The Do's and Don'ts of E-mail Marketing

What are effective marketing strategies? On one hand, it seems that it's best to get your name and information in front of every possible customer. On the other hand, strategic contacts will keep you from wasting time and money. A possible solution to this dilemma is e-mail marketing.

E-mail marketing is the extension and evolution of direct mail marketing. The underlying concept is to keep your customer base well informed of your actions, advancements and opportunities. E-mail marketing can be highly valuable, with the right attitude and knowledge. Without the right information, you'll become roadkill on the spam highway.

E-mail marketing has recently been viewed as an ineffective tool for network marketing. This is because of a lack of personalization and an overzealous marketing community. Many e-mail marketers don't know how to communicate to people. Whether this is a lack of people skills or just deficient education doesn't matter. E-mail accounts the world over are inundated with spam, and people are sick of it. The good thing is that if you know the keys to communication, you can still launch a successful network marketing campaign using e-mail marketing.

You need to make e-mails as personal as possible. No more statements begging for random strangers to look at your website. A great e-mail network marketing campaign inspires customers to ask themselves one simple question: What's in it for me? When you can get people to want or need your services, you have begun the task of launching a successful network marketing e-mail campaign.

If potential customers get e-mails that lead to sales pages that look tacky, they won't return. Make sure that your link leads people to enticing pages full of information, not pages full of questions. Give them important information about your business instead of phrases full of hype and false promises.

Also, consider the fact that spam penalties can seriously hurt your business and your reputation. The Can Spam Act requires you to clearly feature an opt-out option on all your commercial email, and you also have to include a valid physical address in every commercial e-mail you distribute.

When you are creating your e-mail campaign, consider the fact that deceptive subject lines and false or misleading headers are not just deceptive; they are also illegal. The penalties for such e-mail campaigns include cease and desist notices from the Federal Trade Commission or fines up to $11,000 per violation. In some instances, the worst offenders can even face jail time.

That being said, e-mail marketing can still be a viable and effective sales tool if it is used properly. Never send e-mail messages to a list of people you do not know that you purchased from someone else, for instance. If you use e-mail marketing to update current and previous customers on a new feature or benefit you offer, than your message is a welcome guest and your campaign stands a chance at success.

E-mail marketing is a strategy that must be fully understood before you venture into it. Once you know all the rules and regulations, you will be well on your way to informing your customers about the goods and services that you provide. A successful, informative and useful e-mail marketing campaign will certainly benefit your business if you execute it properly.

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