Isn't that your goal?
The latest survey on email marketing revealed that email-marketing efforts are being dulled by record levels of Spam and email box over saturation. Those surveyed that use email primarily for home use stated that unwanted messages comprise of over one third of the email they receive daily. Those that use email at work indicated that over twenty five percent of their inbox is flooded with unwanted email.
The study also revealed that those who have long-term relationships with an opt-in mailer have had their buying decision affected by the mailings they received. They do no feel opt-in email as part of the saturation process.
While they are eager or at least curious enough to read permission based email, most said they delete op-in messages without reading them.
This high saturation level of unwanted messages is turning consumers off email as a communication method.
66% of those surveyed feel they get too much email. Less than 30% of these indicated that they are likely to "occasionally" respond to email-marketing mailings.
How do you deal with the problem of too much email?
As an Internet entrepreneur email marketing is the tool of choice to get your message out. How do you get your message read? What are the best practices to implement to achieve this goal?
The number of those who are competing for email user's attention is growing.
How do you boost your readership and response rate?
How do you guarantee your messages get to legitimate consumers and business email users?
How do you make sure your potential customer does not mistake your email message for Spam?
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN???
The Spam epidemic is one of the online businesspersons greatest problems.
While many of those online that receive email regularly appreciate opt-in marketing messages and as stated above will respond to your message, research has shown that proliferation of Spam threaten the legitimate email marketing.
Consumers are experiencing inbox burnout. Over time they will become less responsive to your email campaigns.
How?
By deleting your email message without reading it first. Even your permission based email.
Additionally, your prospective customers and their Internet service providers are using email filtering and bulk sorter software to block your messages. Are your messages among those being redirected, filtered, bulk sorted and deleted by software like "Clean My Mailbox"?
What can you do to combat this?
Email marketing has proven to be a highly specialized medium.
It is being used to generate revenue, deepen customer relationships and influence potential customer behavior. Brick and mortar businesses are using it to increase catalog sales, improve call center response and as an interactive customer service assistant.
Dramatic positive effects on the customer's behavior are occurring as the direct email marketing industry matures. It's relative inexpensiveness, compared to direct mail marketing and its increased acceptance by the mass market is attracting a great deal of attention.
As a direct email marketer, you must position your messages so the various obstacles in place to combat your efforts to contact your prospective and your opt-in customers are unsuccessful. In this e-course we will outline successful strategies, which will help you, get your messages read.
Here are 7 strategies you can begin using right now.
(1.) Referrals
Your potential customers open e-mail messages based on the "from" field. The sender has an important impact on your potential customers' willingness to open your email message. The use of a "refer a friend" button on your web pages stimulates referrals from satisfied visitors to your site.
Your follow-up with content rich, helpful information to these referrals and your request for them to take further action by opting into your e-zine or e-course mail list, as well as recommending a beneficial free offer will help you grow a list of loyal customers.
(2.) Privacy
Your potential customers want to know how you are going to maintain their privacy. Do you rent or exchange email list with others? This is a taboo to most of your potential customers.
Do you have a privacy policy? Is it listed where it can be easily reviewed? A hyper link on every message you send out, as well as on your web site should be in place. Let your current and potential customers know what your company's privacy policy, rules and guidelines are. This adds a since of comfort when doing business with your company.
(3.) Personalization
The sweetest sound to anyone is the sound of his or her name. The use of your customers name in your message adds a since of ownership to the message. Most importantly, it is an attention getter and increases readership. Isn't that your purpose, to get your message read by the receiver? Why not capture your potential customers' name as well as their email address?
(4.) Show Your Expertise
Are you publishing a weekly content rich e-zine? Do you write and post on topic content rich articles in newsgroups? Do you submit content rich articles to other e-zines?
What do you do to show your expertise? How do you communicate to your current and potential customers that you know what you're doing? That you know what you are talking about, that your advice is a result of experience, from walking the walk and talking the talk?
This is an excellent method to grow your list and customer loyalty. Email how to articles and helpful tips to your list.
(5.) Deepen Customer Relationships
Your customers will remain loyal only after you have established a positive and useful relationship with them. You establish this type of relationship through continuous meaningful contact with them.
The follow-up messages you send in response to your customers inquires, the helpful articles you write and submit, your content rich web site, your e-zine and its content rich information, your company's order fulfillment policies, and your customer service practices are your proof to your customer that you care about them.
When your customer feels you care about them, a "know, like and trust" connection develops between you and them. This makes them more responsive to your messages and offerings. Isn't that your goal?
(6.) Opt-In List Care
Your list of customers who have opt-in to receive your mailings is one of the two must-have ingredients for the successful email marketer. The other must-have ingredient is your product or service.
It is far easier to sell more to the customer you have than to sell to a new customer.
Regular management and maintenance of your list is important. Cleaning your list frequently so that it consists of deliverable address is essential. Purge all duplicate names and email addresses. Remove the names of those subscribers who have opt-out immediately. Use a double opt-in procedure to confirm that your new subscribers are authentic. Encourage your subscribers to provide more information about themselves, their likes and dislikes, and feedback about your product or service by using surveys. This will allow you to customize and/or target your product or service to fit your customers wants.
(7.) Long-term Associations
The number one cause for the loss of customers and subscribers is indifference. The online marketer's failure to make periodic contact with their customers and subscribers is the major reason. The online entrepreneurs who maintain long-term relationships with their opt-in customers have the most responsive list.
Strategies to establish a long-term association have been discussed above. Good, strong, solid online relationships take time, effort and imagination to build. Once in place, they become a source of profitable dealings through a loyal customer base.
Successful email marketing is built on loyalty. Your loyal customers and subscriber base will not mistake your message for Spam. Your loyal customers and subscriber base will look forward to your mailings and offerings. Your loyal customer and subscriber base will continue to purchase your product and service for years to come.
Isn't that your goal?