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Small Business Email Marketing – How to Improve Your Marketing ROI

IPT Ltd recently released some survey results that proved very interesting reading. They asked the public what they considered to be the most effective marketing medium. There were no surprises to see that TV came first with 37%, but a surprising second was email, which came in at 32%! Which approach do you think will generate the best return for a small business? Yes, small business email marketing!

Obviously, you will need the contact details of your customers as well as any new prospects, for your small business email marketing plan to succeed.

There are two ways that you can get people visiting your business to give you their contact details. Get them to fill out a form on the premises for you to manually upload later or, (the best option), direct them to your website where they can fill in a opt in form.

To ensure that people actually want to give you their details, you’ll need to offer them some kind of incentive. Buy One Get One Free offers, competitions, and even valuable free information do a good job. Every person who fills in the opt in form becomes a member of your email “club”, people you’ll be able to contact time after time.

There is a well known business maxim that goes “people only do business with people they like” and if we add ‘know and trust’ then there you have the goal of online email marketing. Each email you send will build up trust and the likelihood that the email prospect will buy from you when the time is right.

Email marketing for small businesses is a really good business-building decision for all small businesses. As well as being a extremely cost effective, emails build trust, credibility and enable you to send messages to your customers or clients at a time when they are ready to purchase, whether that is the 3rd email you send, 14th or 154th!

A good small business email marketing approach to take is to describe a problem that your target market has, and suggest your product or service as a solution. As you show understanding of the problem, on a subconscious level your email recipient will know that you can solve it. Another way is to provide useful tips people can use, as this demonstrates knowledge and expertise. Also sending an email with a coupon that can be printed out and used as a discount is good business email marketing approach as well.

The same research completed by IPT also shows that most influential aspect of an email communication is discounts or money off at 27%, second comes general interest about product or service at 24% and joint third place at 20% is prize draw and brand familiarity. These statistics should help in your decisions as to what to include in your own small business email marketing campaign.

One example in the ‘real’ world small business email marketing success I can think of is a dog breeder who started a monthly newsletter with photos of the dogs they had available. This meant that if a person came by and didn’t want any of the dogs on that particular day, they could sign up for the email newsletter and get photos of new dogs sent to them each month, without having to visit the breeder’s home. Now these dogs were selling for about $1300 a pop, so this was a brilliant way to keep in touch with potential dog buyers.

You just need to look to the Fortune Global 500 corporations to see more examples of email marketing success. They recognize that staying in touch with clients and customers through email can actually cut your advertising costs and get you more sales. With small business email marketing you can easily get to the stage where an email blast is more successful than a £2,000 for a full page newspaper ad.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get you started then…

Easy Steps to Create a Google Email at Your Own Dot Com Free – Own a Dot Com for Free

This used to be impossible to do without paying for your own domain name, therefore, having an email at your own dot com costs.

The key to owning your own dot com email is getting a free domain name. Once you find this, setting up the email will be easy. Google just recently launched its Google Apps service providing smart business applications for email, documents, sites and more.They are willing to host your domain name for free and take advantage of their business services at no cost.

There are several companies that say they offer free domain names. Web hosting companies give free domain names as part of their hosting package. Others are just redirection services. What they really provide is a sub domain of a very short domain name. Try using this service and you won’t be able to host the domain name in any web hosting company. Why? Because you don’t really control the domain.

In order to have full control of the domain name, one must be able to control its cname, a, mx, and ns records. If you own a domain and try to host it in a free web hosting service, the host will ask you to point your domain to their name servers. Google apps will ask you to change the cname record to what they will provide. Google can also give their mx records for you to copy and paste in your domain management.

We need to find a free domain name service that supports full DNS control and domain management. One that provides free DNS and MX services.

Once you have full control of your own domain name for free, you can now sign up for a free web hosting service. Point your domain to their name servers, modify the mx record to the one provided by Google apps and presto, you got yourself a Google email at your own dot com.

All these are now possible and easily doable. Own your dot com for free and create an email address at your own dot com free.

Let’s slow down a little bit. These are what you need and look for:

1. A free domain name. You must have full control of this domain. Find a service that provides full DNS control and domain management. One that is not merely a redirection service.

2. Sign up for a good free web hosting company. One that provides own domain hosting for free. Take advantage of what they offer like large disk spaces, 100gb to 300gb bandwidth, easy to use website builder, and a Fantastico one click script installer. This is where you will host your new domain name. Get their name servers and go back to your domain management to point your domain name to the web host’s name servers.

3. Sign up for Google Apps using your domain name. Google will ask you to activate email by providing their MX record.

4. Log back in to your free web host member’s area and at your control panel, you can modify the MX record. Enter the one provided by Google.

Once completed, all you have to do is wait 24 to 48 hours for these settings to take effect. You now have your new domain name, a good web hosting service, and your Google email at your own dot com all for free. Why not build your website from here and start a new confident journey to an online business. Or just simply have fun.

Project The Right Image–Starting With Your Email Address

Email addresses are just as important today as toll-free numbers were in the past.

Why? I would rather call 1-800-FLOWERS than 1-800-476-8874, for two reasons. First, it’s easier to remember. Second, and more importantly, the text version tells me that the company has put more of an effort into setting up their business. I think the same is true of email addresses. I would sooner email sales@flowers.com than flowers@rogers.com or flowers691@hotmail.com.

Many of you are still using rogers.com, sympatico.com, hotmail.com, and yahoo.ca addresses. My guess is that you’re doing so because you think you need a website in order to have your own domain name. Good news–this is not the case! Thanks to services provided by several companies, you can have your domain name and eat it too. (Ok, I know that was lame, but I’m sure you get the idea.)

While there are many ways to get a custom domain name (www.yourdomainname.com) without having a website, I’ll focus on two companies that, together, allow you to do this for about $10 a year. One you probably haven’t heard of: Godaddy. The other, I can say with absolute certainty, you have: Google. Need more than one email addresses? No problem. That same $10 dollars gets you up to 50 email addresses.

Now you’re probably asking: how do I do this?

Step 1: Visit http://www.godaddy.com and search for a domain name that suits you and your business. When you’ve found one, it costs roughly $10 per year to “own your piece of the internet” by registering the name. If you register the name for a longer period, you can save some money. If you’re looking to get a .ca domain name instead of a .com, email me and I’ll point you in the right direction.

Step 2: Visit http://www.google.com/a/ and sign up–for free–for Google Apps for Your Domain. Google Apps provides you with 50 email accounts for your domain name. You can access these email accounts using Google’s Gmail online interface, or you can use any email application on your PC or Mac. You can also set up a customizable start page, private-labelled Google Calendar, and Google Page Creator for your domain. This last one allows you to create a simple web page for your domain using a what-you-see-is-what-you-get design tool.

Did I mention all this will only cost you $10 A YEAR? You no longer have an excuse to use anything but your custom domain name email addresses.

And yes, I use Google Apps for my email.

Business to Business Email Marketing Basics

If you’re not sending out email newsletters to clients and potential clients, you’re losing money. 98% of people check their email via their mobile phones in today’s society. That’s 98%! People are on the go and checking their email via push notifications. If you’re not sending out specials and updates about your products or services, your customers are not keeping your company in mind most of the time. And, other businesses may capture your business. So, you just read, email marketing and newsletters are important because they now reach your customers immediately.

To be successful with an email marketing campaign you need to have a clear, concise subject line. A long subject line, or one that isn’t clear about what you’re offering, is likely to be dismissed as SPAM by the recipient.

Make sure you format your email message properly. People use different types of phones, which means they’re using different types of browsers and operating systems. If your message shows up jumbled or ill-formatted, the customer will not reach on and he or she will simply delete your efforts and offer. If you are not familiar with the different types of mobile marketing / email newsletter formats, please find a company that is.

You should also utilize strong content. Don’t be pushy but be blunt. State your offer, state the benefits, state the timeline that the customer has to take advantage of the offer. Being too wordy or not getting to the point will not result in sales or interest by customers. Don’t venture into the opposite direction, either. Verbiage that is too alike to that of a used car’s sale ad will also turn people away.

You should also monitor the stats of your email marketing efforts. If more people are opening emails on Tuesday nights versus Saturday mornings, adjust your delivery dates for important sales and/or notices.

Email marketing is becoming stronger than ever these days. People are utilizing social media to produce more subscribers to newsletters, which contain special promotional offers and better ROI results. Incorporating video, audio, and even consumer contests into an immediate email offer or email newsletter will help your business grow and products / services sell quicker.

Don’t forget content will always be king. The use of too many photos or unprofessional video links can backfire when sending out any type of email marketing collateral. Make sure all your content and media collateral is balanced, looks professional and is accompanied by a strong call to action.

List Building, Lead Generation and Email Marketing

Email leads are definitely one of the cheapest ways in generating ROI (Return of Investment). It helps you gain from interested prospects through effective marketing strategies.

Email leads can help generate sales leads through email marketing. By building a list of people’s contact details, you can give them more information and updates about your products and services. So by the time they are ready to make that purchase, they would know how to reach your site again. This means, you need to send them email messages just so you can convince them to making a purchase.

Email marketing is without a doubt the most effect method used by business owners and Internet marketers. It offers an efficient way of sending niche messages as well as broadcast to possible clients.

There are a lot of advantages you can get from email marketing. First and foremost, sending email messages are a lot cheaper as compared to print media. All you need is a computer and a reliable Internet connection. Second, it offers a shorter time of delivery. As a matter of fact, you can send email messages in a matter of seconds. Third, it has a wide user base. These days, who still doesn’t have an email address?

Of course, if there are advantages, there are also disadvantages. One disadvantage would be the fact that there is a tendency to be regarded as SPAM. Don’t worry; there are now ways to resolve that issue. You can consider double opt-ins. With double opt-ins, after your visitor finishes filling up the opt-in form he or she will be asked to verify his email address through an automatic email you will send to him or her. If this is the case, you would need to set up an autoresponder too.

List building and email marketing are just the first two important steps to the buying cycle. To succeed in the two, you may need to consider an effective email leads campaign. To do this, you need to initially identify your target and the messages you will use in order to achieve ROI. Hence, even a single email for as long as it is dynamic and it can grab attention is enough to lead you to the right path.

You can also try buying leads. Just make sure you can buy qualified leads. Keep in mind that these leads can vary greatly when it comes to quality.

The third important step would be sending email messages to your subscribers. With a powerful email script, you can convert your subscribers into buying customers.

Your Seven Step Plan for Email Marketing Mastery

Email marketing hits your prospects right where it counts – right in their inbox. With an effective email marketing campaign you can accomplish several different goals all at once. You can:

Find new prospects

Show off your expertise.

Develop trust.

Introduce them to new resources.

Become a friendly expert in their corner.

And of course… sell products and services.

Although most marketers are focused on the last bullet point, all of the other goals of email marketing feed into your ultimate level of sales. It’s important to use email marketing in the right way so you can reach all of these goals and more.

Here are seven steps you can follow to master email marketing and make it an essential tool for your business.

Choose the right autoresponder program.

Your email marketing is only as strong as the technology that supports it. I highly recommend GetResponse for their reliable service and outstanding results. With GetResponse you can use a number of professional looking templates, training and other resources to help you make the most of email marketing.

Identify who you are.

People are more likely to open emails from names that they recognize, so it’s important to use the right identification in your messages. Even if you’ve established your business with a name like “USA Sports Equipment” your messages should be coming from an individual person and use a unique voice. People want to receive email from other people – not faceless businesses.

Use a valuable freebie.

You won’t get any opt ins to your list unless you have something to give away. Make sure that your giveaway is something that your audience will take interest in – and something that they’ll be willing to give their email addresses away for. You can give away an information rich white paper, a demo of the software you’re selling or an ecourse that covers topics that are important to your audience.

Engage your audience with a follow up sequence.

The biggest mistake that entrepreneurs make when they build a list is getting people to sign up and then disappearing until they have something to sell. It’s important that you keep engaged with your audience regularly. Send them a sequence of five to seven messages in order to stay involved, educate them further and be a regular part of their inbox.

Send a monthly newsletter.

Once you’ve sent out a follow up sequence, you can stay in touch with your list members regularly by sending out a newsletter. The newsletter should highlight the latest news from your blog, share insider tips that you want your list members to know and remind them of special offers that are coming up.

Sell only after you’ve offered value.

Your sales offers are going to be more well received when you have established a relationship with your list members and they know that you offer quality. You should hold off on “hard selling” your list members until they’ve at least been through your follow up sequence. You’ll see much higher conversion rates this way.

Create a follow up sequence after the sale.

People who have made a purchase from you should be segmented into a different list so you can approach them in a different way. This follow up sequence can go over some of the benefits of your list, can upsell them on similar products and make them feel comfortable with their purchase so they are more likely to buy from you in the future.