If you are currently participating in other types of Internet marketing and neglecting to utilize email marketing, NOW is the time to seriously consider why you have been avoiding this type of advertising. Email marketing can be and should be a very important part of any Internet marketing campaign. Many business owners will avoid email marketing for fear of being accused of spamming. Internet marketers may not have a clear understanding of what spam is or what it is not so they avoid participation in email marketing campaigns to avoid the potential for being labeled a spammer.
Why are Internet marketers so afraid of being accused of spamming? This is a common fear for a number of reasons. First of all there may be harsh penalties associated with sending spam emails. Recipients of spam have the option of reporting the spam to their Internet service provider who will investigate the validity of the claim. If the originator of the email is determined to be a spammer there can be harsh consequences.
There are also concerns that email marketing will not be well received by potential customers. This is an important concept because Internet users can be overwhelmed with spam each day. Receiving such mass quantities of spam every day can anger some Internet users. Some Internet users are not likely to be receptive to email marketing. Some Marketers fear that these potential customers will see your email marketing as bothersome and stray to competitors.
However, it is important to note that despite the prevalent problem with spam, a certain element of Internet users are very receptive to email marketing and even prefer it. This is especially true in situations where they specifically requested to receive more information from you regarding your products or services. Potential clients are particularly receptive to email marketing which provides something of value such as in depth informational articles or free mini-courses you can write for your clients Offer to provide in depth articles or informative tips or reviews of your products in exchange for your clients email address.
Additionally, items such as e-newsletters and correspondence courses offered via email can be of particular interest to potential customers. E-newsletters are typically longer documents than traditional email marketing pieces and can provide a great deal of additional information to the email recipient. Email correspondence courses may be offered in short segments and typically amount to a significant amount of information which is likely to be greatly appreciated by the email recipients.
One final way to prevent email recipients from viewing your email marketing efforts as spam is to only send the emails to recipients who register with your website and specifically request for you to send them additional information and promotional materials. This opt in formula is ideal because it ensures you are not wasting your email marketing efforts on recipients who are not interested in your products or services. It also ensures the recipients of the email marketing campaign do not view the informative and promotional materials they are receiving as spam. This technique for compiling an email distribution list is quite effective but it is important to remember you should always include information on how recipients can opt out of receiving future emails.
By utilizing one of the many fine autoresponder providers available today for a minimal monthly fee, (some of them are actually free), you can completely automate the entire process of collecting names and distributing your email marketing letters for you.
With all these facts in mind, go ahead and begin building your opt-in mailing list and form a closer more personal repoire with your clients.