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Email marketing strategy and 5 great ideas to results. Don't waste your contact list, use it properly and often to get results that pay

Email marketing is not overdone in fact quite the opposite is true

Communication with your contact list maintains a branding association thus keeping the Know and Like features of buying current.

Let's face it, if they are not reading your material they are reading someone else's.
The last positive image in a buyer's mind is the start of a buying cycle.

You will understand that repetition in marketing enforces the message. That is why on TV, ads are repeated until they drive you mad. They may not sell anything they may just have you thinking of their image.

Look at motor vehicle ads, they don't sell cars they sell a lifestyle. Insurance companies don't sell insurance they sell a security. However, the lifestyle you like is associated with the brand.

Email marketing and I include newsletters and autoresponders, they are the same thing. You are presenting an image and idea in front of your target audience.

Email marketing starts with a plan

The difference with email marketing is you know who your customers are and what they are interested in. They have come on to your database because of interest and that gives you a special advantage.

When you send a mail it is associated with your product therefore you are reinforcing that you are the person to be trusted.
Again, repetition is what we are reinforcing when the time is right.
The buy time will vary and maybe a day, a week, or a year but it will come.

Your plan starts with a segregated list

When you market a variety of products your base will have different needs so you need to cater for a specific purpose. It is no good marketing to those that have no interest in your offer.
I break my list into about a dozen different groups because their needs vary. I market to gift shops and plumbers as an example. A similar product may be, however, an entirely different approach.

Furthermore adding all your lists may well suit a generic newsletter.

Email marketing strategy includes an Auto responder

Use an Autoresponder when you can

This is an automated sender of emails set to send a series of mail over time.

This could follow a form similar to;

• A welcome and introduction email
• A product associated email with all the details
• How others have used the product to their benefit
• An incentive to buy like a price discount
• Bundling with a similar product
• A hard sell, last offer, never to be repeated
• A thank you page

This is a pathway to a sale. Sent every day for a week or every two or three days depending on the product. It is important to remember that when a buyer is hot they want information overload so give it to them. The above list is an example and may spread over a much longer time.
A great Autoresponder can be found at Constant Contact

Supplement a newsletter to your marketing campaign

Your Newsletter is not a selling tool. It is a passive reminder and brand builder to your total base. This is done on a regular and consistent basis to reinforce all your other marketing.
You will write about the questions that people want to be answered or solve problems of which answers they need.

This approach will reinforce all your other activities.

Never miss an opportunity to close

This is an often neglected opportunity to ask for the order. Every mail you send should have a buy now button. The reason for this is that you will never know what part of the buying cycle your readers are at. However, when they want to buy they want it as easy as possible.
The intent can be subtle in early communications or blunt late in the cycle however if you don't ask you don't get, a pretty simple rule.

Email marketing strategy and Social Media

Use Social media to enhance your traffic

Sharing all mail to your social channels will give you a greater touch of an enlarged circle. Certainly adding a link in your email can expand the media mix.

However, the idea of social media is to channel customers to your product sets and not so much in reverse.

Naturally, this also applies to web page activity and any blogs you write. They are all part of a Multi-Media approach to tie up the buyer. Information overload is a good thing. It sure beats the opposite.

Timing your mail is important

I have this well down on my list because I don't believe it makes a great difference.
however many will disagree and believe there are better times than others.

I look for those times of the day when the mind wanders to easy jobs. Late morning after all the priorities are dealt with or mid-afternoon when they want to slow down a bit. Saturday can be a big day for many because the pressures are all gone.

I know many that just scan the sender's name in the morning and hit delete for those that are not of current interest. Therefore overnight sends hit the basket.

Email marketing strategy and Headlines

Your headline makes a difference

Believe me when I say this one thing can be the difference between success and failure.
Readers have a small part of a second on which to decide to read or discard. It is that quick unless you have built up a great trust factor. Even then there could be other more impressing factors than your mail.

Writing great headlines takes practice and promise. it might be a promise, price, opportunity, knowledge, or any device on which to turn their heads

You want to drag them into your world to find out something they need to know..

Writing headlines that get read is essential to your success so treat it like the most important part of your page.

This will include the sender name

By repetitive posting, you will develop the know, like and trust factor that gives you a better chance of an open. Add to this the headline and you have a double whammy.

In the autoresponder part above we show a soft sell start-up, an introduction, and a product description. We don't like to scare them away before we provide enough knowledge for them to make an informed decision.

You need to take every small advantage you can to achieve high email success rates

First of all, if it is not working, fix It.
Don't waste precious time and resources on bad results.
Doing a test mail is one way to achieve this.
Take a small percentage of the base and try a mail and see the results. Take action on what you see and fix any negatives before compiling a mass mail.
We are looking for small increases in each factor that will add to a large result.

Email marketing strategy and understanding results

Auditing your email results and acting on the conclusion

Many of you will hate the thought of deleting contacts because you work so hard to get them. Therefore casting them aside seems wrong. However, some never open a mail or look at your material. It would be easy if they would just unsubscribe then the problem is solved. Delete them they are spoiling your results and wasting your time

Every single mail is trying to achieve an objective.

Number sent	For working percentages
To be opened	It shows interest
Have a link clicked	See what they are looking at
Bounces	Check the email address
Opted out	Just wave goodbye
Any Spam reports	A few matters not
Try for referrals and shares	Increase your readers

Results are only available when using an email company. Single webpage mails have no tracking so you will never know the results you achieve or actions they take.

My conclusion on email marketing

Bang for bucks it gives a great return.

Therefore every small business should include email marketing in their armory.
We fire as many shots at a prospect as we can to obtain absolute saturation. This will get results.
Never be shy about the volume of sends. The answer lies in visibility so those that use it win the race. It is much better to over saturate than under nourish, believe me, it is true.

Email marketing strategy by Peter Hanley

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