Should I consider email marketing?

SCORE counselor and resident advertising and marketing guru, Alan Yarnoff shares his thoughts on email marketing and the impact it can have on your business.

In today’s difficult environment it is essential to maximize you’re your marketing effort in the most efficient manor possible. One excellent tactic to achieve this goal is the use of a strong email marketing program.

Email marketing in its broadest sense covers every email you send to acquire new customers or persuade existing customers to buy again. In addition, it will serve to encourage customer loyalty and enhance the customer relationship. It gives you the opportunity to continue a positive dialog with your customer base, and to reinforce your relationship with your clients.

Notably, email marketing is a relatively low cost way to reach your target audience compared to traditional approaches like direct mail, newspapers, and radio and television. It allows you to target your message to your specific market segment while delivering valuable content material to the recipient. And, most importantly, it usually delelivers a high ROI (Return on Investment).

It’s a fact email marketing works. Why, because the national use of emails is growing. Statistics confirm that 91% of Internet users read and send emails every day. Secondly, the important senior market of baby boomers with its expendable income is joining in at a very high rate. In total, over 147million people use email every day.

Once you make the decision to use email marketing you need a plan. First you must decide what type to send, to whom, and when. You need to build an email list of permission based recipients; you most craft your message so it will be read, and you must plan on reviewing results and adjust when necessary. Do not make the same mistake twice.

One last but very major point is that you most receive permission before sending commercial emails. Email marketing only works if they are sent to permission based participants, other wise they will end up in the spam file.

Consider the following reasons why email marketing can help your business:
§ The low cost per order vs. any other promotional tactic.
§ Best way to drive people to your web site.
§ Email offers and promotions generate action.
§ Greater sales.
§ More downloads.
§ Significant number of inquiries and registrations.
§ High ROI (Return on Investment.

Richard Strug
Greater Princeton Area SCORE (Chapter 631)
Serving Mercer and Middlesex Counties