E-Mail Marketing – A Forgotten Strategy That Delivers $45 For Every Dollar Spent
With everyone trying to squeeze as many pennies as possible from a dollar these days, it’s a wonder more companies don’t add e-mail campaigns to their marketing strategies.
A recent Opus Research study showed nearly 60% of small businesses haven’t tried any type of e-mail marketing. That’s crazy because e-mail is such a simple and effective way for businesses to pull in profits. According to the Direct Marketing Association, e-mail’s return on investment averaged $ 45.06 for every dollar spent in 2008. In comparison, non-e-mail Internet marketing delivered roughly $ 19.94 for every dollar spent.
I’ve mentioned this many times before, but it’s worth saying again: The easiest way to begin an e-mail campaign is by adding a lead-capture form on your website’s home page. Give visitors the opportunity to provide their names and e-mail addresses in exchange for something of value. Figure out what your prospects want and then deliver information that addresses those needs. Give away a report, checklist, video, white paper, data sheet, eBook, newsletter, tutorial, seminar, product samples, article, coupon, book chapter, audio recording, tips … The possibilities are virtually endless.
The simplest and most economical tool ($ 19 a month) I’ve found for adding a lead-capture form and maintaining an e-mail marketing campaign is AWeber. Now, before any confusion sets in, let me stress spamming your list does not constitute an e-mail marketing campaign. In fact, relentlessly pitching your product to a list you bought won’t work either.
Just like a face-to-face meeting, e-mail is a two-way conversation. Your e-mails must first demonstrate you’re a real person interested in developing relationships. That means you must deliver more value before even considering a sale. And here’s a secret I learned from copywriter Ben Settle (who e-mails his list daily): If you want more business, send more e-mails. Yeah, I know that might sound risky, especially if you’re worried about being labeled a spammer. But if your e-mails provide value, then you have nothing to worry about.
You may have noticed a rise in e-mails from me lately. That’s because inquiries for my services increase almost every time I send an e-mail. Now that you’re starting your e-mail campaign, here are a few facts to consider from eMarketer:
· By a wide margin, the most commonly tested element of an e-mail is the subject line.
· Most e-mail marketers consider midday to be the most successful time to send e-mails, followed by the start of the business day.
· Tuesday is considered the best day of the week for marketing e-mails, with Wednesday coming in second.
