Once you have decided to run an email marketing campaign, you will need to look for a company which provides ALL the services you think you might need. Take your time when selecting an email marketing firm and find one you trust, as the company will have direct access to your customers and you want to make sure you feel comfortable with the company you hire. What is essential is that the company should be up to date with all data protection laws and ideally be a member of the DMA in the UK.
The company should have excellent relationships with all ISP’s. This means that they will be able to ensure that your email campaign gets delivered effectively. In order to ensure that your emails work from a marketing perspective -- and that they will survive spam filters -- an email firm can edit and proofread your message content.
An email marketing company should also deliver your email with the proper protocols. Although HTML emails are becoming the standard, not everyone can receive them. An email marketing company can ensure that each recipient receives your emails in the format (HTML or text) they prefer.
The email marketing company should also provide you with reports and statistics for your campaign. Metrics such as number of emails sent, number opened and number of click-throughs provide important feedback that will help you design future campaigns, re-think your approach, or decide whether your efforts are working.
An email service should ensure that your email marketing database is kept updated and clean. The company should also provide you with a data appending service. This means that they will be able to add any missing fields to data that you may already have. This level of list management ensures goodwill whilst keeping your business compliant with any existing or planned SPAM legislation.
Finally, email marketing firms are specialists and a good one will be able to provide you with tangible results. Look for a company that works in your industry. Many email marketing companies work in multiple industries. If you can find one that specialises in your industry you are more likely to succeed. It is also important to find a company that allows you to target recipients from many variables including as much demographic information as you can get to make your email campaign more targeted.
Friday, 14 November 2008
Friday, 7 November 2008
Why Email Marketing?
Email marketing is an important part of the direct marketing mix and never more so than during a recession. Whilst it is an acknowledged fact that most companies look to cut marketing costs during an economic down turn it does not have to be across the board when it comes to direct marketing. Email marketing is an area where companies should not be looking to cut costs and there are a number of reasons for this:
Its inexpensive
Email marketing is an affordable way to stretch a tight marketing budget. Unlike other forms of direct marketing there are virtually no production, materials or postage expenses. Email marketing is generally more cost effective than direct mail, depending on what your target market is and how large.Its effective Email marketing enables you to proactively communicate with your existing customers and prospects instead of passively waiting for them to return to your Web site or store. You can easily target your emails by a number of demographical criteria, source or interests. Overall, email communications sent to your prospect and customer lists, can single-handedly improve the ROI of all of your lead generation and customer retention programs.
It’s measurable
Traditionally it has been difficult to accurately measure direct marketing campaigns however results from email campaigns are easily measured. Results are reported in terms of “opens”, which report how many people saw your offer or newsletters, Click Through Rates (CTRs), which measure how many people actually clicked on the links in your email, and in a many cases, who actually clicked on those links.
Its immediate
Email marketing has two great advantages over other forms of direct marketing. Email marketing generates an immediate response. The call to action is clear: “Click here to take advantage of this offer”, or “to learn more about this service”, or to “attend this event”. Initial campaign response generally occurs within 48 hours of the time the email campaign is sent. The stats return on an email marketing campaign also includes how many people have seen your marketing message and have not responded or clicked through. This means that you can, where appropriate, direct your sales efforts to follow up the ‘opens’.
It’s easy
There are a number of companies in the UK which specialise in providing email marketing services. They should provide advice on which creative to use and help with building up a target email list. I will be posting an article on what specific services you should ask about when choosing an online marketing company.
Its inexpensive
Email marketing is an affordable way to stretch a tight marketing budget. Unlike other forms of direct marketing there are virtually no production, materials or postage expenses. Email marketing is generally more cost effective than direct mail, depending on what your target market is and how large.Its effective Email marketing enables you to proactively communicate with your existing customers and prospects instead of passively waiting for them to return to your Web site or store. You can easily target your emails by a number of demographical criteria, source or interests. Overall, email communications sent to your prospect and customer lists, can single-handedly improve the ROI of all of your lead generation and customer retention programs.
It’s measurable
Traditionally it has been difficult to accurately measure direct marketing campaigns however results from email campaigns are easily measured. Results are reported in terms of “opens”, which report how many people saw your offer or newsletters, Click Through Rates (CTRs), which measure how many people actually clicked on the links in your email, and in a many cases, who actually clicked on those links.
Its immediate
Email marketing has two great advantages over other forms of direct marketing. Email marketing generates an immediate response. The call to action is clear: “Click here to take advantage of this offer”, or “to learn more about this service”, or to “attend this event”. Initial campaign response generally occurs within 48 hours of the time the email campaign is sent. The stats return on an email marketing campaign also includes how many people have seen your marketing message and have not responded or clicked through. This means that you can, where appropriate, direct your sales efforts to follow up the ‘opens’.
It’s easy
There are a number of companies in the UK which specialise in providing email marketing services. They should provide advice on which creative to use and help with building up a target email list. I will be posting an article on what specific services you should ask about when choosing an online marketing company.
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