E-MAIL MARKETING 101: GETTING STARTED

   If your business is one that deals directly with Consumers, then E-Mail Marketing is something you need to be participating in.  This is especially true if “coupons” and special offers figure prominently in your Marketing Program.  For many businesses, E-Mail Marketing may very well be your ticket to “Marketing Paradise!”

            Prime examples of those who might benefit from E-Mail Marketing are Restaurants, Sporting Goods Stores and Churches.  To begin with, we need to realize that there are two major challenges in implementing an effective E-Mail Marketing Program:  The key to building your list is that you have to provide a reason for people to join. In the case of the Restaurant and Sporting Goods Store, you might offer a "2 for 1 coupon,” or a "20% Off” your next order when they sign up. A Church might offer a free White Paper on Prayer or Better Family Life for signing up.  You provide patrons the opportunity to enroll while they are in your establishment, and at that time you explain that future coupons will be forthcoming when they "enroll” with you.

Once a Restaurant has a list to work with they can start their E-Mail Marketing Program.  They can send out coupons for Karaoke Night, or for Holiday Discounts, or maybe even to join you for Monday Night Football.  It is important to remember that an E-Mail Marketing Program is primarily to provide your business with "spikes,” corresponding to the event or holiday. Inasmuch as E-Mails tend to have a short "shelf life,” these are good for “short term” promotions.

       For the Sporting Goods store it would be very similar, but you might want to offer "how to” classes for members of your contact list. You might also promote a "One Day Sale” or a "Week End Event.” While Restaurants might take advantage of Holidays, theSporting Goods Store might benefit from the various seasons - Hunting, Fishing, Baseball, etc. An E-Mail inviting your contact list members to attend a class titled "A one day Guide to tying Flies” would serve several purposes: 1) It would help you determine your clients area of interest and 2) it would set the stage for increased sales regarding Fly Fishing!

Churches might want to offer an invitation to a special Holiday Service or even a “Movie Night” or special musical presentation.  Again, the idea is to get people in so that you can determine what their needs are and how you can help meet those needs.

            Regardless of the entity are promoting, there are several important facts you need to keep in mind when building your E-Mail Program. Most importantly, perhaps, is the fact that you will want to design your coupons in HTML. This not only allows you to develop and forward an "attractive” coupon that will render properly, it also provides you with the means to "track” your E-Mails, allowing you to know how many of them are being opened and, perhaps even more importantly, how many recipients are "clicking through.”