| The number one biggest mistake people make
with email marketing is they do not understanding the power, nor use the full potential of
this application as a medium of communications.
People hate to be sold, but love to buy. Think for a
moment. When you hear the story about someone who was sold something, is the ending
usually favorable or unfavorable? On the other hand, if you buy something you really like,
do you say "Someone sold this to me." or do you say with pride "Look at
what I bought"?
Email marketing is one of the simplest forms of dynamic
communication today. Everyone has an email address. Some people even have email addresses
for their pets. The Internet is a medium that is growing by leap and bounds.
"Gillions" of website and mega gillions of email addresses. They are everywhere
business cards, websites, promotional products, and even on bus benches.
People love information, especially FREE information. If
you are able to deliver information that has a high perceived-value, you will find some
taker-uppers to your offers. People will respond, it's just human nature. If you build
trust and deliver on your promises, people will listen to you and read your messages.
Many, many eNewsletters are read religiously every day, week or month. When the newsletter
is late or the publisher misses an issue, they hear about it.
Wait...I see a formula for opportunity, marketing success
and profitability if the numbers are only halfway right. Let's look at this picture
functionally; you've got mega gillions of email addresses; and zillions of people who
would buy almost any product or service, if it is packaged correctly. So let me process
this. If I can identify a small loyal percentage of the zillions of people and get their
email address then maybe I can hold [daily (I don't suggest it), weekly (you've got to
have good stuff) or, monthly (great way to start)] dialogue with my subscribers via an
eNewsletter and drop a little knowledge (value) on them to promote my business in a very
innocent and professional manner, yet giving them value for their time spent with me. I
like that idea; it works for me!
Over time, some people will tell others people about my
eNewsletter and then people whom I don't know nor have a relationship with will want to
become a part of my mailing list because of something they heard about me from someone
else. I'm not dreaming folks. I become the host of my own fan club. If you are not into
viral marketing, you are missing the proverbial boat. This is powerful stuff! It is very
simple and easy to get email addresses and see your mailing list grow 10, 20 or even 100
fold. Just ask for them for it! A little love goes a long way.
The next step is to develop a compelling message with an
appealing/eye-catching user interface for your subscribers and then sending them out email
messages on a regularly basis, (daily, weekly or monthly). The articles can be long or
short. Short is better in most instances, until you master the concept. Use common sense
for your industry and market niche. Remember the old sales adage. "Sell to Bob the
way Bob wants to buy." Don't make it hard or difficult. Listen to your customers and
give them what they want and what you promised.
Use your writing skills to position yourself as an expert
in your field or profession. What's going on? What do people in your realm of the world or
business like to hear, see, do or have a general interest in? Find a topic or something
you enjoy writing about. The last thing you need is another job. If you find an area you
like or have a passion for, it will be easier when you sit down and put your pen to paper.
There is help for those who can't or don't write very well.
There are many free and paid sources of content for your eNewsletter. If your kid is a
good writer, hire them. Where there is a will, there will be a way! In case no one before
me told you, you will need to develop a convincing title that is likely to catch your
audience's attention or appeal to a need they have. Value, value, value. Everyone enjoys
listening to that same radio station WIIFM (What's In It For Me). Speak to your
subscribers in a way that addresses the issues that are important to them and use
testimonials whenever possible.
With the number of people you meet everyday you could
quickly and easily create a database of thousands of names that could easily grow
exponentially into many thousands of names and email addresses if you put action behind
your plan to get started. A growing list of small and medium sized firms and civic
associations is making huge amounts of money and collecting liberal donations by putting
the power and potential of email technology to use to build and enhance their relationship
with their members and communities.
Not everyone is your customer! You can do quite well with a
small population of loyal subscribers who like you, trust you, and respect you. There is
software that makes it possible to quickly and easily create appealing email messages,
build and manage large email lists, send personalized targeted messages, and track your
success.
The potential is to provide high perceived-value in the
customer's mind to establish TOMA (Top of Mind Awareness). Ideally every 8 to 14 days you
should sent a new message to your target audience. Remember it may takes 7 or 8 tries just
to get invited on to their safe list. Some people will read every issue of your
eNewsletter strictly from their junk email folder. People are stingy about letting you
into their life. With so many messages coming from so many different directions daily, you
have to compete to make a serious impact to get some of their precious time. Committing to
read, review or just look at your email is a serious act of loyalty on behalf of your
customer. Your opt-in mailing list of people who love you, trust you and have done
business with you before can generate a substantial consistent income for years to come
Don't get it twisted; they're doing you the favor. If they
don't like what you have to say, or the way you say it, they will just click delete,
quicker than a heartbeat. The real potential is to be the favored eNewsletter that people
look forward to reading issue after issue, follow recommendations from, refer to their
friends, make your sales swell and expand the size and scope of your business while
allowing you do the one thing you do best, talk passionately about your organization or
subject of interest.
Speak in your eNewsletter about how you bring value, solve
problems, save money, reduce time and effort, or provide solutions to problems your
customers face. Humor also works. The question becomes in your customer's mind; why should
I give you my fat wad of cash for your itty-bitty bag of what did you say it was? With
today's technology it is really simple, easy, and affordable to set-up and start a
successful email marketing campaign that requires little effort on your part. You can also
track your results and manage you email lists as about 37% of all email address change
over any given year.
Something very important, kindly respect people's privacy.
Be up-front and straight with them as to how you handle their personal information. Trust
is very fragile. If they ask to be removed from your list, make it easy. Leave the tricks
to un-subscribing them or keeping them on your list to the magicians. It is bad behavior
for a web marketer to refuse to unsubscribe any user or make it difficult. Don't waste
your time with people who don't want to hear from you. Your reputation and credibility are
too important. Frankly, there are bigger fish to fry and other people who need what you
offer. Stay focused.
Asking permission, keeping it simple and giving value is
the formula for making the power and potential of the Internet and email marketing deliver
results that increase sales to overflow your barns. It is the hardest easy work you can
ever do. |
