Email Remains an Effective Internet Marketing Tool when Used Well

Email Remains An Effective Internet Marketing Tool When Used Well

Eager to get on the bandwagon of the newest thing, many busy businesspeople believe that social media or some other marketing efforts should replace email Internet marketing. Before you begin phasing out email, consider what opportunities you might be missing if you do.

Legal Issues

The legal issues surrounding unsolicited email from marketers buying lists of email addresses has created legal limitations on the ways in which email can be used for marketing. While communicating with unsuspecting consumers via email is sharply limited by the law, simply examining the number of business emails that enter your inbox should reassure you that email marketing is still employed by many businesses. The legal limitations should be used to help you refine the content of your email with a specific eye towards a consumer who was interested enough in your business to provide you with an email address.

Other Communication Techniques

Use every communication with consumers that is not email to invite them to subscribe to your email list. This includes offline efforts such as including your business email on your business card, or if your business has a storefront, include a guest sign-in sheet that invites comments and email address to receive valued information about your business.

Compose a List of Meaningful Topics

Compose a list of meaningful topics you want to cover in emails for those who have expressed a desire to communicate with you by opting in. Special caution is required if you obtained the email address because you ran a contest or promotion that required an email address for participation. Unless you are constantly running contests or promotions, these emails will quickly be categorized as nuisance emails by those who provided their email addresses for a specific purpose unless you pique consumer interest through your email content.

Choose content that assumes familiarity with your business. When you communicate with customers for the first time through a website or social media page, oftentimes valuable space is taken up by explaining what your business is. Because email is going to be sent to those consumers who opt-in, assume they have some understanding of your business. This will prevent your Internet marketing email content from being boring or repetitive.

Responding to Complaints

If you receive complaints by email, personally respond to the complaint and include a blurb of current information about your company that might also interest the customer. These can be prepared paragraphs written ahead of time that talk about another aspect of your business that you include with your specific response to a complaint. For instance, if someone complains about your customer service, respond to the complaint and include a blurb that promotes ongoing efforts to provide top-quality products to consumers.

Ensure Quality and Professionalism

Use the formality of email as compared to some other Internet marketing as an opportunity to proofread and revise your content. Email is not delivered in real-time. Take the time to write an email and proofread it for spelling and grammar. In this way, regardless of what you are addressing in your email you can use it to highlight your professionalism in producing quality content for your readers.

Periodic Information and Gentle Reminders

Use email to periodically ask people to talk about the last time they made a purchase from your business. If you find that most consumers do not respond or have not made a purchase from you lately you can use email to inform them of a promotion or a “we want you back” incentive.

Honesty and Integrity Matters

Do not try to trick or mislead anyone through email marketing. Whether you are promising a discount to your subscribers only or a special early bird special for your email subscribers, make certain that advertised specials do not overlap with specials offered to other target groups of your marketing efforts. People may see your 10 percent off offer in your email only to see your 15 percent off offer on social media and will correctly realize that there is no benefit to receiving your emails.

Email remains a valuable way to conduct Internet marketing by communicating with customers and potential customers. Use the tips above to effectively use email in your marketing efforts.