Email Marketing | Local Marketing | Web Marketing

How To Build Your Email List

2 April 2022 by
Build Email List

Email is sometimes seen as a lonely outcast in the online marketing world, sometimes even a joke. It just keeps plodding on behind the scenes whiles its flashier cousins get all the attention. Yet savvy marketers know that email is just as powerful now as it has always been, and deploy it as an integral part of their online strategy.

Email is the perfect way to promote your products and services, distribute interesting content, and stay in touch with prospects and customers. Carefully targeted, automated “drip” campaigns that provide information without becoming spam can take your business from an interesting idea to a possible partner in the recipient’s mind.

Here are some eye-popping email statistics to give you a better perspective:

  • The number of email users continues to grow: Statista reports that there were over 4 billion email users worldwide in 2020. This number is expected to grow to almost 4.6 billion by 2025.
  • Emails get opened: In 2020 email benchmarks for all industries included an average open rate of 18.0%, an average click-through rate of 2.6%, and an average click-to-open rate of 14.1%.
  • They influence purchase decisions: According to consumer research, 59% of respondents say marketing emails influence their purchase decisions.
  • Emails get results: Even in 2019, the ROI on email marketing campaigns was over $40! How does that compare to direct mail or your other online efforts?
Email List Building Tactics

Why do people unsubscribe?

Why am I starting this blog with “how to keep your list” instead of “how to build your list”? Because keeping your list is probably the most effective way to “build your list”.

It’s similar to the age old money principle; “It’s much easier to make money, that it is to keep it.”

So how do we keep our email list subscribers from opting out?

To answer that question, let’s examine sending frequency.

Research firm Marketing Sherpa surveyed the opinions of 2,000 Americans about what frequency they think is optimal for newsletters. The diagram above shows how the survey participants answered the question:

“How often would you like to receive newsletters (coupons, promotions) from the companies you’re subscribed with?”

unsubscr11

Too frequent mailings are a sure way to lose subscribers. Your subscribers may unsubscribe simply because the emails they receive overload their inboxes. Just look at the huge selection of email customization tools that demonstrate the need for users to manage and reduce the number of emails they receive.

What is a normal unsubscribe rate?

There is no official percentage benchmark for the unsubscribing norm. It depends on each mailing campaign and the industry. That said, below is a table of industry averages which you might find interesting:

Email List Open Rates and Industry Averages

According to the Campaign Monitor research, the average unsubscribe rate in 2019 was about 0.17%. From 1000 letters sent – 1-2 people unsubscribe.

As long as the number of unsubscribes does not exceed 0.5%, everything is pretty normal. If your base is 200 subscribers, then with each submission at least one of them will unsubscribe. It’s sad, but true.

Segment your email list to lower unsubscribes.

The best way to lower the number of unsubscribes from your mailings is to segment your database. There are many different ways to do this:

  • which links are clicked when they receive your email;
  • which online resources are used (e-books, webinars, etc.);
  • whether they participate in online events or not (webinars, for example);
  • how often your emails are opened (frequency of interaction);
  • where subscribers live;
  • income level, psychographic data, etc.

The statistics prove the reliability of email marketing, but their effectiveness relies on the quality of your email list. Careful attention needs to be paid to adding addresses to your list, updating them as needed, sending quality content and promptly responding to unsubscribe requests.

Let’s talk about building your email list.

Probably the best way to build your email list is with a “give to get” opt in strategy.

Offer potential customers a white paper, or an infographic, in exchange for subscribing to your newsletter list. Their email goes into your database automatically, and generates a series of welcome, thank you, or content updates.

Most people jealously guard their email address because they don’t want to get on some type of “spam” list. But they do want to get worthwhile information and offers from companies that match their interests. So what can you offer that makes your company look good, and still adds value to your prospective customer?

Email List Building Tactics

Below are several creative ways you might consider building your list:

  1. Add an email opt-in form to your website: This one is simple – just ask your website visitors to subscribe to your monthly online newsletters. Once they sign-up, be sure to only send relevant, interesting content that meets their needs, though, or they might unsubscribe quickly. Make sure this offer is repeated on every page your visitors might access from their online search results.
  2. Use pop-ups: These are quick hits that grab a user’s attention as they begin to surf your site. Have a headline that promises something, offer a discount, or have a limited time offer. Make it very simple to fill in the email and leave it at that.
  3. Ask on social media: There are many creative ways to get emails from people on social media. “Give to get” email opt-in strategies are a common way to build an email list using social media. You can offer a PDF or white paper in exchange for an email address. You can use Facebook, or do a call-to-action Tweet or post on Instagram.
  4. Check-out process: If you offer ecommerce services, you can always ask for an email address during the checkout process. Most people don’t think twice about providing an email to a company they trusted enough to make a purchase.
  5. Insider Tips: Put together a one page sheet of special tips that apply to your product or service, and offer it in exchange for an email address.
  6. White Paper: A white paper is a deep dive into a topic of particular interest. If you own a computer store for example, a good white paper might look at various computer setups to achieve maximum office efficiency. The white paper seeks to take a complex matter and break it down with expert advice and research. It provides useful information that can help solve a particular problem, and maybe even motivate the reader to work further with your company.
  7. E-book: This is a more in-depth study of a particular topic. It might come in handy for analyzing many sides of a particular issue or product offering.
  8. Special Access: Offer to let prospects on your email list have sneak previews of new products or upcoming sales and promotions. Have a limited sale period that is available only to this list before you open it to everyone.
  9. Helpful Audio or Video: Is there one topic that you are always explaining to customers? You can reproduce your answer in the form of an audio or video file, and offer that as the email address incentive.
  10. Surveys: Ask someone to provide answers to a few questions about your product or service. Offer to provide results if they give you their email address.
Email List Building Tactics

Case Studies on Building Email Lists

  • Buffer, the marketing software firm, shared its strategies to double email signups in 30 days. They added eight more ways to their existing tactic, to make it ridiculously easy to sign-up for the list. Options now include slideup form, blog homepage email capture, HelloBar, sidebar ad, postscript CTA, Twitter lead generation cards, Facebook newsletter signup, SlideShare, and Qzzr.
  • University of Alberta realized a 500% increase in subscribers simply by adding a chat window signup with Qualaroo. Even though their website page offered a newsletter preview, few visitors took the opportunity to actually sign-up. A pop-up chat window, however, noted their interest and provided a quick way to enter an email address.
  • Sol de Janeiro, a body care company, generated 25,000 new subscribers in under five months using a layered lead capture approach that began with an offer that triggered when a prospect appeared to be ending a website session.

Automate Your Email Automation

Create specific emails to respond to certain situations, and set up your system to send them out automatically. You might have emails already created to:

  • Accompany the white paper or other information you are sending.
  • Follow-up on information that was sent
  • Welcome a new customer
  • Connect with someone you haven’t heard from lately
  • Send out to those with an abandoned cart
  • Celebrate milestone occasions

Use productivity tools like Constant Contact, Mailchimp or Cloud HQ to automatically schedule emails, update your database, respond to unsubscribe requests, and handle your automatic reply needs.

Start Building Your Email List Today

When you are building your email list, think about the emotions you want readers to feel. Try to put yourself in their position to see what would make you give someone your email address, and build from there.

Do you have a coveted email opt in strategy that’s worked for you in the past? Well don’t keep it a secret, that’s no fun! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Blog Marketing | Email Marketing | Web Marketing

Top 10 Reasons To Use Google Workspace For Email

5 November 2020 by
Workspace for email

It is estimated that Google has a solid lock on the market share of email open rates with a whopping open email rate of 26 percent. This might have something to do with the element of Google’s longevity, having been around since 2004 and home to 1.2 billion users. It also has a lot to do with the product that they offer.

Today, Google is no longer just a free gmail account that you can check from anywhere. It’s a solution for business that has outperformed any other free email or suite solution on the market.

One tool that Google offers now is Google Workspace.

Learn the top 10 benefits of using Google Workspace right here, and streamline your business today.

1. Customized Workspace

Google Workspace is so appealing to so many businesses today because it completely customizes your work life and the life of everyone that you work with, in minutes. Google Workspace allows you to create an instant brand.  Gone are the days of sending pitches, bids, or sales calls under the email@gmail.com look. That just doesn’t feel professional, does it?

Google has recognized this need for an easy to use fully integrated and fully customized workspace. So they have developed this tool that allows you to create your own brand using email, without having to work with a dedicated server company. An email domain that corresponds with the name of your company or organization allows you to look more professional in minutes.

2. Increases Productivity

Productivity improves when you are on email. Google Workspace puts everything you need at your fingertips. You don’t need to keep 25 windows from different apps and software suites open at the same time. Open up Google, access your Drive, your Images, your Sheets, everything, with just a few clicks. Share, plan, produce, with one Workspace at your fingertips.

3. Store it All Here

Google Workspace not only offers a customized brand for your email domain, but it offers you the opportunity to use a completely scalable interface. This allows you to tailor your own storage space to exactly what you need. You can do this using general Gmail, but with a branded domain on your email account, you will never be scrolling through emails looking for that work document in between your pet food order again. Everything is stored in one place. Keep your business here, and the rest of your life elsewhere.

4. Log in Anywhere

One of the reasons Google has amassed billions of users is that it has made itself available as a web-based email that can be checked anywhere. If you are in Florida one day and Florence the next, you can check your email using a device in any country in the world. Google makes logging in simple and fast with one sign-in. 

5. Never Miss a Thing

Along with having a branded email, Google Workspace will sync everything you need with your branded domain to ensure you never miss a thing. Google Workspace allows you to both sync your gmail.com email with your Workspace email so that you don’t have to check multiple accounts multiple times. At the same time, sync your Calendar to make sure that you never miss a thing. You won’t miss anything, and your employees won’t either. When they submit a personal day request, for example, you’ll get it instantly. Not only will you get that benefit, but so will they.

6. Communicate to Everyone Seamlessly

Communicating to the team simultaneously is something you can do with gmail.com, but it will just take more time. If you need to tell people that you are out of the office or are arranging a meeting, you can do so in just a few clicks and the time it takes you to set up the meeting or send the email.

7. Instant Access to Business Solutions

Using Google Workspace allows you to seamlessly integrate branded business needs, but it also provides you with a few more business solutions than the gmail.com service does. Along with Google Workspace and a branded email solution, you get Google Meet, Google Chat, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Keep, a notes application that can handle almost any file you sent it to.

Google Workspace gives you instant access. While you may get most of these features using gmail.com, you won’t get them all. If you have a business need, Google has developed a business solution in Google Workspace.

8. It’s Affordable

Google Workspace plans begin at approximately $6 a month per user, which is one of the biggest reasons that it is so popular today. You won’t get an email on a dedicated server for less money than that. The higher-tier programs run at $12 a month and that gives you more storage. Still more affordable than a dedicated server.

9. No Ads Email

The one disadvantage of a free email server is the constant ads. When you pay a few dollars a month for an email server, you lose that entirely. Gone are the days where you see ads showing up in your emails that match something you typed about yesterday. You are now working from a branded Workspace without the distractions of ads.

10. Supported by Every Operating System

When you have a dedicated server hosting your emails, you still need to be sure your employees can meet succinctly in a remote space, or collaborate in a way that is seamless. This gets clunky when you have both PC and Mac employees. You don’t need to worry if your Google-based applications are going to be supported by your employees. You’re all working on the same cloud now, and Google Docs or Google Sheets in a Google Meet can all be viewed easily without a single complaint from anybody.

Switch to Google Workspace Today

For just a few dollars a month you can switch to Google Workspace and help everybody improve their productivity today. You’ll get instant access to fully integrated and fully scalable solutions that offer more of everything, for very little.

Switch today and see the difference. It’s not a solution you have to stick with if you don’t like it.

Blog Marketing | Email Marketing | Web Marketing

How To Write The Perfect Email Subject Line

3 January 2019 by
How To Write The Perfect Email Subject Line

Email subject lines make or break your campaign open rate. Learn how to write email subject lines, and how to write them efficiently.

How many emails are sent to your inbox every day? 100+ maybe 500+? If you’re like me (and many more people), you probably have hundreds lying in your inbox unread. About 105 billion emails are sent daily, and in this time of countless information and mailing lists, one thing stands out: the subject line.  

The subject line is what lies between an email being opened and being ignored. It is what helps you click on a particular email and perhaps overlook the rest. So much so that 47% of marketers assess email subject line to improve the email’s performance. 

So, whether you’re a sales team trying to capture a potential client’s attention, a regular blogger trying to get more clicks, or want your email to have that extra kick, here are ten tips to help guide you on how to write the perfect subject line. 

1. Write the Subject Email First

Although most people compose their subject email right before hitting send, the subject line is the first thing a reader comes across in their inbox. So contrary to most practices, start with your subject line. Beginning with the subject line puts you in your reader’s point of view and also helps with the layout of the rest of the email. 

2. Start With Action-Oriented Verbs

Subject lines are similar to calls to action in that the wording used should entice readers to click. Subject lines that begin with action verbs are much more appealing, and adding a lively verb to the beginning of your emails will make them much more clickable.

People would be more likely to click on your email if the subject line conveys urgency and enthusiasm. For example, ‘Bend it like Beckham this Saturday’ instead of ‘Play football with us this weekend.’ The first subject line places the reader in that position where their skills might even be at a professional level instead of a more common and less actionable email. 

3. Create an Overview of What’s Inside

A subject line can also be just like the blurb of a book. It gives a summary of what to expect but also entices the reader to keep reading. Therefore, creating a brief overview of what the reader will expect when reading the subject line is important because the chances are higher if they have been on the lookout for something in particular. 

A great way to do this is when delivering promises via email. If your visitor has downloaded an offer and you’re sending it to them by email, it’s a good idea to use a subject line that says something like, ‘Your new e-book inside!’  or ‘Your guide is waiting for you!’ This is preferable to a plain “thank you” in the subject line because it indicates that something is waiting inside the email.

4. Personalize it and Keep it Special

Everyone likes to feel special, and this applies to emails as well. You must know who you’re emailing, and so they will realize that it’s about them or a topic that piques their interest. One way to do this is by using their name or company name. For example, ‘Increase your online traffic Company X.’  

The correct phrasing also gives that extra personalized feel as they will feel like you wrote the email with them in mind. A few generalized phrases that are not specific but will make your reader feel special are:

  • “Only for our esteemed clients.”
  • “A special deal for you”
  • “This is my gift to you.”
  • “You are cordially invited!”

5. Be Clear and Specific

The subject line should clearly state the purpose of the email so that the recipient can prioritize its importance without having to open it. Please don’t keep the reader guessing what the email could be about because chances are, they won’t assume and will probably leave your email unread. Avoid subject lines like, ‘Give us a second of your time to let you know…’. Instead, specify what the email entails. For example, if your email pertains to applying for a new job, include your name and the position you are applying to be considered.

6. Keep it Short and Sweet

Approximately 77% of emails are opened via mobile email apps, so chances are the subject line is cut off often. It is recommended to keep your subject line to fewer than 50 characters to avoid this. 

Avoid phrases that the reader might also not find helpful. These include numbers and letters that may not make sense, like ‘Order 5467463 is ready for collection.’ The reader may not understand the numbers and may find it hard to distinguish one order from another. Instead, a subject line like ‘Your package is ready for collection from Address X.’ 

7. Create Importance

When phrased creatively and strategically, communicating urgency and scarcity in an email subject line will help motivate readers to click (or act). However, it is essential to use this kind of subject line sparingly as you don’t want to be known as the brand or person that raises people’s anxiety levels all the time by using phrases like ‘Act Now!’

8. Use Keywords

You may feel that using fewer than 50 characters and keeping it clear and specific might narrow down what you may want to express in your email. A tactic that you may want to implement is keywords. Keywords efficiently convey what points you need to put across without being too wordy and still capturing the reader’s attention at the same time.

9. Avoid capitalization of words and exclamation points

Email subject lines that overuse caps and exclamation points are frequently seen as spam mail and are often overlooked or even blatantly ignored. An example of such is ‘OPEN NOW AND GET A FREE GIFT!!!!!!’. Although there is a promise of a gift by opening the email, chances are the reader will not take it seriously and might think that the email belongs in the junk mail folder. Use lower-case in your subject lines. Chances are, your email will be taken seriously. 

10. Use this inbox preview tool

Use this free tool that I created. I personally scripted an email subject line visualization tool to give both myself, and my clients a better idea of how the email subject line will look on mobile phones.

In mobile view, less characters are visible on the screen, hence, consider using that virtual real estate wisely!

Click the banner below to use the tool.

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Finally, if your emails aren’t being opened, they aren’t being used. You’ve got great material to share; now it’s up to you to prove it in the subject line! 

Email Marketing | SEO Marketing | Social Media Marketing | Web Marketing

Search Engine Pros to Exhibit / Speak at Women’s Festivals

7 March 2014 by
Taylor Reaume Blog Headers36

Santa Barbara, CA – March 6th, 2014: Search Engine Pros, Santa Barbara web marketing firm, will be an exhibitor this year at Women’s Festivals 2014. Taylor Reaume, founder of the online marketing agency, will join an all-star roster of speakers at the Festival which will be held on March 7th and 8th at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real in Santa Barbara, CA. Each year the Festival celebrates women in leadership by bringing together amazing resources, inspiring speakers and wonderful entertainment.

In adhering to this year’s theme of “Tech, Talk & Trade,” Reaume will discuss common pitfalls of web site marketing strategy, SEO marketing, social media marketing, and email marketing to help attendees develop a winning corporate internet marketing strategy.  He will discuss average budgets and online marketing costs associated with growing a business on the web using Google Adwords marketing and SEO campaigns. Reaume will also present web marketing pricing models and answer questions about how to get the best price on web marketing services. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the importance of search engine optimization and Google search marketing when growing a business online.

“I’m happy to be associated with one of the premier events in Santa Barbara for empowering women,” commented Google marketing consultant Taylor Reaume. “Today’s women in leadership roles need a solid understanding of how to use the power of search marketing to enhance the visibility and viability of their Santa Barbara companies. I’m hoping to provide advice on the best WordPress strategies, email marketing tactics, and online marketing plans that attendees can implement themselves to give their business a boost. Attendees who visit our booth will receive a 30 page web site health diagnosis and Google rank report.”

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process used to affect the visibility of clients’ websites in search engine search results. The goal is to utilize tactics which result in higher or more frequent appearances of client information in the search results list. As a web marketing strategy SEO programs consider how search engines work, what the target demographic searches for, and the keywords used in the search process. SEO strategies may include social media marketing, a high quality SEO press release strategy, or Google AdWords marketing programs.

“Bring a resume by our booth if you’re a college student, or a freelancer writer / web designer. We’re looking for self starters to join our team of web marketing professionals,” said Reaume.

The Women’s Festivals celebrates the accomplishments and nurtures the dreams of women in an interactive, multi-cultural, and multi-tracked program and expo focusing on the critical areas of women’s lives: Personal, Professional, Philanthropic, and Planet. Their goal is to help facilitate premier gatherings for women’s self-empowerment worldwide. Interested parties can purchase tickets or connect online to get up-to-the-minute updates.

About Women’s Festivals: The Women’s Festivals is a sponsored project of the NAWBO-California Education Fund. Women and men from throughout the world will attend the Santa Barbara event on March 7, 8, and 9 at Earl Warren Showgrounds. The festival will include a professional business expo, awards program, and educational and enlightening discussions led by renowned speakers and authors. Visit the website and Facebook page or call 805-565-9967 for more information on attending or exhibiting at the Festival.

Email Marketing | PPC Marketing | SEO Marketing | Social Media Marketing | Web Marketing

Top Ten Ways to Increase Your Customer Base in 2014

15 December 2013 by
Top Ten Ways to Increase Your Customer Base in 2014

Dear Friends,

Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope 2013 has been a great year for you and that everyone continues to realize the benefits of SEO and social media marketing in 2014. Many of our clients have benefitted from having an online marketing plan. If you’re not marketing online you’re missing out on one of the most effective ways of attracting customers and closing sales.

Here are the Top 10 ways to increase your customer base in 2014:

  1. Increase Your Google Ranking: Use our free Google rank analysis to find out where you are now, and learn how you can do better.
  2. Initiate a SEO Marketing Strategy: Search Engine Optimization is the fastest way to get found online. SEO copywriting provides you with unique and interesting content that generates rankings in the search engines, and boosts credibility levels with your customers.
  3. Try A Pay-Per-Click Initiative: Increase clicks to your site and decrease the cost of those clicks by optimizing your ad positions.
  4. Make Your Website Work Harder: Have Search Engine Pros conduct an objective site analysis and provide you with a free 30 page report that tells you how well your website is working.
  5. Use Email Marketing to Maintain Top-of-Mind Awareness: Send out powerful high impact monthly newsletters that remind prospects to buy.
  6. Ask for Referrals and Testimonials: Use the nice things that clients think about you to build credibility and increase sales.
  7. Optimize Website Code: Having Google Friendly Code is crucial to generating thousands of targeted visitors to your website every month. Simple edits can generate top rankings in 3-6 months’ time.
  8. Use Press Releases: Increase profits with search engine optimized press releases that attract media attention and engage consumers.
  9. Get Social: Social media marketing is the newer, better, faster way to reach customers.
  10. Convert Website Visitors to Customers: Use eye catching banners and embed powerful calls to action to lower bounce rates, boost conversions, increase time on site (which increases rankings) – and double your sales.

Search Engine Pros are trained across multiple disciplines, guiding you every step of the way, helping you maximize profits through a low cost, highly effective online marketing plancomprised of search marketing, SEO marketing, email marketingand SEO enhanced press releases.  When you need a unique approach that brings results,  call on the Pros!

Find out more about using the internet to boost your sales in 2014 by inquiring via our contact form. You can beat your competitors with a well-defined web strategy, social media and web marketing.  Search Engine Pros can help you meet your online marketing goals. Outsource your online marketing to our team and let us show you how great 2014 can be. https://www.youtube.com/embed/54sZd0x2u3k?rel=0

From all of us at Search Engine Pros,

Happy Holidays and here’s to your business growth in 2014!

Taylor Reaume

Email Marketing | Web Marketing

You Must Build Out An E-mail List

3 December 2011 by
You Must Build Out An E-mail List

Marketing Must #1
You Must Build Out An E-mail List

The power of e-mail marketing is not lost on any business owner. But for some reason, the negative stigma that marketing managers associate with e-mail advertising prevents them from taking advantage of this very powerful advertising medium. E-mail advertising can be one of the most cost-effective, efficient methods of promoting your business’ products and services. A well-developed e-mail mailing list has the power to increase revenues without substantially increasing marketing expenditures.

The marginal cost of sending an email is essentially 0. There are costs associated with using e-mail as a marketing tool, of course, but these are essentially fixed costs that are only incurred in setting up the system and occasional maintenance. Many marketing managers are under the incorrect impression that any internet-based advertising technology is inherently more expensive than traditional advertising methods simply because it’s “newer.” But e-mail advertising is considerably cheaper – and can be much faster to implement – than traditional leaflet advertising by mail. And e-mail advertising provides the added benefit of being nearly immediate, allowing marketing managers to inform their customer bases of promotions the minute they launch them.

Here’s a simple example.

Let’s say Bob owns a pizza restaurant. Business is fine, but he’d like to promote the restaurant and increase sales. Since Bob operates a small business, he thinks that an internet marketing campaign is outside of his price range. Bob calls a local printer to have 10,000 leaflets printed to distribute around town. The printer tells them that they can print 10,000 leaflets for about $0.20 each – but they first need a design to print. They can design the leaflet themselves, but they’ll charge an additional $500 for design costs.   Bob’s print and design costs: $2,500

Bob receives the leaflets one week later and is happy with them. He printed the leaflets to advertise a special on pepperoni pizza, but over the course of the week some customers have complained that they wish the special was available for other toppings as well. Unfortunately for Bob, the leaflets are already printed and he can’t include the updated special on them.

To distribute his leaflets, Bob teams up with the local newspaper and pays them to include his leaflets in the big Sunday issue. But the newspaper won’t do this cheaply – to include the leaflets in the paper, they require $2,000. Bob considers distributing the leaflets himself by going door-to-door, but he has heard that this method doesn’t convert very well. And it’s also slow: it’d take him nearly 2 weeks to distribute all of the leaflets.

So Bob spends the additional $2,000 and has the leaflets distributed in the newspaper. After $4,500 and two weeks, customers begin trickling into Bob’s store after having received the leaflets. Bob considers another campaign, but he decides to wait until next year – his entire advertising budget for the year is $5,000.

Now consider an e-mail campaign. Bob begins collecting e-mails from customers and has an impressive collection after a while. He pays a local web developer $500 to create an attractive e-mail advertisement for him. He asks for a template so that he can update it himself in the future with different promotions. He then purchases a domain and web hosting so that he can send the e-mails himself and also maintain a modest website to keep customers informed of changes to the menu. This costs Bob $15 a month. Bob then sends the e-mails to his customers – and again the next month with an updated special. And once again a month later. Bob’s expenses reach $500 upfront and $15 a month, but these are distributed across months of e-mail advertisements and an untold number of new customers.

But the first step in Bob’s journey was building an e-mail list. And if you own a small business and are not developing an e-mail list, you’re missing out on one of the most effective methods of direct marketing available.

Email Marketing | Web Marketing

Ready To Automate Your Business With Email Marketing?

18 June 2011 by
Ready To Automate Your Business With Email Marketing?
Did you know you can setup an automated email marketing system that will “pre-program” an ideal experience for your prospects and customers?  It’s called “marketing automation” and it has many uses.  For example, when a lead comes into your system, the lead will automatically receive 12 months of Holiday newsletters.  Your staff will automatically receive 6 months of “reminder” emails.  When the lead becomes a client, the client is sent 8 weeks of high impact (highly valuable) answers that reduce customer support calls.  Additionally, a “custom” monthly newsletter is sent out which includes fresh news and community events.   Visualize an automation system that sends answers to common client questions, thereby reducing support calls by 50%?    Do you think this kind of system would double your business this year?  Hire an Email PRO today to boost your sales tomorrow.
Hire an Email PRO today to boost your sales tomorrow.

Ready To Automate Your Business With Email Marketing?

Check out our past work…

Email Newsletter Sample 1

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Email Newsletter Sample 3

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Does sending out a monthly newsletter help grow my business? Yes.  Email marketing remains the lowest cost return on investment marketing available to business owners today.  Internet marketing conferences typically have the same mantra over and over, COLLECT EMAIL ADDRESSES. The whole reason you have a web site, is to collect email addresses. Email marketing, across all industries, is the most effective weapon that business owners have in their marketing arsenal.

Does my Email Marketing Manager help me with writing subject lines? Yes. Your Email Manager will show you the best and worst open rates for subject lines, according to recent studies. If you want to ensure that your emails are going to get opened you should make sure your subject line announces your email. It should do one thing only – get your reader to open the message and read the first sentence. Personalizing the subject line with your prospects name is also a good idea and try not to use to much hype. Once you get them to open the email be sure to provide them with something of value and they will take you up on your offer. If you become a resource to your readers then you will see the quality and quantity of responses change for the better.

I know how to send out an email, why do I need an Email Marketing Manager? If you have been in business for awhile, you know that email marketing is complex and take a specialist to really excel at this marketing platform. Some email marketing mistakes we see being made all the time include spam compliance issues, dull subject lines, emails not being compelling or too wordy, sending to your list too often, not collecting the right email addresses, not know list building techniques and how to get the right people to opt into your newsletter, not taking the time to create massive value in the newsletters you send out.  Internet marketing conferences typically have the same mantra over and over, COLLECT EMAIL ADDRESSES.  The whole reason for a web site is to collect and market to people on the email.

Will my Email Marketing Manager help me develop list building strategies? Yes. For example, your Email Manager will show you how to offer a free gift as an incentive for people to sign up for your list. This is a tested and proven method to increase the number of people that subscribe to your list. The gift that you offer doesn’t have to be anything expensive, but it should be something that is perceived as useful and valuable to the people that you want to subscribe to your list. For instance if your website is about dogs, then you could offer a free report on dog grooming. If you sell software you could offer a free trial download. Just make sure your gift is something of great value to your potential subscribers and you will have people eagerly joining your list.

Are autoresponders really necessary? Yes. Autoresponders are automated educational emails that go out after a prospect opts into your database. They help educate the client, and help reduce phone questions. Autoresponders are especially effective (and in our opinion, essential) for companies with large ticket transactions. You may heard the phrase “You don’t want to ask her to marry you on the first date…”  This notion is true in the business world when it comes to large ticket transactions, such as real estate, mortgages, computer support, etc, these industries especially must start refining their email marketing strategies if they are to succeed in the coming decade. Email marketing is no different than any other type of marketing, the same rules apply. Your goal should not be to make the sale, but to get the prospect to request additional information.

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Will my Email Manager help my PPC campaigns? Yes. Marketing superstars know that PPC campaigns work best when you combine it with smart email marketing campaigns. Many people in the marketing world will be shocked if you tell them you are doing PPC before you set up your email list building strategy. Don’t just pop your sign up form on your website and tell people it’s there. Sell it to them. The same way that you would sell them anything else. Make sure they know when they join your list that they will receive helpful and useful information that will benefit them greatly. Pull out all of the punches. Point out everything that you will do for them. Make it irresistible for them and they will join. You can even add testimonials from other subscribers as you would with a sales page.

Permission based marketing is the key to success. When you start collecting email addresses from visitors that come to your website you will see a definite increase in the success of your marketing efforts.  To increase the number of people that you can market to every month, you might consider to offer them a free gift, report or subscription to your newsletter. With a newsletter you will have an excellent opportunity to build up a loyal readership. Then you can send a message to them every so often and remind them that you are still around. People are smart. Make sure you provide them with good information that is related to your product so that they will keep on reading. Be sure not to bombard them with just sales messages. Remember you want them to trust you!

Create Graphics To Enhance Visual Appeal

Create Graphics To Enhance Visual Appeal

Adding Email Opt In Forms: What if you made it easier for people to opt into your email list at your web site? Do you think more conversions would be the result? What about if you offered them something of value in return? Will more people opt in?

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Give To Get Strategy Is Very Effective For List Building

Above are a few examples of email list building strategy. When you hire an email marketing specialist to focus on this area of your business, your sales conversions (and revenue) will increase.

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