What is
most powerful marketing tool a web site owner has? I'll give you a hint - it's not banner advertising! It's e-mail - nothing else even comes close.Have you ever really considered just how many people use e- mail? There are millions upon millions of people out there who, if they're anything like me, just plain love to get e-mail and communicate with others using this wonderful medium. Part of beauty of e-mail is that people pay attention to e-mail. People will actually read your advertisements if they're mixed with information that's valuable to them. E-mail is ultimate marketing tool.
How to Harness Power ---------------------------
"Great," you say, "but how do I use this 'awesome power?'" There are an unbelievable number of innovative and really effective ways to use e-mail to advertise yourself and your business on Internet, but for scope of this article, we're going to focus on one.
E-mail Signatures --------------------------
E-mail signatures, or "sigs," are one of easiest and most effective ways for an Internet marketer to promote his web site (or other people's sites, for that matter.) For those of you who don't know what an e-mail signature is, here's an example of one I use on a daily basis:
Sincerely, Micah D. Cranman Sybren Design http://sybren.net
======================================== Would you like to tap money making potential of Internet with a powerful website? If so, contact Sybren today for a FREE consultation! http://sybren.net | mdc@sybren.net | 770-971-9868 ========================================
(NOTE: Signatures can also be an effective tool when used in newsgroups, discussion groups, or message boards. Use them anywhere possible!)
Signatures can be easily set up in any e-mail program that's worth something, and usually very easily. Just look in "help" section or browse around program menus and you should be able to figure out how to set them up pretty quickly. I personally use Microsoft Outlook Express, and have found it to be totally sufficient for my needs. (www.microsoft.com) Others swear by Qualcomm's Eudora Pro, (www.eudora.com) and still others by other programs. Just pick one that suits your needs.
Now, there are three key components to a signature, each with a different purposes:
1. The closing of letter - this is first four lines you see in signature above. It's purpose is two-fold: to avoid having to type a closing to save time (which can really add up if you get a lot of e- mail), and to provide information about yourself, and possibly, some contact information.
2. The advertisement - this is where you try to generate interest for whatever you're trying to promote in recipient of e- mail. It should in someway catch reader's eye or stir up some emotion that will impel them to act. (Note: FREE works especially well as an attention grabber. Try to offer something free in your signature.) This "ad" of sorts should be no more than 5 or 6 lines long, and should probably be separated in some way from rest of your message, as seen above.
