Take Control Of Your Email Advertising

by Frank Amptmeijer

First Published: June 06, 2011

Email advertising is still effective because email is still popular. We seem to be more and more communicating through the social media networks as Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. But we use email for our more serious work. This is also why email marketing is still a very effective way to communicate with customers and potential customers.

Email Marketing

Email advertisements have been around since the early days of the internet, hence it was the only available and effective way to communicate with other internet users. Email became really big when companies like Hotmail and Yahoo started supplying free email addresses. They made email available even to people who did not own a website. In the early days you needed to have a domain name which connected to your email address.

Email was used as normal postal mail to advertise products and services. It worked almost the same as direct mail, but was much more effective in two ways. One, it was opened and read by the receiver, with almost a 100 percent score. It did not cost any money to send emails, compared to postage and stamps, envelopes and the printed materials to go with it.

Email Advertising is Not Spam

Email is a fun way to communicate with clients, however if the frequency of the emails becomes too much, the client might perceived the well meant emails as spam. Always make sure a customer who is receiving your emails is opted-in to your email list.

What Is An Opt-In?

An opt-in is a request of a customer or potential customer to receive your information or newsletter. Because it is his request, you can never be blamed for spamming the person. Proof of opt-in is important as there are now international regulations about email advertisements. Always offer an option to opt-out in your emails.

People who want on your email list should be there, people who don’t want to be on your email list won’t buy from you anyway. Email advertising needs to be used wisely as a part of your overall marketing mix.

Autoresponder Software For Email Marketing

Mainly there are three options for your email marketing campaigns. But email list grow fast, and you want to make sure you automate your email lists.

1. Do it manually, i.e. send out all your email manually. If you are small (less then 50 emails) this is not a problem. But to have a viable business with only 50 people on your email advertising list you must have a darn good niche.
2. You buy email autoresponder software and have it installed on your own servers. But if somehow your email gets blacklist your sites most probably will go down the drain with it.
3. Use the software from a email autoresponder provider. By far the best option, as it put all the responsibility with the provider. The best part is they also provide all the forms and they keep the databases for you and a whole lot more of great tools. As your list grows, so also will your monthly fee grow, you start small, and pay only a tiny amount per month. No installing of software, plug and play within minutes.

Email advertising and email marketing is one of the most powerful means of marketing on the internet today.