Online Marketing Blog

By: Robert Burko
Category: Email Marketing

Unless your small business is situated under a rock, you’ve probably heard something about email marketing by now, and you may have even wondered if it’s time for your small business to get into it.

In its simplest terms, email marketing means communicating with consumers through email. But there’s a big difference between trying to talk to consumers who never asked to be talked to in the first place, and talking to your own customers, who at some point have said, "Yes, I’d love to hear from you."

That’s where permission email marketing comes in. Permission email marketing means giving valuable information to consumers who have requested to receive it. It is the ONLY legitimate way to send an email marketing campaign, and it is the only way your small business can benefit from email marketing.

But how do you get your customers to say "I do"?

If you have an online business, or if your offline business has a website that receives many visitors, compiling subscribers can be as easy as adding a subscription box to your website. You would offer users something valuable, like a periodical newsletter or emails with discount coupons and, in return, your users would subscribe to your mailing list.

Sounds great. But what if your business is primarily offline, and what if you don’t even have a website?

Many businesses think that’s reason enough to step out of email marketing altogether. But what they’re missing here is that compiling a permission email marketing list offline can be as easy, if not easier in some instances, as building a list online.

We have advised many clients on tips to collect email addresses at the point of purchase. Here are some of our favorite tactics: - Collect business cards, Offer a prize. This is one of the oldest, most proven methods of collecting customer information in-store. Your prize doesn’t even have to be huge. If you own a restaurant, it can be as simple as a free dinner for two. If you own a hair dresser, it can be as easy a 50% off coupon towards their next cut. The beauty here is that customers who submit their business cards have expressed genuine interest in your products or services. So when you contact them by email with further offers, you know you’re talking to people who want to buy what you’re selling.

The one thing to keep in mind here is that you MUST inform users that by submitting their business cards, they are agreeing to receive email communication from you. This can be as simple as adding a sign to the business card drop-off box saying: "We will send you an email to notify you if you have won. We may also send you periodical emails with special offers and announcements. If you do not wish to receive emails from us, please write ‘No Email’ on your business card."

- Start a V.I.P. Club Many consumers like the idea of belonging to something exclusive, and receiving offers that are extended only to a select group of people. The labor on your part is minimal. It’s as easy as keeping a notebook by the cashier. As a customer comes up to complete a purchase, casually tell them about your businesses’ V.I.P. Club and ask them if they would like to join. Customers will appreciate this if you position it as a rewards club, or a way to say "Thank you, we love to have you around" to your most loyal customers. Of course, you should offer V.I.P. Club membership to any of your consumers, as you may find, once you start emailing them offers, that’s a great way to build your most loyal customers. Make sure the offers you send them are, in fact, exclusive, and that you email V.I.P. Club members often enough, but not too often to become annoying (once or twice a month is usually a good interval).

Again, when you’re collecting customer emails for the V.I.P. Club, make sure your customers know they’re signing up to receive email offers from you.

*** These are just some ideas to get your permission email marketing subscriber list started. The best news here is that compiling a list is actually the toughest part of managing an email marketing campaign. As long as you’re using an email marketing manager program that’s specifically designed for small businesses like yours, the rest of the process is a breeze.

Creating a campaign involves little more than selecting a professionally-designed template, typing text and choosing a few good images. Your campaigns will be scheduled and sent automatically, so you’ll never have to worry about being involved in that part.

What you will get to do (and this is probably the most exciting and most rewarding part of email marketing), is analyze your campaign after it’s been sent. You’ll be able to see how many people opened your email message, how many people clicked on each link within the message and, best of all, exactly who did what. Now that’s what we call accurate, detailed, and immediate consumer research (you actually get to track your consumers’ actions from the exact moment they happen). And while you would previously pay a fortune just to get this research data, today your small business can send professional email marketing campaigns and track detailed consumer behavior for less than it would cost you to print store flyers.

It’s the new age of marketing, and there’s never been a better time for your offline small business to get into the game.

Robert Burko is president and founder of Eliteweb.cc, an Internet portal and suite of Fortune 500 tools designed for the specific needs of small businesses. Eliteweb’s direct email marketing manager is perfect for online or offline small businesses. Click on the link above for a no-commitment 30-day Free trial.

Publish this article: Permission Email Marketing Tips for Offline Small Business Owners

By: Stephen Pope
Category: Email Marketing

I sent my e-zine out last week and I received a copy of it back. It had been forwarded to me by a subscriber. In the subject line was a two word sentence; since most publications and websites frown upon vulgarity, obscenity, and profanity, I have spared you the exact wording. Be assured, however, that Miss Manners would definitely not approve. It is understandable the frustration that people feel when they are inundated with unsolicited commercial e-mail. I myself get more than my fair share. Despite my Internet Service Provider (ISP) enabling a spam filter and in spite of configuring my own e-mail program filters, I still get spam.

However, the situation with my subscriber is different. He opted in and confirmed his subscription. I use an outside service to handle my mailing lists, in part, to protect myself from false spam complaints. There are a number of possibilities here. Perhaps my dear subscriber forgot that he subscribed and honestly believed that he received spam. Another possibility is that he didn’t enjoy the content. The correct response when someone offers you something you don’t want is "No, thank you" not "Expletive deleted". If you are offered dessert after dinner by your host and you don’t want any, simply say "No, thanks." If you accept one piece of pie and then you’re offered another, you may either accept or decline.

My subscriber could simply have unsubscribed. Instead, he retaliated (either because he believes I’m spamming him or he doesn’t like the newsletter). He said "yes" when he subscribed; he can always say "no" by unsubscribing. Again, "No, thank you" not "Expletive deleted". Related to this rudeness is the ignorance some America Online, Inc. (AOL) subscribers show. By ignorance, I mean that they may not even realize they are doing anything wrong when they report e-mail they don’t like as spam. AOL makes it very easy for their subscribers to report spam. I would say they make it too easy. Just click the button "Report Spam".

Unfortunately, there is no notation near that button that says "If you subscribed, just unsubscribe." No, simply "Report Spam." And they do. Rather than unsubscribe, some AOL subscribers will report your e-zine as spam. They opted in and subscribed. They confirmed their subscription by e-mail. Their name, e-mail address, IP address, and date and time of subscribing have all been recorded. But, they are reporting you as a spammer.

This, to me, goes beyond rude, as it could affect the reputation and livelihood of the one being reported. I wish I could say that receiving obscenities or threats by e-mail is rare. Sadly, this is not the first time for me. Among the many messages I receive are some that say that the e-mail I tried to send (from some strange or nonsensical name at my domain) was undeliverable or blocked and is being returned to me. Of course, I never sent that e-mail in the first place.

Occasionally, I receive rude (sometimes threatening) e-mails from people who thought I sent them some of these spoofed e-mails. This is the equivalent of swearing at and threatening someone who you believe allowed his dog to defecate on your lawn. The only problem is that the man doesn’t have a dog. Again, I sympathize with those who are irritated by spam. I just wish they would direct their indignation at the spammers instead of me. In fact, Miss Manners would have reminded us all that there is never any excuse for rudeness.

About the author: J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., has been helping clients to earn maximum business profits for over twenty-five years.

To learn more about autoresponder services and other profitable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/autoresponders.html

Publish this article: Anti-Spammers Need To Develop Better Manners

By: Jeff Schuman
Category: Email Marketing

An email automatic responder or autoresponder is the second most important marketing tool I have to make money online. The first would be my hosting company. Without these 2 tools my internet marketing business is dead in the water. In the world of internet marketing, millions of sites are fiercely competing with each other to gain new clients. For any ecommerce site to succeed, it must capture the interest and the trust of its visitors. It is not enough that your site is perfectly designed or has the latest in animation of content. You should focus your efforts not only in attracting visitors but also in leading them to make a purchase.

There are dozens of marketing strategies you can use to attract more buyers and pump up your sales. One of them is by establishing an excellent and professional reputation for prompt and efficient response. As more potential customers visit your site, you should expect a flood of inquiries and requests for information. This is an excellent opportunity for you to capture more clients and lead them to buying from your site. Thus, it is important that you carry out an efficient and prompt response to every email you receive.

The fastest and most effective way to do this is by utilizing an email automatic responder. Autoresponder services use a computer program that automatically return a prewritten message to anyone who sends an email to your site. It is widely used for responding to consumer inquiries and visitor comments and suggestions. Follow up automatic responders are also used by e-zines in responding to people who subscribe or unsubscribe to their online magazines. Companies, who send out their e-newsletter regularly, also use utoresponders. How can effective autoresponder services help boost your business? The answer lies in its ability to return a prompt response to any e-mail the site receives.

By responding rapidly and efficiently, you create a very good impression on your potential customer. Good email autorespondrs help you get important information back to these customers immediately. An effective autoresponder service helps you communicate your message promptly, creating a sense of professionalism and efficiency that your clients will definitely appreciate. Another very important advantage of email automatic responders is that it saves time with multiple marketing tasks.

Certainly, you do not have enough time to personally make and send all correspondence. Autoresponder services allows you to send thank you letters, newsletters, product information, brochures, orders etc. to hundreds of clients almost immediately and simultaneously. Autoresponder services are also indispensable in any email marketing campaign. Choosing the right autoresponder is very important. What makes the best automatic responder? First, you should pick an autoresponder that is reliable and can give you 24/7 service. You cannot afford to lose a customer because your autoresponder failed to answer his query or request for information.

The ability to respond promptly is the first thing you must look for in any automatic responder. Another key factor you should consider when choosing Autoresponder servcies is flexibility. Good autoresponders allow you to customize unique responses that will have maximum effect on the customer. You should avoid creating an impression that the customer is communicating with a machine instead of a real human being. An excellent email automatic responder lets you provide the information that is specifically targeted for what the potential customers are looking for. Because any email from potential customers essentially represent the customer’s intent on getting more information about your product, which can ultimately lead to direct sales, all emails are important.

Thus, a top Autoresponder servcie must fulfill all these duties to help you boost your business. For all of our autoresponder needs we prefer Aweber. They are very reasonably priced and have proved to be reliable and easy to use.

Team-Schuman.Com contains the best make money online and make money websites available today. If you want to make money check us out here: http://www.team-schuman.com/email-automatic-responder.html

Publish this article: How I Use Email Automatic Responders

By: Deidra Ruiz
Category: Email Marketing

Some people think that email marketing is an old-school strategy that is completely ineffective and waste of money. While it is true that you need to spend cash on email blast software and exert extra effort on finding leads, email marketing being ineffective is a misconception. In fact, some marketers use this to fire up sales and traffic to their websites. If done correctly, and wisely, email marketing can help you grow your business 10x more than what you projected.

What is email marketing?

Email marketing is a campaign done by sending messages directly to email addresses. It is a form of direct marketing that aims to strengthen and retain an existing merchant-consumer relationship; as well as convince and acquire new clients. Usually, these email messages contain advertisements that promote the business’ promos, new products, packages and others.

Unfortunately, with the growth of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Optimization (SMO), email marketing has been set aside and nearly forgotten. Also, free email address providers such as Google and Yahoo have become stricter with their filtration of spam messages. Thus, the marketer need to exert a little more effort on his email message content if he wants his ad to get through.

Pros and cons of email marketing

Most people think email marketing is doomed. But there are still a few companies who invest in this form of campaign. As long as you have gathered a significant amount of active email addresses, you can assure that your campaign will be successful.

What makes this form of campaign effective compared to banner ads, pay-per-clicks, and other types of advertisements is its directness to communication. In a click of a button, you can reach millions of email users through their personal email addresses. You are confident that you’re communicating directly to your target audience.

On the other hand, if a marketer is not too careful in investing for this strategy, then he is most likely to fail. Example, if a marketer bought instead of collecting his list of email addresses, he will have zero assurance that all the email addresses are active. Also, in buying email lists, the marketer is not assured that all of these users are interested in his product. The campaign will therefore be useless because he’s marketing towards the wrong audience.

Another problem with email marketing is buying illegitimate software. Be very meticulous and careful in buying software online. There are plenty of bogus sellers online that offer ineffective software. Make sure you read about the software first before buying them.

Deidra Ruiz is a SEO and web content writing expert who specializes in authoring articles that are SEO wise as well as informative. It’s a Writer’s world is an online blog dedicated to provide informative articles about various topics such as about health and fitness, email marketing, and etc.

Publish this article: Is Email Marketing still Effective?

By: Chris Cobb
Category: Email Marketing

Email Marketing and The Role of Auto-Responders

Without doubt, email marketing – and the use of auto-responders in particular – is absolutely crucial to the success and income potential of any online business. Essentially, they enable you to promote your product to hundreds and thousands of customers in an instant, and then deliver it immediately, without having to do anything yourself.

They can also function as your secretary, answering emails and confirming orders, enabling you to get on with the job of expanding your business and making more money! However, it’s in selling your products that the auto-responder really shines.

You see, once your prospects have visited your website and signed up for your free email course, e-book, newsletter etc, via your data capture form, you can start promoting your product(s) to every single email address that you’ve managed to collect. From this point on, your auto-responders will do all the hard work, working as your personal salesman, 24/7.

This is what’s known as an email marketing campaign, and it’s the auto-responder that will allow you to deliver this content quickly, easily and effectively…

Studies have shown that it takes between 6-7 follow-up emails before a customer actually makes a purchase, so auto-responders are absolutely crucial to your business.

You obviously can’t send all of these emails manually, to each and every prospect that gives you their contact details. That would be incredibly time-consuming. Instead, an auto-responder service enables you to write something once and then program its delivery, so it’s sent out to prospects whenever you want it to be, without you actually having to do anything further.

There are a variety of auto-responder services available online and I’d recommend that you have a good look around before you sign up to any single provider. However, I’ve found AWeber, GetResponse and 1shoppingcart to be the best. All three provide superb email marketing services and will enable you to build and manage your list of customers.

So, once you’ve started collecting leads via your data capture form (squeeze page), it’s time to send out your free email course, newsletter, e-book etc, using one of the above services.

All you need to do is program the time-scale and then set up the automated first-name field which personalizes each email, such as “Hello [Brian],” for example (your auto-responder service will show you how to do this).

Therefore, when someone signs up for your course through your squeeze page, your auto-responder is programmed to send out the first email immediately, and automatically plug-in the first name of the prospect that has signed up!

The first piece of correspondence should normally be a welcome email, thanking the prospect for subscribing. Your second email could then be programmed to arrive in their inbox one or two days afterwards, your third email two days after that… and so on.

All the while you’re giving your subscribers helpful information and consequently building a positive relationship, increasing the chances of an eventual sale, which is, after all, the ultimate goal of your email marketing campaign…

Happy emailing!
 

About the Author: Chris Cobb is an internet marketer, mentor and coach. His online business brings in automated income each and every day, and often as much as six figures in a single month. If you’d like to find out how he does it, click on the link above! For information about Chris Cobb’s charity work, go here: Chris Cobb

Publish this article: Email Marketing and The Role of Auto-Responders

By: Bob Walton
Category: Email Marketing

Today, email marketing is one of many elements that businesses can use to successfully market their services or products. Entire campaigns can be turned out electronically and are usually done so in unison with other marketing techniques. The presence of spam has made email marketing more difficult, with many emails falling through the proverbial cracks and not being delivered to their intended targets due to a number of circumstances, ranging from very secure email filters designed to weed out spam to heightened awareness and diligence by the user. Indeed, spam has made the majority of users much more security conscious than ever before and as a result being able to successfully market via email is more of a challenge than it has ever been.

Nevertheless, email is a very effective type of marketing on the internet and can provide businesses with yet another possible avenue to create awareness and in turn increase revenue. Let’s look at some of the things you can do to ensure that your email is going to reach its intended recipient and in turn, how you can make your email marketing efforts both effective and rewarding.

When sending out emails to all of your established contacts, be sure to use your opt-in list as a reference in case any of your mail is returned or blocked as spam. An opt-in list is a list of clients or customers who have given their permission to receive information from your business. People know who you are and most likely have your email address in their address books or directories, so your email is getting to whom it is supposed to with little to no obstructions or difficulty. Keep your client or customers email addresses and other contact info up to date and be sure to eliminate duplicate entries, if your clients and customers start receiving duplicate messages with sales announcements or offers they may simply regard it as spam and as such all further messages from you risk being automatically relegated to the spam – ie: unread and ignored – file. Using contact management software is a very useful way to avoid issues like these, if your business does not already manage contacts with a specified application it would be wise to investigate this.

Now, on the subject of spam, it is very important to ensure that none of your messages, when read, could be interpreted as spam. This is actually quite simple to achieve and ties somewhat into the points mentioned above. Be honest – send the kind of information that you promoted when your clients and customers initially signed on to your mailing list. When they initially became contacts and agreed to be included in your email list you likely indicated at that time what future emails from your business would entail – upcoming sales, press releases concerning new products or services, tips, etc – make sure that is exactly what you deliver each and every time. Any abuse of this will damage your reputation and legitimacy in the long run.

Many first time email marketing campaigns can be poorly received, this can be attributed to many intangibles – website design, poorly conceived landing pages, timeliness of the service or product you’re offering – but more often than not, it is the message itself that is the problem. Common sense is your friend here: don’t use all caps in the subject line, use concise paragraphs, send messages from an address that can be replied to, always use spelling and grammar checks before sending mass email, make sure that deadlines or special circumstances are communicated effectively, use call to action words and phrases to generate interest, avoid sending gimmicky pictures or links in an attempt to come across as humorous or pop-culture savvy and always make sure there is an option provided for the recipient to unsubscribe from the mailing list.

Use the information and tips here to ensure your email marketing campaign is as relevant to your clients and customers as it is profitable for you and your business.
 

Bob Walton is a representative for BigContacts, a proven Web Based CRM software and Business Contact Manager.  Used by many thousands of small businesses around the world, our clients tell us that our contact management software helps them retain more clients, reduce expenses and close more sales. Visit us online today for more information.

Publish this article: Successful Email Marketing Campaigns – How To and How Not To.

By: Billy Giann
Category: Email Marketing

Then it happens,after a lot of reasearch you think you have known everything but you still weren’t able to make a profit.

In fact, you may be losing money. You maybe hiring writers to help you out, or there are some expenses incurred, even if you have a big list, but only a very small percentage actually buys from you, your still losing profit.

So whats wrong? The most common mistake is that you dived straight right in. You chose a topic where you think could be quite popular and would earn you money. This just not the case. Just because you wrote people from the list doesn’t mean they are going to buy instantly.

Here I will offer more advice, for those who have started an opt-in list and have failed, you can rejuvenate your failed venture. For those who are starting, here are three quick and easy ways to build a profitable opt-in list.

1)You have to build trust with your list and your customers. Just launching your opt-in list would not make you an expert and a believable seller. Put many articles first before you start an opt-in list and give valuable information.Do your reasearch in forums about your customers wants and needs and target those wants and needs.

Provide expert advices and recommendations. When you feel that people trust you already, you will be able to start your own opt-in list. You can build a base as well with other forum users. You can ask them to join your list. Friends are always good customers.Make asignature in the forum with a link to your site so that they may be able to see what your business is all about.

The certain truth is, the money will only come in when the consumers and subscribers believe and trust in you. They want a product or service that could be a good exchange for their money. People are not going to buy something out of your recommendation if they don’t know you.

2) Find a product or service that people want and need and you also believe in.Something you could also buy. Although it may not be your forte, if you provide a service and product that you have researched and learned about well, you can carry it on forward.Find something popular

While it is true that it is best to sell something that you have interest in, t Do your research well and you would see the profits come in. Also provide your subscribers with promotional material that they could actually use and spread around.

3) Make friends with other opt-in list users. This is really beneficial especially if it is someone who has already launched a successful opt-in list. These are people having the experience in this venture and experience is still the best teacher.there is nothing like getting a first hand account from someone you trust.In simple words,learn from the best.

Experienced opt-in list users will be able to tell you what to do and what not to do because they have gone through it. While different situations occur for different people, the general concept can still be very helpful. There are many things to avoid and these people will be able to tell you which ones.

Have patience..It will not happen overnight.It needs some effort. Opt-in lists are built from scratch, as your list grows, you should also maintain the quality of your list. Keep it organized and manageable. Get or hire help if need be, just make sure that your subscribers are happy and satisfied and they will be willing to buy from you.
 

Billy was born in Greece before 33 years and lives there till now and he is a full time Internet Marketer since 2010

Click Here For Your Free E-book

Publish this article: Opt in.Ways To Build A Profitable List

By: Albert Joseph
Category: Email Marketing

Email encryption is a term that refers to the encryption and authentication of electronic mail, or e-mail. The most common email encryption is designed to rely on what is called public key cryptography. There are several popular protocols that are used to encrypt e-mail, the most notable of which are mail session encryption, certificate encryption, Open PGP encryption, TLS encryption, and S / MIME encryption.

Mail Session Encryption – this is associated with increased use of STARTTLS SMTP, which is a layer of TLS, which is on top of the connection SMTP. She is able to protect mail traffic sniffed as he passed, but it really does not include email encryption, as the actual content within the e-mail capable of being opened and thusly forged e-mail relays, which are involved. Cryptography, then, is really going on between the individual SMTP relay, but not between the individual sender and recipient. When both relays support the proposal STARTTLS, then it can be used regardless of whether or not another protocol used to encrypt the contents of the e-mail.

Identity encryption is a form of public-key cryptography, which is designed and implemented to use the unique information about the identity of users, such as e-mail as a public key. The public key can also be a text value, such as domain name or the name or IP address associated, for example.

Open PGP – PGP stands for Pretty Good Privacy, and Open PGP is a computer program designed to provide cryptographic privacy and authentication. It is often used for signature, decryption or encryption of email messages in order to improve security for electronic communications.

TLS – TLS means Transport Layer Security, and he is the successor to Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL. These cryptographic protocols are designed to ensure data integrity and security for networks, such as via the Internet. There are several versions of these protocols, which saw widespread use, including distributing Web browser, Internet fax, secure email, VoIP and instant messaging.

S / MIME – S / MIME is an acronym that stands for Multipurpose Internet Mail extensions, and a standard that is used for email signatures and public key email encryption, which is encapsulated in MIME.

Private Email Network PEN safe path, which uses high encryption, without requiring complex programs, certificates, or servers. Safe use of existing e-mail messages and can be created and read in any system. Email2 a platform of business communication enables security to your organization and creates a private network Email.

Each of these protocols, email encryption, encryption, mail encryption session identity, Open PGP encryption, TLS encryption, and S / MIME encryption is used for various purposes, and some apply not only to encrypt e-mail, but also to other types of encryption, including Internet and Image of Instant Messaging encryption, depending on the method and means of communication.

JumbleMe offers free secure email services with password protected encryption email that can be used from any PC or handheld. No software required.

Publish this article: Secure Encrypted Email

By: Eduardo Roth
Category: Email Marketing

Online marketing strategies have become an effective solution for making the most of a company’s marketing dollars for many businesses. These new and increasingly popular online alternatives allow many benefits not offered with traditional and offline marketing techniques.

Email marketing software is one proven example of an online marketing technique that allows a company to build relationships, gather data and make sales, while promoting their business. This method allows for ease of use and is a very cost effective and secure way to consider for your email marketing and advertising needs. Email marketing software is an extremely popular marketing strategy that allows for creation of email marketing campaigns that can be custom designed for your promotional needs and target audience. This tool lets you create, maintain, and store a variety of email lists for use in your marketing and advertising campaigns. These personalized email campaigns will provide a custom look that can result in more targets reached and therefore better sales results.

In addition, email marketing software provides the capability to track and monitor your marketing emails and newsletter campaign efforts so that you can adjust the materials as needed to better attract your target audience. These programs also allow a company to monitor the marketing campaign to see how it is progressing. Details such as number of sign ups and conversion rates can be summarized to determine which campaigns are performing better. You can also track data email ‘open rates’ to be aware of how many email campaigns are actually opened versus being deleted unread.

Another popular online marketing technique is a marketing content management system. A CMS is designed to aid and simplify in the publication of web content. A CMS is utilized to simplify the publication of adding content to web sites. A marketing CMS is especially useful for content creators with no technical knowledge of uploading files or HTML design. Most CMS use a database to store marketing content that is frequently needed to facilitate creation and design presentation options. In addition, marketing content management systems offer many templates for the easy design of a marketing campaign.

If you’re curious about what a marketing content management system can do for you, the answer is…just about everything! CMS tools developed for marketing are often designed for successful, easy development and management of multi-channel marketing campaigns. These marketing content management systems offer very useful tools that deliver campaign planning, creation, targeting, delivery and tracking.
 

Matt Kennedy writes about the latest technology and marketing trends including email marketing software applications, marketing CMS and cross-channel marketing.

Publish this article: Online Marketing Strategies for Successful Campaigns

By: Geneva Alexander
Category: Email Marketing

The way businesses market to their customers has drastically changed over the course of the last decade. Ten years ago, few businesses were consistently applying the tools that are being used today by even the smallest start-ups. While email marketing has always been a way to reach consumers, finding an email marketing platform that was truly comprehensive enough to fulfill all of the needs of each individual business, let alone do so in a manner that was catered specifically to each business and customer, was next to impossible.

Times have changed, to the betterment of every business that chooses to take advantage of email, which is simply the most cost effective way to keep in contact with customers. But it doesn’t stop there. Cross-channel marketing is yet another tool available that will ensure that customers get the message, whether via email, mobile phone, social interaction, simple survey or web communication. Does it sound complicated? It’s not. In fact, the most robust email campaign management systems available today offer all the right tools so you can reach your customers on every available platform creating an effective dialogue that results in action.

The most important aspect of marketing, in any capacity, is to get the interest of each customer on a personal level. On the surface, this idea might seem impossible, or even preposterous. After all, how can you possibly coordinate all of the data you have about each customer and then cater your marketing campaigns to ensure that each customer is reached in her preferred method? With the right email marketing platform, all of this work is done for you. Additionally, the right email campaign management system will help you create a strategy that will work for both you and your customers, creating cohesion that will result in sales. Customers like to be spoken to; when you reach them in a manner that speaks to them, they reach back out to you.

Traditionally, the most difficult aspect of online marketing was finding each individual customer’s sweet spot. Companies may have had a list of customers who wanted to be reached by phone, and another that preferred email. In the past, this meant working with a company that would contract out each piece of marketing to specialized companies. At the least, this system was inconvenient and at its heart, it failed to combine all aspects of a campaign to ensure success across all platforms. The unfortunate news is that there are still email marketing platforms today that profess to be experts in cross-channel marketing, when all they are really doing is contracting the work out.

In this day and age, that system is simply antiquated, not to mention completely ineffective. Your customers may get the message, but you won’t know how your campaign is working as a whole. This is the key to cross-channel marketing – the system works together as a whole to give you a snapshot of the effectiveness of your campaign. Additionally, a comprehensive email campaign management system captures data that allows you to immediately improve the effectiveness of your communications.

At this point, it’s not hard to understand why the clear choice in email marketing is a cross-channel approach, but the intricacies can be daunting. Fear not; just as the system described above simply makes sense, so should the interface. That’s right, the interface by which you run this integral part of your business is easy to use. By having everything in one place, you can quickly and easily sort data, create content, and publish the marketing directly to your customers in the manner in which they prefer. Not only is it easy, it’s extremely cost effective, especially considering the wide range of customer-preferred platforms that a cross-channel email marketing system allows you to reach. Additionally, the wide range of features allows you to take control of your own marketing.

With these tools, you can easily create marketing materials through an interactive interface that will ensure your message reaches the right customers in the right way and the right time. That’s successful email campaign management.
 

Matt Kennedy writes about the latest technology and marketing trends including cross-channel marketing applications, email campaign management and the best use of an email marketing platform.

Publish this article: Why Cross-Channel Email Marketing is the Best Way to Reach Your Customers