Successful Email Marketing

Email marketing is an internet marketer's best buddy. Despite major shifts in marketing practices, it has stood the test of time and is still as popular now as it has ever been. Successful email marketing increases brand loyalty and recognition, increase sells and inform customers about new products.

Why Bother with Email Marketing?

The long-standing popularity of email marketing is proof of its effectiveness. Here are some of its benefits:

It is targeted

You can choose the group of people to get your emails based on their characteristics. Some of the determinants can be location, gender, income range, etc. This kind of targeting ensures that the message is only seen by people likely to take the necessary action.

It is easy to track

Other forms of advertising, like TV or radio, are hard to track. This is not the case with email marketing.

It can be personalized

Each email can be customised to look like it was meant for an individual - this can be more successful than sending generalised messages.

It is cheap

This is among the most prominent advantages of email marketing over traditional marketing methods.

How to Be Successful with Email Marketing

Just as with the other online marketing strategies, success with email marketing doesn't come easy. In the beginning, it's a lot of work, but once it's underway, things get a bit easier. However, you should not fold your arms and watch – you must monitor the results and make changes if necessary. Here are some tips you can follow:

Make your emails attractive

The heading should be attention-grabbing. Again, the colors and layout of your email must keep the reader interested. Many marketers only focus on the content of the email and not its appearance, which is a mistake.

Personalize the emails

Your emails must, at least, address each reader with his or her name. This builds trust and is effective in making you achieve your goal.

Offer incentives

Your readers are always busy. So if they take the time to do what you ask for, you must thank them. You can do this with a discount, a free download, or anything else they will value.

Send at the right time

Timing matters if you want to get your emails opened. Mid-week, mid-day works pretty well. That is, you must send your emails on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday around 1-3pm. You can break this rule, however, if it's necessary.

Grow your list

Your email marketing campaign will fall to the ground if you do not have a list. Here is how you can grow it:

• Have a signup form on your website – easy to put in place but not very effective.
• Offer free stuff and get emails in exchange, e.g. eBook downloads.
• Ask for emails at checkout.
• Ask for emails when a customer calls in.

Remember that email marketing presents more opportunities for your business and drives a better return on investment. With email marketing, your business can create deeper relationships with a wider audience at a fraction of the cost of traditional media.