How to Market Your Website Using Email for Search Engines
Even the simple thought of marketing by e-mail brings up memories of unsolicited e-mails offering breast augmentation, Viagra, penile enlargement drugs, and different stock offerings. These emails, which are collectively and pejoratively referred to as "spam," have made it nearly impossible to have a conversation about the appropriate use of email as a marketing tool.
However, when addressed to those who have either opted-in (expressed an interest in getting email from a specific sender) or have a direct interest in the material that is being provided, email can be an extremely effective tool. It would be crazy to leave email out of the basket of strategies you use for web marketing. You simply need to make sure that you conduct yourself in a manner that is compatible with the generally recognized rules of the game. This means that you should not indulge in the practice of sending blind bulk emails to databases that you have not either created on your own or obtained from respectable opt-in list brokers.
It is possible to break the successful use of email as a marketing tool down into five separate components. They are as follows:
1. System database
When you have established that you are interested in engaging in e-mail marketing, the next step is to choose the recipients to whom you will send your communications. When choosing which list to buy, you should base your decision on how well you understand your target audience and who among them is most likely to become a customer of your business. A great number of list brokers are in possession of lists that they may compile based on a wide range of demographic information, and some of them are also able to supply names based on a history of reacting to offers that were delivered via e-mail.
The response rate will be significantly improved if you are able to more precisely target the individuals to whom you will send the emails. Building your own email list is a great alternative to the traditional methods of amassing a functional email list. Over the course of time, you can compile a list of customer e-mail addresses that will prove to be an incredible asset in terms of marketing. This list will be formed of individuals who have previously purchased from you and are likely to have an interest in the products that you offer. People can sign up to receive your emails (which contain news of new products and special deals) and be added to your own mailing list at your physical location as well as on your website. This allows you to compile your own customer list.
2. Content
The information that you include in your e-mails should be tailored to the requirements of the people who will be reading them. As was just discussed, you can use your e-mails to promote new products or announce limited-time specials to customers. You can also keep your customer base updated on the latest happenings in your market, make announcements about special events, or share comments (depending on the kind of relationship you have with your consumers and the kind of business you run). The substance of the email must be clear, properly written, and interesting to the recipient. You should make every effort to direct the reader to your website, where they may either continue reading the content or make a purchase related to the offer you are currently offering.
3. Format E-mails can be sent in one of two formats
Plain text or rich text. Which format you choose to use depends on the content of the email and how you want it to be presented to the recipient. HTML-formatted e-mails have the appearance of web pages and allow for the inclusion of graphics. Although these are more successful for sales campaigns, some consumers may not have their e-mail systems configured to receive HTML e-mails. This means that the content of the email will be received, but the graphics will not be included. Text e-mail messages are helpful when you need to communicate information but want to keep the message concise and to the point. You can direct the reader of a text e-mail to your website, where more information can be viewed in HTML format, by including a link to your website in the e-mail.
4. Trying out
It is recommended that you test your message with a series of smaller groups prior to launching a big and ambitious e-mail marketing program. This will ensure that what you are saying is well received and that the response rates you anticipate are being met. The testing provides you with the opportunity to make modifications before you launch the full-scale operation. This will not only assist you in refining what it is that you want to communicate, but it will also help you avoid making any significant blunders. Testing needs to be done on groups that are representative of the whole, and the best way to achieve this is to make random choices from the lists you want to employ.
5. Keeping tabs
E-mail marketing has a number of advantages, one of which is that it enables you to keep track of your marketing campaign in a way that is not possible with traditional marketing. The information that is presented may include the number of people who opened your message and the percentage of recipients who responded to any offer that you may have included. This tracking not only enables you to determine whether or not the program is worthwhile, but it also provides you with hints regarding how to make it more effective.
The use of e-mail marketing, despite its low cost and adaptability, should be limited to prevent receivers from becoming overburdened by the quantity of e-mails you send and, as a result, ignoring what you send them.
E-mail marketing is a practical strategy that can be exploited as part of your total integrated marketing campaign. It may be thought of as being similar to direct mail but with an automatic immediate response mechanism in the form of your website.
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