E-mail: a Story of Evolution by Design

Written by Cheryl Rickman


Continued from page 1

The amount spent on e-mail marketing has risen from $97 million in 1999 to almost $1.1 billion in 2000, according to emarketer, with future spending set to increase. This will rise to over $4.5 billion by 2003, emarketer predicts.

Withrepparttar proliferation of e-mail messages in today’s society andrepparttar 109660 cluttered condition of inboxes, it’s a greater challenge to get e-mails opened and actioned. To meet this challenge make e-mails: · Precise, clear and simple · Customer-focused · Timely · Personal · Contain information of value · Well targeted · Urgent · Innovative

Other solutions that enhance an e-mail’s chance of getting read have recently sprung up, including rich media applications. For example, video e-mail is perfect for those who aren’t great copywriters but communicate well when they talk or present something.

Rich Media E-mail Solutions Text can cause misunderstanding and can be ambiguous, and atrepparttar 109661 same time ‘everybody sends text e-mails, they’re boring’. Using audio or video e-mails is a surefire way to rid e-mails of ambiguity. There are several programs available, here are just a few:

elive2u™ is easy to use live real time video email http://www.elive2u.co.uk .

This programme allows you to communicate in real time with anyone, anywhere who is connected onrepparttar 109662 Internet. You just needrepparttar 109663 elive2u™ software, a PC camera microphone and speakers and, providingrepparttar 109664 user owns a web camera, you can send your video email withrepparttar 109665 simplicity of a text based HTML document. Access torepparttar 109666 live streaming audio/video email is just as simple. Recipients do not need to book or utilize a central server, need no expensive plug-ins and require no software other than their regular email client, as long as it supports HTML and JavaScript.

The elive2u™ software enablesrepparttar 109667 user to transmit live streaming audio/video to private email accounts, whichs providesrepparttar 109668 user with totally confidential and private Internet transmission and it’s inexpensive too.

Another company, Emblaze, have licensed Microsoft’s Windows Media Audio and Video Format using their Emblaze™ based solution for video over wireless 2.5G and 3G networks, mobile phones and other low-resource handheld devices. http://www.imagemind.com/. Video Express sends both personal streaming video and audio, therefore not requiring attachments. Your recipient does not have to wait to play your multimedia e-mail because there is no file attachment and they will only needrepparttar 109669 Windows Media Player. All you need is your sound card for voice messages and any Windows compliant video capture board to record video.

Mailround is an innovative email branding service which sends out all outgoing email withrepparttar 109670 company brand www.mailround.com. While http://www.cyberavsolutions.com/products.htm have another video e-mail solution:

VideoLink Mail 2.0 can send both audio and video. It works with any email software that lets you attach a file and also works well with most cameras and video capture cards. The recipient needs no special software to playrepparttar 109671 video, becauserepparttar 109672 player is embedded inrepparttar 109673 video.

Videoshare at www.videoshare.com offer a free downloadable software application that enables users to send streaming video via email, greeting cards and embed video on web pages.

There’s plenty to choose from, so why opt for Rich Media?

1. It Gets Attention! If executed properly,repparttar 109674 return on a rich media email campaign can be much higher than a regular plain text or html campaign.

2. Not only is this a novel way to receive e-mail. It provides its readers with a lot more stimuli and information aboutrepparttar 109675 product or service, enhancing their chances of buying.

3. Less effort is required to view a video e-mail than to open a text e-mail, click on a link and browse a site.

Whatever you decide, before embarking on a rich media email campaign do your homework. Think aboutrepparttar 109676 capabilities of your list, your message, your target audience,repparttar 109677 costs involved and plan your campaign very thoroughly. And always keep abreast of new technologies. So where will e-mail be in another 30 years? I wonder…



Cheryl Rickman is author of, 111 winning ways to promote your website successfully. and the founder of http://www.webcritique.co.uk where she offers website appraisals, personalised web promotion plans and press releases, plus web page writing, editing and proofreading services.


Bane or Boon

Written by Bob Osgoodby


Continued from page 1

Another group sends complaints torepparttar ISP ofrepparttar 109659 offender. Ifrepparttar 109660 spammer used a forged address however, they quickly learn that this is a waste of time. They receive back a very nice note fromrepparttar 109661 ISP, telling them thatrepparttar 109662 address they are complaining about doesn't exist on their server. They stop doing this very quickly, but still hate spam.

They then buy software that will parse a note and send a complaint to every URL or email address contained inrepparttar 109663 spam. Or worse yet, they complain to some self-appointed guardian ofrepparttar 109664 web who does it for them. This is OK if it is a legitimate piece of spam, but I have seen this done by someone who subscribed to a Newsletter, had a very senior moment, forgot they had subscribed, and did it torepparttar 109665 publisher.

This means thatrepparttar 109666 ISP of every single URL or email address contained inrepparttar 109667 newsletter gets sent a complaint. This includes everyone who is identifiable inrepparttar 109668 Newsletter such asrepparttar 109669 authors ofrepparttar 109670 articles,repparttar 109671 advertisers inrepparttar 109672 Newsletter and anyone else who happens to have their web site listed there. Hey folks this just isn't fair.

There are too many other ways to solverepparttar 109673 problem of spam arriving in your mailbox. First of all, much spam is generated if you use your email address onrepparttar 109674 web or in a chat room. Your best bet is get free "throw away" addresses, and whenrepparttar 109675 need forrepparttar 109676 address doesn't exist any longer, simply cancel it.

If you own your own domain, use an address that you tie in with your advertising. When that starts to get overloaded, and it will, change it in your ads and filter messages torepparttar 109677 old address to your trash bin.

Is it a bane or is it a boon. If you let it control you, it falls intorepparttar 109678 first category. But if you use it intelligently, it can be a most valuable asset to you and your business.



Bob publishes the free weekly "Your Business" Newsletter Visit his Web Site at http://adv-marketing.com to subscribe. As a bonus, get 40,000 FREE E-Books from Larry Dotson, when you visit http://www.ldpublishing.com


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