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Email Marketing 101

Small businesses have more options than ever when it comes to effectively marketing their businesses on a small budget. In addition to using Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets, business owners are increasingly using email to make direct contact with their potential and existing customers. Direct email marketing, sometimes called “blast email,” can be extremely lucrative if done properly. However, when used inappropriately, direct email campaigns can do more harm than good.

Don’t be Sir Spam-a-Lot
Sending out a constant stream of emails isn’t marketing, it’s spamming, and it’s just about the fastest way to get people to opt out of your emails. Spamming can also cause a bad sender reputation, meaning your company’s messages will be flagged by various email programs, causing your emails to be auto-directed into “bulk” or “spam” folders. Spamming can also exponentially increase your bounce rates and cause your messages to become blacklisted. So be judicious with your marketing emails. Set a schedule and only send blast emails when you truly have something worthwhile to share with your customer base.

Tip! When sending marketing emails, always remember the consumer’s point of view:
WIIFM — What’s In It For Me?
If the answer isn’t obvious, don’t send it.

You are who you are
We recently discussed using HTML signatures to establish and maintain a consistent corporate persona via email. This is equally important when using a blast email program. So, regardless of whether you use MailChimp, iContact, or the feature-heavy site Gold Lasso, take the time to learn about the tools offered by your provider. This way, you will not only get your specific message across, but you’ll do it in a way that provides opportunities to maintain your corporate image.

Not sure where to start? TribalVision offers email marketing solutions tailored to fit your needs. Visit our Connect page to get started today!