Successful Email Marketing – The Fundamentals

3:07 pm in Money Online, marketing by ClubBlogger

If you’re asking “I really need a list…get me a list…where can I buy a list…” then you’re probably already in totally the wrong place to achieve successful marketing by email.

You don’t want to ‘scatter gun’ any list; certainly not one you haven’t built and generated in a targeted, controlled way.

Yes, you can ‘rent’ or ‘buy’ a list.  But it’s a one-hit wonder.  And actually probably a one-hit failure.

But if you develop and nurture your own, valuable list you benefit from generating a customer relationship; a reader relationship; real engagement with those who buy your produce, use your service, read your blog ;)

The 10 key areas:

  • Who’s your audience and why should they listen to you?
  • When you email them, what, exactly, are you trying to achieve?
  • What will your mailings look like – would you read them? Would they make you take action?
  • Will you – actually, SHOULD you – do the writing and construct the mailings? Are you really up for it?
  • How regularly will you mail and how long will your mailings be?
  • Those email addresses won’t just magically appear – how will you collect them?  Always do it ethically, whether via web form or other opt-in method – do it right, do it well, do it consistently.
  • The last point bears repetition: ALL recipients must have in advance expressly asked you to mail them.  And if they don’t want to hear your drivel ;) anymore, make it easy for them to switch you off!
  • Is your technology scalable to grow your list?  Will the length of the list actually become a problem? How will you store/host your list – internally or will you outsource.
  • Whatever you do, you MUST create and maintain TRUST.
  • You must add value.

Be honest. Be genuine. Be successful.

CB

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