Email marketing has been around for quite a while – but this doesn’t mean it’s dull or outdated.
Far from it. In fact email marketing is the foundation of your online marketing – and should be top of the list for any small or local business.
Why?
Quite simply there’s no better way to connect and build relationships with your prospects and your customers.
Just imagine being able to contact your prospects and customers every week or every month – even every day! You can keep them up to date with your news, events and promotions.
(We don’t recommend you email every day. A couple of times a week is usually the max or you will risk being seen as a “spammer” and annoying people).
With your prospects, as you’ll be well aware, if usually takes multiple points of contact to convert into customers. Some say 7 times, some say 9, on average – actually it all depends on the market you are in.
Whatever the figure, keeping in touch and providing value rather than heavy selling, is the best way to build trust and convert those prospects into long term loyal customers, who come back to you again and again.
Email is so quick and easy to use if you have a good system. One email sent to all those prospects and/or customers, with just a few clicks. You can send different ones to prospects and to customers – and different offers to different categories of customer.
Plus you can schedule them in advance – so you can prepare a month’s worth of emails all at the same time – a very effective use of your busy time.
It’s also important to track results and stats – and this is where a good email management system comes into its own. You can track who has opened their emails – and resend to those who didn’t open theirs – they may have just been busy.
Which is another key point when choosing a system – some have better “open” rates than others – and yes the free systems generally have poor results, with a large percentage of emails being delivered straight to spam boxes.
It’s really worth investing in a good system – which doesn’t mean it will cost the earth. Our own systems cost from just £100 per month and come with full management and back-up.
If you are happy to set up your own system with the opt-ins and put all the codes into your website etc, then we recommend AWeber – it’s very cost effective and one of the market leaders.
Email marketing is simply the very best place to start connecting with customers, and building relationships, for long term customers, sales and profits for your business.
If you do nothing else, just make sure make the most of your website by capturing your visitors email details – and start marketing!
Please do share your ideas and comments 
