMail.  I strongly recommend that only send permission based-eMail, that is opt-in mail.  Sending SPAM will have a negative impact on any legitimate business. To learn more about SPAM and the whole eMail process I recommend that you read “Internet Marketing Best Practices.” See below under Speak with a Geek to see how to get a free copy.

Once you have an audience in mind and a plan for you offer please keep these 3 keys in mind.

1. Personalization: How valued do your customers feel if a marketing piece is addressed to “Valued Customer?” With a up-to-date client list you can address the message to “Mike.”
2. Branding: You want this eMail to clearly and consistently communicate your message.
3. Call to Action: The “call to action” is one of the most important concepts in marketing and promotion. Simply put, after you’ve established that you have something of value to offer and that you’re the perfect choice to deliver it, you want to ask your prospect to take the next step. You deliver a call to action.

Realistic Expectations: Don’t expect to sell a ton of stuff with your first newsletter. You need to be in it for the long run. Try out some ideas and continually improve on your offer. eMail marketing allows you to build a positive relationship with your readers.

The reason main reason that I write GeekSpeak is to open your eyes about web and geek stuff and to let you know when your business needs it – I’m here to help. ~:-)

Speak with the Geek! If you run a business and want to find more customers—or connect more powerfully with the customers you have, I offer a Free Initial Consultation for eMail marketing to identify needs, opportunities and present a clear plan of action to succeed!  I will also share with you a free report “eMail Marketing Best Practices.”  A good read and valuable tool to read before starting a campaign.

~ Oscar is the Creative Director for omOriginals Marketing! You can take him up on his offer of a free consultation by visiting omOriginals.com or calling 360.575.9839.