What's So Great About Email Marketing?

by Anna Hahn

Studies have shown that it takes at least 7 exposures to an advertisement for a potential customer to enter the “ready to buy” stage. Imagine the expense of this repetition using traditional methods of advertising, such as print, direct mail, radio and TV ads! There is another alternative.

Email marketing is the easiest and most cost-effective way to communicate regularly with existing and potential customers. Unlike traditional forms of advertising, an email campaign can be created in a relatively short timeframe, and changes can be made quickly.

It is very important to use only opt-in methods for generating your email list. When the receiver has opted-in to your list, there is already an established trusting relationship, which makes it more likely that the receiver will buy. Unlike other forms of advertising, which often go unseen, your message will be delivered directly to each subscriber. Your message can be personalized for each receiver, and set up in both HTML and text versions to ensure that everyone can read it.

Each email message can link directly to specific pages on your website, so a customer can respond to your message 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Not having to wait for “normal business hours” decreases the chances that your message will be set aside for later and then forgotten.

With detailed reports, you can track the results of each email campaign. Some of the details include: how many emails received, how many emails opened, who clicked through, what they clicked, who forwarded your email to somebody, and who clicked more than once. This allows you to measure the effectiveness of each message and see what is working best for your company.

Keep in mind that to be effective, your email campaigns cannot be strictly hard-sell, they must offer value. An email newsletter is a great vehicle to regularly stay in touch with your subscribers. They can be used for demonstrating your knowledge in your field, announcing new products or services, and distributing time-sensitive announcements or promotional offers. Providing coupons, useful how-to tips and information related to your products or services also increases the chances that the receiver will forward your newsletter to a friend or family member, possibly gaining you a new subscriber.

Not sure where to start? Click here for more information about ConvergeFx email marketing services