Email Marketing Without SPAMming

Written by Aaron Turpen


A few months ago, I wrote a series of articles on online marketing -repparttar last of which dealt with email marketing and SPAM. This article in particular garnered many responses from readers both for and againstrepparttar 120745 idea of mass-email marketing of any type. You can read that article online at this URL: http://www.aaronzwebworkz.com/resources/newsletter/articles.shtml?spam

Although that article is itself a great resource, I still find myself being asked questions aboutrepparttar 120746 use of email marketing online. Since I didn't go into depth aboutrepparttar 120747 specifics of marketing using email in that previous article, I thought another was in order.

How do you go about sending email or marketing yourself online without crossing intorepparttar 120748 "SPAMmer" category? First and foremost, KNOW WHO YOU ARE SENDING YOUR EMAIL TO. You don't have to be familiar with each recipient personally, but you'd better know whether or not they really want to hear what you have to offer. Always keep that in mind when sending an email to anyone, especially if it's an email meant to market your product or service.

Building An Opt-In List For anyone with an established website and a known web presence, building an opt-in list is generally an easy affair. The best type of list isrepparttar 120749 "double opt-in list." This simply means thatrepparttar 120750 subscriber torepparttar 120751 list was required to complete at least two steps - apart from one another - to joinrepparttar 120752 list. Usually this means thatrepparttar 120753 user filled out a web form (name, email, etc.) and submitted it. They were then emailed with a "click here to activate your subscription"-type link. Once they click onrepparttar 120754 link, they are subscribed torepparttar 120755 list. This strategy prevents those who aren't sure what they're doing from joining and, more importantly, keeps Bob from signing up his friend/enemy Larry without Larry's consent. I recommend you find someone who specializes in newsletter list keeping and delivery (such as Topica - http://www.qksrv.net/click-1357406-10280459) to do this for you.

Whether your website is brand new or well established, you should be collecting customer contact information (email addresses in particular) for further contact. You can provide a free newsletter, periodic updates via email, or "exclusive opportunities" for those who join. There must be some kind of incentive or you won't gather many email addresses. For an established website, this is usually enough. You already have traffic to see your offer and sign up. You need do little more.

Forrepparttar 120756 new site, though, this is only a portion ofrepparttar 120757 battle. The real effort comes in marketing your offer to drive traffic to your website and build your opt-in list. There are a LOT of great ways to do this without causing much of a stir. My favorite is to participate meaningfully in discussion lists related to your business. I spend a lot of time in Web Design and Development forums speaking with others inrepparttar 120758 business as well as amateurs just looking for tips and help. Doing this without pushing myself down people's throats has gained me both fame and website traffic.

Another way to gather fast results is to advertise in newsletters/e-zines related to your business. Every business has trade, gossip, or news-related publications both on and offline. An advertisement in an e-zine online can get you 3,000 people looking at an ad you only spent $10 to list! The best thing aboutrepparttar 120759 Internet is that these ads can usually include a hyperlink so that they can read your ad (which hopefully contains some kind of call-to-action) and immediately click through to your website!

In addition to all this, there are some great tools at Roving Web (http://www.qksrv.net/click-1357406-1668329) forrepparttar 120760 email marketer. They offer free trials on many of their services and give top-notch service to their customers.

A slower and more time-consuming way to getrepparttar 120761 word out is to talk torepparttar 120762 publishers of these e-zines,repparttar 120763 writers who write articles for them, and even torepparttar 120764 website owners of related websites and tell them about your product, service, or offer. If what you have seems interesting enough, they may write an article or include a "blurb" free of charge! Or even trade links with you so you can help each other promote your individual websites.

You Have The List, What Now? Now that you've got a list of those interested, you'll have more considerations. The first isrepparttar 120765 question of how each individual subscriber will remove themselves from your list if they so desire. Most list maintenance programs allow for this. Atrepparttar 120766 very simplest, you can make sure they know how to email or contact you for removal. Make sure that EVERYTHING you send to this list of subscribers includes instructions for removal fromrepparttar 120767 list. Not doing so immediately places you intorepparttar 120768 "SPAMmer" category.

Bridging the Chasm from Lead to Loyal Customer

Written by Julie Chance


Bridgingrepparttar Chasm from Lead to Loyal Customer: A Step by Step Guide for Developing Awareness, Building Credibility and Acquiring Customers

By Julie Chance

Have you ever watched a documentary about climbing Mount Everest? If so, you will undoubtedly remember one specific segment ofrepparttar 120744 journey whererepparttar 120745 climbers cross a chasm, one carefully placed step after another, using aluminum ladders strung end to end. For me, justrepparttar 120746 thought of it is enough to cause an anxiety attack!

There is a similar chasm between your product or service and your potential customers, even if it is only inrepparttar 120747 potential customers’ mind. And for them,repparttar 120748 thought of crossing that chasm is enough to cause a severe case of anxiety.

Picture a group of your potential customers, standing atrepparttar 120749 edge of a chasm on Mount Everest and you and your product or service standing onrepparttar 120750 other side. It is your job andrepparttar 120751 role of your marketing efforts to help potential clients cross that chasm one step at a time. At this stage, your immediate objective is not to get them to purchase. It is simply to get them to take that first step out ontorepparttar 120752 ladder, followed by one more step, and than another until they reachrepparttar 120753 ultimate decision to purchase.

It is as ludicrous to expect a potential customer to reach a purchase decision in one step as it would be to expect a Mount Everest adventurer to cross a chasm in one step. So how can you begin to move your potential customers acrossrepparttar 120754 purchase chasm?

•Step One - Awareness and Knowledge: Before someone can purchase a product or service they must be aware of it. They must also have knowledge about what problemsrepparttar 120755 product or service will solve for them. They must be able to picture in their mindsrepparttar 120756 benefit they will receive from usingrepparttar 120757 product or service, and that picture must be enticing enough to motivate them to take that first step.

At this phase, your objective is to make potential customers aware of your product or service, generally through mass media type activities, advertising, direct mail, articles, public speaking, etc. and then to get them to takerepparttar 120758 first step by requesting additional information. You might offer a brochure, free report, newsletter subscription or other informational item in exchange for contact information. The key is to offer something that:

* Is of value to your potential client, * Provides him or her with additional knowledge about your product or service and how it will solve his or her problems * Poses a very low level of risk or obligation onrepparttar 120759 part ofrepparttar 120760 prospective customer.

•Step two - Liking and Preference: Awareness alone is not enough. Potential customers must also have a positive disposition regarding your product or service. Potential customers must trust that you will deliver what you say you will. Several years ago there was an insurance company that did a tremendous job of building awareness through television advertising. However,repparttar 120761 ads were so obnoxious that I’m surerepparttar 120762 company ranked quite low onrepparttar 120763 liking, preference and credibility scale.

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