Email marketing is the main focus of many internet marketers.

It was immediately apparent that all they needed to do was get a list of addresses and then they could make money through that list for many years.

This article will be focusing on email marketing tips that will help you boost your sales and conversions.

The first thing that you need to keep in mind when using email marketing is to aim on avoiding the spam filters. In order to protect their customers from spam or unsolicited messages, email service providers have fairly advanced technology to filter out certain emails. Each email that is received goes through the spam filter, which awards points to emails to determine if they are spam. Depending on the particular provider or how the customer has set up his account, emails that get a high number of spam points are sent to the spam folder or deleted outright. The trick is to avoid using words in your subject line or email body that are likely to alert the spam filter, such as “making money,” “free,” “build wealth,” and so forth. Very often, recipients don’t receive information that they’ve requested due to spam filters.

Just be stable and consistent with your emails, and keep each one to a single theme, or message. Trying to cover more than one topic is not a proven way to do this, and you don’t really have enough space to do it well. The more information you have in your email, the higher will be the chances of your subscriber just deleting it. Put your main focus topic benefit in the first paragraph, and also put the benefit of it in your subject line, if possible. Your readers will remember that you make things easier for them in your emails, and they’ll be more likely to open future emails and read them. But this approach is not necessarily the best one for full-blown newsletter type emails – it’s only for promotional emails. But even with the content mailings, try to avoid covering too many topics.

But make sure each email has a call to action in it, even if it’s just to remind them of the next email you’ll be sending. A call to action is just telling your reader to do something specific whatever that may be. If your email contains promo links, then tell them to click on it now. It’s fine to say it more than once, just put something in there in several places in your email. It’s acceptable to mention it two to three times without being aggravating to your readers. You’ll also have fewer conversions if you do not include any instructions if you need them. Never assume your readers will figure things on for themselves. So always include benefits and then any clear instructions for them to follow.

You really can succeed and make good money with email marketing, you just need to educate yourself about it and proceed. Just never forget that when you engage in email marketing you’re really doing relationship marketing. It’s really important that you continue to learn more about this subject.

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Written by: PUSH Marketing Partners

Today email has changed the face of modern communications. We have the ability not only to open and read our emails at our desk or on our laptop but with mobile technology, our email accounts (and we’re sure to have more than one) can live in our pockets.

Smartphones and netbooks mean we can take our email wherever we go. And who knows what the new iPad will do for it!

So how has all this affected the power of email marketing? Well, firstly there has been a significant change in the way smart marketers are using email. There will always be the spammers, happy to spew out millions of emails a week with completely non-relevant subjects to every possible address on the planet. However, new technology and greater access to it now allows everyone the opportunity to harness email as it should be used, following that well-worn marketing mantra of Right Message – Right Person – Right Time.

With a stronger move towards the powerful concept of Permission-based Marketing, good marketers out there are looking for ways to get appropriate messages in front of potentially interested customers. More than this, we can learn about our customers too.

Email marketing, used properly, can become a cornerstone of a solid marketing strategy. It can be used to attract new customers, as well as maintain effective contact with existing ones. It allows us to deliver the right message in a timely way and, most importantly, to the right individual.

Other reasons why email marketing is still among the top tools for SMEs include:

Speed; there really is no other way (with the exception of SMS Marketing perhaps) of getting a marketing campaign running faster. You can release a campaign in the morning and start making sales in the afternoon. You also get very fast (real-time) statistics that allow you to fine-tune your marketing campaign as you go.

Split-testing; I can’t believe there are still people out there who continue to run the same adverts week after week, month after month, with no plan to test them. This really is CRITICAL and split testing is the easiest way to achieve this. If you’re not aware of how to do this, FIND OUT and stop wasting your money (look out for a blog on this soon!).

Return on Investment; because email marketing can be so much cheaper than other forms of marketing, if you USE IT PROPERLY, you’ll see an amazing ROI. It’s no longer about ‘spray and pray’ it’s all about getting the mix right and being highly targeted.

So what is the magic mix? Well I’m going to give the game away at my next seminar on Email Marketing but here’s a sneak preview of the elements that I’ve found have a massive impact on results:

Get good data – This really is rule number 1. You will want to collect and source data in the right way and if you’re buying/renting data then use good suppliers, there are many out there. Quite simply, no other factor will increase results as much as good/relevant data.

Use a good email system – Forget about trying to manage your emails through standard applications like your Outlook account, you’re wasting your time and money. A proper email marketing tool will give you amazing power and control over your campaigns and help you to build progressively. Try the PUSH Email Marketing System (see www.nialadams.com)

Know how to play the game – Understand how email marketing works and what the ‘rules’ are. These are really quite simple (when you know them!) and will help you double, treble or more your campaign results.

Get strategic as well as tactical – Ensure that you build your email marketing into your overall sales and marketing plan. It will never work effectively for you if you just do it occasionally and with little thought or attention.

And lastly…

Always remember to use email to appropriately – It will help you to build your community and maintain contact with it. Stick to the guidelines and you’ll ensure your emails are seen as positive communication, not intrusive and annoying.

About the Author

Quite simply; I help business grow using well tried and tested methods of marketing and sales. Good business isn’t ‘rocket science’ and yet so few people really understand how to get the basic mechanics right. There is a simple formula that every business, no matter what size, type or location, can follow. I’ll share with you what I’ve spent over twenty years learning that makes successful businesses tick!

I guess I could ramble on about my talents and expertise but I’d rather let my clients (past and present) tell you what they think… that seems much more appropriate!

Spamming is the biggest danger to amongst Internet marketers who are willing to adopt it as a practice. Email marketing has been jinxed with the fear of email marketing because of some unethical Internet marketers who do not follow the right method of marketing.

Spam is not only an unethical means of Internet marketing, but it also deprives users of essential Internet services. Some spammers are also capable of causing great harm to your Internet services, they can send email bombs- large email messages that clog your email server. This can happen if you hire a novice email list provider.

High risk email marketing like spamming can also get you into great trouble with the ISP as unsolicited commercial emails are usually shut by systems that can also block your account.

Like spamming there are other high risk factors too, that can cause great harm to your email marketing services. Some of these are as follows: rented email list that could be a spam, home-generated email lists, unsolicited invitations etc.

While the ones mentioned above are high risk factors in email marketing, there is a low risk email marketing technique as well, Opt-in email marketing, where the users willing opt for email marketing campaigns from the website. Here the websites do not need to fear spam techniques as the enter list has willingly entered your email marketing services. In such cases the opt-in email ids do not object to your email ads and the success rate of your scheme is much higher than what it would be in case of other email lists.

As a matter of fact opt-in recipients welcome your emails. Hence, if you are truly planning to adopt opt-in email marketing services then the best way to go about it is to select opt-in email marketing services for a safe an low risk direct marketing service.

Email design of course, however strong the message, it must be well presented if it is to gain the attention it deserves. Its an increasingly powerful and ever so affordable way to turn prospects into clients. It can be used to improve the relationship between a business and its customers or to gain new customers. There are many reasons to use email marketing but often we end up focusing on the money making aspect of it and lose sight of the other areas that are also vital in the world of email marketing. Most email systems allow you to test and track your experiments, so you can see which offers and subject lines work best.

Marketing

However, unlike direct mail, email marketing campaigns are not constrained by weight limits or postal restrictions. Resources email marketing and direct mail has long been considered an effective marketing tool. And without print costs to contend with, envelopes to buy and address and postage to pay for, email marketing is an economic solution that is available to companies of all sizes. That’s why creative email design is so important to any email marketing campaign, email design that makes the most of the flexibility of this media. Email has now established itself as a powerful marketing tool that is already an essential component of effective marketing.

Spam

The word spam is both a tinned meat and email that is sent out to a huge number of people with little discretion. Spam is the email marketing version of carpet bombing. Spam and the spam filters it has given rise to make it harder than ever to get your email delivered. Have you tried email marketing and been disappointed with the number of emails caught in spam filters. You will either purchase a list of unsolicited names and end up spamming your email list which can get you banned by your ISP, or you could rent a reputable opt-in list but you will find that the costs for doing this are even more expensive than hiring a snail mail list.

Most companies use email marketing to communicate with existing customers but many other companies send unsolicited bulk email, also known as spam. They make it very difficult for observers to distinguish between legitimate and spam email marketing. Some marketers report that legitimate commercial email messages frequently get caught and hidden by filters. Nevertheless, it is somewhat less common for email users to complain that spam filters block legitimate mail.

Conclusion

Email Marketing is by far the most cost effective way to market going into the future. It is instant and allows multiple links to be embedded in the message, driving traffic to company websites. Email marketing is especially popular because it can be much cheaper than traditional mail marketing. It is way cheaper than media investments such as direct mail or printed newsletters and also information can be distributed to a wider range of specific, potential customers.

Moreover,without print costs to contend with, envelopes to buy and address and postage to pay for, email marketing is an economic solution that is available to companies of all sizes. Email has now established itself as a powerful marketing tool that is already an essential component of effective online marketing.

Fun stuff!  Sometimes its fun to look back and see how far we’ve come – E

Product Description

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Total E-mail Marketing, Second Edition: Maximizing your results from integrated e-marketing

Every producer must try to satisfy clients by using different marketing solutions. All those who feel that their email marketing services are not performing according to their needs must refer to email marketing companies.

There are several online marketing companies that provide with email marketing solutions along with other marketing services. If you want result oriented email marketing solutions then look for the companies that are specially designed to look into this service.

A company providing email marketing solutions surely looks into every aspect of email marketing. These companies draft an email with lucrative wordings and send it to the subscribers when required. Email marketing campaigns, electronic letters,business newsletters etc all are launched by such companies to promote a brand through email marketing business. To make email marketing solutions really effective these companies look into the designing of the emails, content and welcoming note of the email, updation of the subscriber list and tracing the performance. These companies work in favor of the customers by providing them every bit of information through emails.

Those who are willing to promote their products at a very personal touch must go for email marketing solutions by hiring an email marketing company. Look for a well experienced company that serves all your needs at a very reasonable rate. Trace the history of the company before you engage it’s services.

So, start your research today and look for the best email marketing company that satisfies all your needs and adds success to your business. Make use of email marketing solutions to create a unique impression on your customers. Encourage customers to reply your email back, as this will help to increase the rate of sales. Slowly when all the customers feedback will turn into sales then you will surely start witnessing a good profit in your business. Don’t give it a second thought rather simply jump to the email marketing solutions by engaging an efficient online marketing company.

• Learn to start and build a solid permission based email list, get your audience to open, read and act on your emails, then use your results to hone your email marketing program as you progress.
• Learn proven tips and guidelines: Email marketing basics
• Use email to enhance your total marketing strategy
• Understanding email etiquette and laws
• Permission based marketing
• Relationship based marketing
• Contact list building and management
• When to schedule you… More >>

Email Marketing 101: Tips and guidelines

Pony Express Statue, St. Joseph, MI

In 1867 the Pony Express made its fastest delivery – 7 days and 17 hours. The route: St. Joseph Missouri to Sacramento California. The average speed: 10 miles per hour.

The message was President Lincoln’s Inaugural Address.

The riders were from 11 to 40 years old and all weighed less than 125 lbs. To make this delivery, horses had to be changed every 10 to 15 miles.

By contrast, the US Postal Service delivery now takes at least a day, longer the farther away from the destination, Federal Express can get it there overnight by 10am the next business day.

Chances are many of you will leave this meeting and go back to your office where you will open an email that was sent from across the nation, maybe even around the globe within a matter of minutes. Only a fax machine can compare to the speed of email.

The simple truth is that of the 94 Million American Adults that use the internet every day, the number one reason for going online is to check their email. According to a DoubleClick survey, 81% of internet users go online daily to check email. That’s too big a number to ignore.

Why is email so popular?

Because it’s easy, fast, cheap, direct and it elicits and immediate response. When you add email to your marketing mix you spend less time, money and resources than with traditional marketing vehicles like direct mail or print advertising.

From a marketing standpoint, email was initially primarily used for gaining new customers – often via spam techniques. It has since shifted to promotional and customer relationship marketing.
Consumers expect emails to confirm transactions and shipping, and they are open to the ideas of their email addresses being used to promote ancillary offers.

Customer service is another area of opportunity for email.

According to an October 2004 Doubleclick survey, nearly 8 out of 10 consumers have used email for customer service. A consumer expects a service inquiry response immediately but up to 24 hours is acceptable.

More than that, businesses spend 80% of their marketing budget on gaining new customers but cultivating the current customer base costs less and generates greater revenue. Every email contact with a prospect or customer is a marketing opportunity in that is it a brand building and relationship building tool.

So what is the difference between an effective email marketing campaign and one that is tainted?

The email recipient is the sole decision maker of what constitutes spam. And the recipient pays for the email. Among the top reasons an email is deemed to be spam: Deceptiveness and unknown senders (of course), frequency and irrelevancy (even though permission was granted).

1) You must have some relationship with the recipients. Relationship is a broad term in the eyes of the FCC.

If, for example, you have a list of email addresses belonging to people who are members of the same affiliation or organization as you that can constitute a relationship. If you have a list of email addresses belonging to people who have previously done business with you that constitutes a relationship. If someone has emailed you asking for information about your product or service, that constitutes a relationship.

The ultimate relationship is the opt-in list, people who have specifically requested or “opted” to receive email from you.

When you email these groups, it’s a good idea to make it clear what the affiliation or relationship is to lessen the risk of being considered spam.

Bottom line: relevant, valuable emails sent to people who asked or agreed to get them are the best people to market to via email.

2) Second, you must have an opt-out on each and every email. The best way to handle it is an automated process so you won’t have to deal with finding each address one at a time to remove them from the list. This is one of the reasons why many companies use a broadcast email service to handle email marketing.

Use a Broadcast Service

Another reason to use a broadcast service is that the email sent does not disclose the addresses of the people to which the email was sent. This an important privacy issue.

Many professionals are under the impression that Outlook will hide the addresses to which the email was sent. This is not the case.

Design for the Recipient

When designing an email for marketing the first thing to consider is the recipient, of course.
Different email programs will interpret your message differently. For example, there are web based email programs like Horde and SquirrelMail that will not read images so the email is either garbled or filtered out as spam.

Other email programs offer the option of viewing or not viewing images. So your email may show up with several blank spaces.

The solution is to have 2 versions of the email that are sent in tandem. That way the email program of the recipient can determine which version to display.
Know What Words to Use (Examples 1 / 2 & Triggers)

Another thing to consider is the subject line. Because of the words that trigger spam filters, the subject line as well as the message needs to be free of these words – in fact the word free is often a trigger. The header cannot be misleading either.

The Message

When structuring the message, again you have to remember to stay away from certain words, phrases or dollar signs. Now this part can get to be challenging. This is why you may see legitimate emails with special characters.

Email messages should be concise, to the point and carry a strong call to action. The idea is to get the recipient to interact with your company so give them plenty of opportunities and incentives to do so.

Remember, email is a brand building opportunity so be sure that you reinforce brand messages, encourage communication and interaction through links to the supporting website and reply to email addresses.

Track the Results

Be sure to track performance of your email marketing program. This is yet another reason to use a broadcast email service. Through third party services you have the ability to see how many people opened the email, how many people clicked the various links in the email etc. This also allows you to better target your emails to a specific audience or give more information that the recipients are genuinely interested in.

Like any advertising, email must be done consistently. And, like many marketing strategies, the program must flex to any new challenges or new opportunities. Don’t be afraid to vary the format, timing and offers to find the email that works best for your company. And definitely integrate email marketing along with any other marketing – loyalty programs, print ads etc. “join our email newsletter and get even more discounts, savings etc.”
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This article written by Teajai Kimsey, Interenet Marketing Strategist, Ideas That Work - May 2005. First presented to the Wichita Professional Communicators, May 2005
It may be reproduced and reprinted provided the author’s information including web link is kept intact.