Email & Viral Marketing

Email Marketing and Staying in Touch with Your Target Market

Email List Hosting Services

When considering an doing any email campaign, you'll need to decide how you will set it up on your site. Your web developer can help you with this, perhaps set it up themselves through a content management system, from scratch, or with an open source software system, such as Dada Mail or PHP List.

There are also many companies that offer this service, most of the time for a monthly fee, such as Constant Contact or Vertical Response

Permission Marketing

Create a feature of your business that you can send on a regular basis to your target market. Then create a "Click here to receive newsletter" or "Join e-club" element on your site. Be sure to include notification of cool stuff.

Also be sure to let them know your privacy policy, what you will do with their information. Let them know that you won't sell their information. Let them know they can opt to unsubscribe at any time.

Make permission form easy, only requiring first name and email address. You can build more information about them in future marketing efforts. Sell the benefits of what you will send them- specials, tips, etc.

Collect email addresses at the shows you exhibit in. Be sure to specify what you will use them for.

Sending email to people who did not personally request in formation from your company is spam. Never buy or rent lists. Form a relationship with your customers that is based on respect, privacy and evolves over time. This will build long-term customer loyalty and word of mouth referral. See spamlaws.com/federal for more information.

Also, you can check your spam level at Spamcheck.

Once you have a list develop an email marketing plan. You could consider:

• Newsletters
• Invitations
• Postcards
• Announcements
• Specials

Example: Email Newsletters

Offer something for users to stay on the list. Incentives don't have to be coupons or giveaways. Good content is very effective. Such as

• customer success stories
• interviews with industry experts
• Q & A colunm
• Industry news
• Customer feedback
• Tips on how to use product

Make it about them, not about your business, the history or what's happening within your company unless it is for investors. Keep it short and concise. If you have a lot of content, separate it into departments.

Determine the time and frequency: daily, weekly, monthly and delivery time.

Replying to Emails

Develop a library of responses, maybe something you can cut and paste out of for different questions. Have an electronic brochure ready for inquiries - include a personal note.

Email Netiquette: Be courteious, prompt, brief, use upper and lower case appropriately, emoticons only where appropriate, check spelling grammar, attachements sparingly

Viral Marketing

Use "word-of-mouse" techniques to spread the word about your website:

• Tell a friend button
• Signature files – name, organization, snail address, phone, fax, email, URL, tag line (no graphics!)
• Use a memorable domain name
• Participate in list-servs, message boards, discussion groups
• May want to consider paid advertising, such as Google Adwords
• Post items on Ebay and include a link to your site