Email Marketing - April 13 Assignment

With the continued use of the Internet as a marketing tool, email marketing is a way for businesses to use the power of the Internet to market their products directly to their customers.   Email marketing is a form of direct marketing and is simply the practice of sending out email messages to obtain and retain customers. The benefits to using this technology are clear.   Email provides a low-cost delivery channel that is much less expensive than many other forms of marketing.   Email is easy to use and allows all types of businesses and not-for-profit entities to deliver their message quickly and efficiently.  In addition, it is easy to track and monitor results of an email marketing campaign.  Email allows you to stay in touch with customers which can lead to repeat sales and also allows customers to give honest feedback since they don't have to share their feelings directly. According to Prestige Marketing Inc., consumers who make purchases through email spend 138% more than those who do not receive email offers.   93% of online consumers interact with brands through email more than any other marketing method.  70 million consumers check email on mobile devices.   It's clear the opportunity that email marketing offers. 

   

Although email marketing provides many benefits to companies it can have a negative impact on your business if not managed properly. Companies that use email marketing should follow "best practices" such as only sending email to customers who "opt in" versus "opting out".  Companies should cultivate their own email list rather than buying one, and should be careful not to send too many email solicitations since customers can become irritated if they receive too many emails from you and "opt out".  Also, companies must always avoid spamming which is the sending of unsolicited emails. Spamming can result in the suspension of your email account or the closing down of your website. In essence, you should not send a business email to anyone without their permission. The following link provides an excellent graphic from Prestige Marketing Inc. that outlines best practices for an email marketing campaign. I found this graphic on a blog that I receive from Social Media Today.  Please take the time to click on the link and then click on the graphic so you can see the entire chart.  I think it does an excellent job of explaining email marketing.  http://socialmediatoday.com/800321/email-marketing-best-practices

It is also very important that the email subject line have impact.  The subject line is the most prominent part of an email.  The subject line can determine whether or not your email will be opened and read.  Write a meaningful subject line and make sure there are no misspellings or typographical errors which will make you look sloppy.