It's worlds away from "Spam" marketing. Spamming is when you collect (or purchase thousands of email addresses...and send them all marketing messages about your products and services. It will get you banned from ISPs, get your website shut down, and destroy your online reputation. Those people didn't request your messages...They didn't opt-in (which simply means to give permission for
you to email them).
Spamming is a quick way to run yourself out of business.
Internet X-Factor marketing is also completely different from what most businesses think is email marketing. It isn't simply collecting email addresses and sending out an ezine. Definitely not. We have way too many of those watered down, opinion less, pieces of marketing trash already clogging our inboxes daily. To really be effective, your emails must follow the three golden rules:
Purpose
- Never let an email leave your desk without having a purpose in mind for it. It may be to generate leads, make joint venture deals, or create sales. It's not just to "Brand" your message as some people would have you to believe. Here are some examples of types of emails to use and the purpose behind them:
Free Report or Free Article - Used to Generate Leads for Your Products Or Services.
Short Email Ad - Used to Send Interested Prospects to a Web Site For More Information.
Thank You Email - To Confirm orders with customers and to make sure they received them.
Wow Email - This email is sent several days after an order to give an extra bonus (to prepare customers for future purchasing from you).
Back-end Email - This is an email sent to customers after they order with a discount offer for another product in an effort to get them to purchase.
E-zine - These are free information/advertising combinations with the primary
purpose of the free information being there to help you send your prospects more advertising they will read.
JV Letter - These are sent out as irresistible offers to get people to sell your products for you.
Notice that every single email is to make a sale,either directly or indirectly. Don't waste your time preparing emails without having a reason for making sales built into them. You shouldn't always do direct selling (i.e. a sales letter email), but you should always have a plan for making sales. Often a "free report" will help you generate sales at your site much quicker than sending out a sales letter will. Personalize
This means to personalize your emails to Bob, Jane, Jim, and Sue...but it also means more than that. It means to always think of your audience and provide them with what they want. What are they personally thinking about? What is it that they personally want from your company? This is why you don't always want to just send sales letters to your audience. I'm sure you don't like just receiving sales letter after sales letter in your email. Nei- ther do your prospects.
A message sent to your prospects with a "surprise" bonus after ordering is a much more powerful way of connecting with them (and making future sales) then sending them another direct sales letter. The direct sales letter being sent right after an order will make you look like a jerk just hungry for more money. A "surprise" email bonus opens the door up to what a wonderful experience it is buying from you. One of these emails breaks the connection with your customers,the other one strengthens it.
If you hire a good copywriter, the first thing they will always do is study your customer base. The more they know about your customers, the better they can write the sales letter. This becomes even more true when dealing with email. One of the best things you could ever do is really get to know your customers. Then, you can write directly to them.
Never write an email to your "subscriber" list. Write it to Fred who is on your list. A good email communication will always be written as if it was just to one single individual. Once you have an email created just for them, then you can use your mail merge software to personalize that same email to everyone (but everyone thinks it was written just for them).
Make it Personal
Never allow yourself to become "the corporation." People by nature fear large companies and don't like buying from them. They would much rather buy from people. Smart companies have figured this out. Go to a Wal-Mart and you will be met by greeters at the front door,not simply sale guides. Everyone knows what Dave Thomas looks like (owner of Wendy's). Fashion designers label their clothing with their own personal names, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren.
People are always afraid to show themselves in their emails. Let people see you. Don't ever let me catch you sending out an "e-zine" with other people's articles published, some ads, and that's it. You had better at least write an editorial for the top. What is your opinion on the subject? What do you think? Share with your prospects and customers. One of the best emails you can send would tell a story or reveal something about yourself. So many business owners are afraid to share themselves, because they're afraid of the rejection which comes along with it.
