Boost Sales through Email Marketing
By Ruth Kuttler, the "Web PuzzleMaster"

If you are thinking about all the spam email that you spend your precious time clearing out of your mailbox, I would ask you to read this carefully and keep an open mind. Let me explain the difference between spam (which is illegal) and permission based email (opt-in).

Huge Profits in Opt-in Email

When someone comes to a website and completes a little form giving permission to receive email from that company and/or other companies that are specified, that is called opt-in email. It is the only legitimate form of bulk email. The good news about email marketing is that people who have opted in to receive your mailings, know your name and are much more likely to open your email. Even if they ignore it for months and months, the fact that your name is coming across their monitor again and again is imprinting a powerful message in their minds. That message is something like this: “Wow - this company is very persistent and they are really on the ball.” As they read your email which is not just ads but giving them valuable tips and information, they are building a trusting relationship with you. People buy from people they like and trust.

The key to email marketing is that it must add perceived value to the visitor. Otherwise it is just more junk mail that wastes their time. Short tips, articles, quotes, poems and even audio and video clips are welcomed and appreciated by most email subscribers. As people read your information and learn from you, you become regarded as the “expert” in your field. These people are more open to what you have to say and much more likely to trust your judgment and use your products and services. Not only that, when they like you and trust you, they will spread the good word about you to family, friends and business associates.

Rest assured too that there are ways to prevent your email from ending up in someone’s spam or junk mail folder. Keep reading to find out how.

Grow Your Business Through Your Subscriber List:

The most important thing that you can do is to build a list of subscribers at your website. When you signup with a mail list service (which I highly recommend), you can give your webmaster some simple code to put on your pages that will prompt people to opt in to receive your newsletter. An online newsletter is called an e-zine. You want to give your e-zine a name that relates to what it is about. The name of your e-zine does not have to be the same as your domain name. You might purchase a separate domain name just for your e-zine. I purchased the domain name WinningMarketingSecrets.com. Even though I am not using that name to promote my e-zine, I purchased it mainly to prevent someone else from getting a benefit from my e-zine name. Always give people a url to use for subscribing to your e-zine. It could be your separate domain that you use specifically for building your list. Or you could send them to a page on your main website. Even if you include a sign up form on every page of your site which is highly recommended, a newsletter page is also important. This page gives you more room to explain the benefits and include your picture, your name as the publisher, an impressive cover that makes it look like a real magazine, your incentive for subscribing, your privacy policy and a sign up form.

Make your e-zine look like a real magazine cover and attract more subscribers.

The more impressive you make your e-zine, the more likely it is that people will join your list. Giving it a value helps even more. Below is the cover that I designed for my e-zine and the cover for my free giveaway– the special report that you receive almost instantly when you subscribe.

E-zine Cover	Special Report Cover

The next step is to create some written messages that your subscribers see after they complete the form.

The first message is a simple thank you, acknowledging that they signed up for your e-zine. It also prompts them to check their email right away to confirm their subscription. Most email list services recommend a double opt-in process for subscription. That means that the initial email message requires that the visitor click a confirmation link to confirm that it was them and not someone else who put them on the list. Once they click that link, they get another message with a welcome, some key benefits of the e-zine and what to expect in terms of frequency of publication. This is a great time to provide them with a free gift - something that you promised as an incentive for their subscription. It might be a free report, coupon, an audio teleclass or even an eBook or software. Ideally it is something electronic that relates to the products or services that you provide. Immediate delivery of your freebie will make it much more attractive. A free pre-recorded teleclass is a great giveaway idea. It allows you to build credibility, establish yourself as an expert and promote to your business.

An Effective E-zine will make you an Expert

When your impressive professional e-zine with valuable tips and information shows up in your subscriber’s email, they notice you. This is only true if it becomes a pattern over a period of time. After a while, they look forward to seeing your name in their list of messages.

Email marketing is easy and affordable. There are list services that allow you to automate the whole process. Not all list services offer the same quality product and service. The company I use is reasonably priced, easy to use and provides great support. You can send unlimited mailings in html (they look like a webpage) as well as text. You can choose from a number of professionally designed templates or upload your own custom design. There is also a feature that checks your copy against spam criteria, giving you a score and how to improve in order to get through spam filters. This is your best assurance that you email will not end up in someone's spam folder. This company has everything you need to build your list and to send your e-zine and other mailings. You can learn more about them at www.webpuzzlemaster.com/maillist.html.

Ideally, your template should compliment your website with the same theme and colors. This ties the concept of your e-zine to your website and to your overall image. This is the advantage to a custom design. A one column format has been proven to be easier to read and is more likely to hold the reader’s attention. Below is the template I custom designed and use for my e-zine “Winning Marketing Secrets.”

When my emails are sent, the list company adds a footer which includes my company name, address and a link to subscribe and unsubscribe (required by law). All of this is automated so that once it is set up, it does not require additional attention. Writing and sending out e-zines however is an ongoing commitment – one that makes you an expert in the eyes of your subscribers, allows you to stay in front of them, build a trusting relationship and earn their business.

Build a Massive List by Submitting Articles and your E-zine to Directories and Newsgroups!

Besides building an opt-in list and sending out e-zines to your list of subscribers, you can submit articles and your e-zine to newsgroups in your target market. You can generate thousands of visitors every month with article marketing alone. There are hundreds of directories that will allow you to post articles along with a brief byline about you, your company and a link to your website. Search engines also find your articles through keywords that drive more traffic to your website. Once on your website, your main objective is to have them join your list. Remember that people seldom buy on their first exposure to a company – this is particularly true on the Internet. It is repetition of seeing your messages again and again that will convert them to customers.

One way to get people to join your e-zine is to advertise in e-zine publications where your target market subscribes. You can search directories to find e-zines that match your requirements and have a significant subscriber list. If you are going to advertise in these e-zines, make sure you get top positioning as this will affect your results. Advertise in at least 3 consecutive issues and 7 times is best. Always track your responses by using a tracking link in your ad. It is also a good idea to test your ad copy as variations in headlines and even strategic use of capital letters can generate different results. Once your e-zine is more established and you have a substantial subscriber list, you may also want to swap ads with e-zine publishers who share your target market. Be sure they do not compete with you and that they have a customer base equal to or larger than yours.

Always remember that the power to brand yourself, become “the expert” and make money while you sleep and vacation is in your list.

Make the growth of your list, your number 1 priority at your website! There is no more effective and least costly way to build a following, get in front of people over and over and make your bank account mushroom. Your success is all about the marketing.

© 2008 Web PuzzleMaster, LLC, Ruth Kuttler, the Web PuzzleMaster, All rights reserved.

Online design and marketing specialist, Ruth Kuttler, “the Web PuzzleMaster,” is the creator of “Winning Marketing Secrets” E-zine. Get her FREE SPECIAL REPORT, “10 Simple Secrets for Making your Website into a Selling Machine!” at www.WebPuzzleMaster.com. You are welcome to ‘reprint’ this article online, provided it remains complete (including the contact information at the end), and you send me a copy or link to your reprint at ruth@webpuzzlemaster.com. Thanks!

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