Successful Email Marketing
What is Email Marketing?
Email Marketing is a form of direct marketing which uses email messages sent to a specific list of people, to enhance sales and/or customer loyalty.
Getting started with email marketing is as easy as putting an “opt-in” form on your website or Blog. Yet many people overlook this one crucial step. – Studio Logic
There are 3 core steps to successful email marketing for Small Business Owners.
1. Get Explicit Permission To Email Someone
As most of us already know, SPAM is an email marketing message sent without permission.
Penalties can be imposed for any business caught defying anti-spam rules; you can even be blacklisted by ISPs.
SPAM is garbage that clogs your prospects inbox. 
If you make a mistake and become a “spammer” in the eyes of your recipients, you will not be successful with email marketing.
So getting permission to email someone is the important first step in setting up a successful email marketing program.
And the good news is: getting permission to email is not that difficult.
Why not offer something of value (free sample/demo, ebook, special discount) in exchange for someone’s email address?
Get permission to email by using a website or Blog sign-up form, hard copy/paper form in your shop, store, or printed Newsletter – or by traditional direct mail methods.
2. Recognize That Size Does Not Really Matter
Some folks have a hard time believing that they should NOT obsess about the size of their Email List.
An integral part of successful email marketing is to focus on the quality of your List – not the size of it.
It’s much more important to have a list of 50 people who are interested in what you are selling and will welcome your emails, than 1000 people who couldn’t care less.
Of course this means that in all likelihood, it will take time to build your Email List.
But taking time to build a great Email List, will be well worth the time spent building it.
3. Remember That Persistence Pays
Email Marketing is really about building solid customer relationships over time.
Successful email campaigns begin with getting permission to send future communications – followed by more emails which set up expectations of future benefits.
Then it’s up to you to deliver the benefits.
How about coupons/discounts?
How about important news items related to your prospect’s business, service, or industry?
Be persistent in offering benefits to those on your Email List.
This persistence will help your prospect remember you and your Business – and hopefully – welcome and value your continuous email communications.
Over time, you will begin to reap the rewards of your email program.
But it all begins with permission.
