Email marketing evolved from direct marketing. Before the internet was introduced
to a, generally speaking, unsuspecting world, direct marketing was the king
of salesmanship-through-print methods. Remember those times when youd
receive unsolicited mails in your mailbox your actual, real, brick
and mortar mailbox, that is? Remember reading some of them? A lot were actually
junk that never invited further scrutiny, but quite a few were able to win
your interest, and perhaps, they even made you say I want whatever
this guy is offering!
When the age of the internet began, direct mail marketers found a new venue
for their previous tactics, albeit with some adjustments. It was apparent
that the internet will use words as the primary vehicles of communication,
much like direct mail marketing before it. The transition was easy. But it
had to be customized to suit the new medium.
* Writing for an online audience is very much different than writing for
print consumers. Online users are more impatient, and they have more choices
available for them. Hence, writing in short paragraphs, simple but engaging
sentences, and using bulleting and numbering as much as possible, has been
integrated with email marketing campaigns.
* Spam filters have emerged as an email marketers enemy. Hence, unsolicited
emails are no longer an option. Opt-in pages have been developed to ensure
that no spam complaints will be forwarded. Spam complaints can severely cripple
a businessmans email marketing campaign.
* Spam filters, as well as some technical issues, have gravely decreased
the deliverability rate of marketing mails. Indeed, direct mails have a higher
deliverability rate than emails.
* Also, direct mails enjoy a higher readability rate than emails. Since direct
mails are encapsulated in physical form, they can be read in bed, while taking
breakfast, are while on the go. Emails can only be read in front of a PC
terminal.
Despite these differences, email marketing still possessed some features
that make it a more efficient alternative to direct mails.
* Email marketing is a more inexpensive option. Sending emails is far cheaper
than actually printing and mailing real letters.
* Generating leads for an email marketing campaign is easier. People are
more likely to leave their email addresses rather then real, physical address.
The former is a safer and more secure choice.
* Email marketing has one distinct advantage over direct mails: multiple
levels of follow-ups. Direct mails have but one chance to convince the recipient
to purchase a product or avail of a service. Email marketing can hook the
prospect into subscribing to a mailing list, ensuring in the process that
he or she would receive future emails for future offers. Additionally, the
recipients of emails can be led to a website for further conversion
possibilities.
It is essential to look at email marketing based on its history and how it
developed. Not only will you get a clearer understanding of this strategy,
youd also be able to avoid the pitfalls its previous incarnation
experienced.
Basically, you only have one shot.
Though email marketing, as we have discussed above, offers more levels of
follow ups, you have one shot to hook your prospects, not necessarily to
make an immediate purchase, but to at least allow themselves to become your
leads for future offers.
In this light, email marketing is said to have two purposes:
1. To win some sales; and
2. To garner some leads
Just because your sales rate would remain low after you employ an email marketing
campaign doesnt mean it is a failure. The leads you will manage to
get will serve you well come your future offers. Additionally, the size of
your mailing list can be used as a bargaining point in many projects you
could embark on in this, the wonderful world of internet marketing.
Mark Flavin Is The Owner Of Mark Flavin Marketing. Mark Is An Expert In Online
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