| Email marketing is a huge facet of most online | | | | many options out there for paid email software, |
| marketing campaigns. It's one of the few "low-cost" | | | | most notably being AWeber, one of the most |
| marketing methods that can drive a tremendous ROI | | | | popular email list managers around. For $20/month |
| if done properly (Marketing Sherpa claimed in 2006 | | | | you can get a really good email marketing solution |
| that email marketing will average a return of 17 times | | | | from AWeber, which has a lot of advanced features |
| your cost for email marketing). The great thing about | | | | that the free programs don't offer. Once you have a |
| doing email marketing is that's its pretty straight | | | | software solution chosen and setup, you need to |
| forward to get started, and there are a lot of | | | | create a template for your emails. You can use a |
| software solutions available on the market already | | | | simple HTML editor like Frontpage to make |
| for any price range (even free ones). Before You | | | | professionally looking email templates (or better yet, |
| Start Email Marketing There is one very important | | | | Office 2007 has the feature built right into Word). So |
| thing you must do before you start an email | | | | now you've got your email software setup and a |
| marketing campaign - familiarize yourself with | | | | nice template to use for your emails. The next step |
| Can-Spam. Can-Spam is a law passed by the US | | | | is to start promoting your newsletter. Newsletter |
| government that places specific requirements on | | | | Promoting is Easy Getting people to sign up to your |
| anybody that is doing email marketing. In a nutshell, it | | | | newsletter is usually pretty easy - and you can do it |
| requires that you clearly identify your email with your | | | | for free if you know what you are doing. One |
| legal business name and physical business address. For | | | | proven method is to post on forums related to your |
| most commercial mailers, this is done through a small | | | | website with a signature link back to your website, |
| paragraph at the bottom of their emails; however | | | | specifically the page on your website that has the |
| there are a few companies that will include this | | | | newsletter signup form. As long as you are posting |
| information in other places side as to the side or right | | | | useful content to the forum and not just spamming |
| at the top of the email. As long as the address is | | | | them, there's a good chance your links will stay and |
| visible then it's legal. The next requirement is that | | | | people will eventually click on them and come to your |
| your "from" field must be a real email address that | | | | website. Another good method is to post comments |
| you own. So you can't just send out an email from | | | | on related blogs, as most blog comments allow you |
| some random account, you have to own the email | | | | to list your website. If you post constructive |
| address. The third requirement is that you email | | | | comments on popular blogs, then chances are that it |
| subject lines must be accurate. You cannot legally | | | | will drive some free targeted traffic to your website. |
| send an email out that has a misleading subject line. | | | | And a final tip for getting free publicity for your |
| Lastly, and most importantly, there has to be a way | | | | newsletter is to submit your website to free |
| for people to opt-out of your mailing list, and it has | | | | directories. These websites will list your website in a |
| to be clearly visible in every email you send. This can | | | | relevant category, which may drive some traffic. A |
| be something simple like a message saying "Reply to | | | | good source is the Yahoo Directory, which has |
| this email if you no longer wish to receive it", or it | | | | thousands of people searching it every day. It is |
| could be something more complex like a text link that | | | | possible to get listed for free in the Yahoo Directory, |
| takes the reader to an unsubscribe confirmation link | | | | but it's a lot faster and easier if you just pay the |
| on your website. Either method is acceptable as long | | | | listing fee of $300 per year. Yes that is a bit steep, |
| as the reader can clearly see the method in your | | | | but it can be well worth it. Besides, getting into a |
| email (so no hiding it from plain sight). Starting Email | | | | directory like Yahoo will also help your website rank |
| Marketing on a Low Budget Email marketing doesn't | | | | higher in the search engines, which in turn will drive |
| have to cost you thousands of dollars to get started, | | | | even more targeted traffic to your website! |
| in fact there are several programs out there that are | | | | Christian Little is an internet marketing expert based |
| free and fairly easy to use. Most web hosting | | | | out of Vancouver, Canada. He runs a blog that offers |
| companies will even provide you with a free email list | | | | tips for email marketing and ways to make money |
| manager of some sort automatically through your | | | | online. |
| hosting control panel. However if needed, there are | | | | |