When it comes to permission-based email marketing, small business owners and entrepreneurs often tend to jump right in. While that’s fine, it’s far more important to prepare and plan. That means taking a step back and thinking through what you’re trying to accomplish, says Steve Adams, vice president of marketing for Protus, a provider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) communication tools for growing businesses and enterprise organizations. And the secret to meeting your goals for a direct email marketing campaign is to try and see things through your customers’ eyes.

How can you get better results from your opt-in email marketing program without breaking the bank? Learn the secrets by downloading your free copy of Email Marketing Tips to Increase Your ROI without cost or obligation.

Determine your message. According to Adams, you must ask yourself what type of information would attract attention and get people to open, read, and act on your opt-in email marketing campaigns. Do they want coupons, special offers, or promotions? Would they respond better to valuable information and practical tips they can use? Often, the best email marketing strategy includes a mix of product or service information and expert opinion and advice.

Once you’ve established your direct email marketing objectives, Adams says, you can build an online email marketing plan for the year. Look at the calendar, again from your customer’s perspective. Map out promotions, topics, and campaigns that will help you reach out to your customers at the right time with the right information. It sounds like a challenging task, but you know your customers better than anyone else, so roughing out a flexible plan for the year shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours. Investing time in planning will dramatically improve the performance of your email marketing programs, Adams says. And your customers will appreciate getting relevant emails right when they want them.

Find the right template. Next, you need to create an email template that reflects your brand image, Adams says. A targeted email marketing services company, such as Constant Contact, can provide good templates for getting started. Try and choose a look and feel that reflects your business and brand image.

If you have the time and resources, you can have a custom template created that matches your Web site and marketing collateral. You’ll also want to consider the formatting and how the content is displayed, Adams notes. Leave plenty of room for images and graphics and try to make the text concise, to the point, and easy to scan.

Now you’re ready to launch your email campaign. Kick things off with an email to all customers who have opted in to your communications. Let them know the type of information they’ll be receiving and how frequently they can expect to hear from you. In your first campaign, don’t just sell; offer valuable information or tips your audience can use. Encourage feedback, so you can begin an ongoing dialogue with your customers. That will allow you to continually gather more detailed profile information to improve the targeting of future campaigns.

Permalink: http://www.fuelnet.com/?p=5860