7 Key Email Marketing
Tactics
By: Dan Thies
Email is often described as
the most effective marketing
vehicle on the Internet
today. Compared to banner
advertising or other
methods, targeted email
marketing can
deliver far better results
at a much lower cost. It's
also
a very easy way to lose
money!
While it's true that a well
planned, targeted campaign
can
deliver astonishing results,
a poorly executed campaign
will just cost you good
money. A good email
marketing
strategy is built on a
foundation of seven key
tactics.
Tactic One: Use E-Zines To
Target Your Audience.
Since you're probably not
starting out with a mailing
list
of your own, you'll want to
use opt-in email newsletters
to
find and reach your desired
audience. Even as your own
mailing list grows, e-zines
will probably remain the
most
important vehicle for your
marketing efforts. I
recommend
that you subscribe to and/or
read several issues of any
e-
zine before buying an ad.
Tactic Two: Test Your Copy
and Offers With Classified
Ads.
Your first efforts at
writing a really profitable
e-zine
ad will probably be a
painful learning experience.
In order
to keep it from being an
expensive lesson, use
low-cost (or
free) classified ads to test
different headlines and
offers. Once you've built up
your own mailing list, you
should be able to test your
ads for free with "ad
swaps,"
and even make some money in
the process.
Tactic Three: Give Good Ads
Top Exposure.
Once you have an ad that's
tested well, your best
results
will come from "top ads"
(also known as sponsor ads)
in the
e-zines you've selected. The
best ads, running in the
best
spots, in the best e-zines,
will usually give you the
maximum return. Some e-zines
also offer "solo" ads at a
higher cost, which allow you
to send an entire sales
letter
to their list.
Tactic Four: Write Articles
& Reports.
Writing short articles and
reports on your chosen
subject
will let you get free
advertising, increase your
credibility in the eyes of
your prospects and
customers,
and provide a ready source
of material for your own
opt-in
newsletter. Free reports are
also one of the best freebie
offers you can make to
increase the response to
your
advertisements.
Tactic Five: Build Your Own
Mailing List.
One of the most important
parts of our strategy is to
build your own opt-in list
of customers and prospects.
Over
time, this list will become
a serious source of revenue,
and a vital strategic asset
for your business. It costs
little or nothing to mail to
your own list, and sharing
your knowledge through a
newsletter will help you
build a
loyal following.
Tactic Six: Never Stop
Testing.
You should always be
testing, making small
changes to your
ad, your offer, your
website, maybe even the
price of your
product, to find the right
combination. It's not
uncommon
to double or triple the
total conversion rate over
the
course of a 3-month email
marketing campaign. Little
gains
add up to big profits over
time.
Tactic Seven: Offer A Well
Targeted Bonus For
Responses.
It's often helpful to offer
a free bonus in your e-zine
ads, as an incentive to
respond. Be mindful of what
you're
offering, though. After all,
if you give away $10,000
anyone will respond. On the
other hand, an offer of free
Palm Pilot software will
only attract people who own
Palm
Pilots. Use your bonus to
target the people you want
to
respond.
While these seven tactics
are a good starting point,
it's
impossible to reduce email
marketing to a single
600-word
article. A good starting
point for more information
is the
About.com guide, at http://email.about.com/cs/emailmarketing
I wish you success.
About the Author
Dan Thies has been
helping his clients (and
friends)
promote their web sites
since 1996, and operates a
successful online publishing
business. His latest book,
"Search Engine Optimization
Fast Start," is available
now
at
http://www.cannedbooks.com
