Email is one of the best and least expensive ways to reach your target audience, and with today’s analytics measuring effectiveness and ROI has never been easier. Take advantage of this medium to stay top of mind with customers and prospects, customize messages by segment, test offers and more!

Effective email marketing requires a good contact database, but that’s not all. A large email database won’t ensure customers receive, read or act on your messages. Building an effective e-marketing database and executing an e-marketing program that delivers results is an ongoing process. Here are a few key tips to get you started:

1. Capturing Contact Data
   Your website Home page is one of the best places to secure email addresses, but since visitors may enter your site from different pathways you should ensure that every page contains a subscription form that is easy to locate and easy to read. Forms should be simple and require only the necessary information you need to email your subscribers.
2. The Drive to Subscribe
   Most visitors are unwilling to divulge their email information. And, it’s hard to establish trust over the Internet. Giving potential subscribers an incentive to subscribe, such as a list of benefits, other free subscriptions, contests, special promotions etc. will help to encourage them to provide their email addresses.
3. Asking Permission
   Obtain subscribers’ permission to receive “bulk” email. Without permission, your email will be considered spam. Confirm that subscribers have in fact subscribed with an email that thanks them and confirms that they have given you permission to send them information.
4. Please and Thank you
   The thank you email is the first point of contact between you and your new subscribers. Guaranteeing your subscribers’ privacy is vital to ensuring you establish a relationship of trust. The thank you email can also help set expectations about what subscribers should expect (bi-weekly or monthly delivery, ongoing content categories etc.).
5. Deliver Value
   Important as it is to capture and create an accurate email list, securing subscribers’ long term interest and readership is your key goal. Ensure your emails contain:

• Value-Added Content – targeted information, tips, reviews, invitations to exclusive events, special product or service promotions etc.
• Consistency – A consistent email format, length (short) and frequency (often) is vital to ensure readers anticipate and read as many issues as possible
• Personalized Messages – segment your list by target audience – potential customers vs. existing customers, etc. Create different products and promotions based on cross-selling and up-selling goals, special events to convince competitive customers to learn more about your business and its offerings, etc.
• Valuable Links – include links to specific areas of your website where visitors can find more information

Building a brand that will resonate with prospects, customers and employees is critical to success. Once your brand is established, delivering your brand message to the right target markets is the next piece in the puzzle – check the next issue of 5th Insight for more on this and other smarter marketing strategies to meet today’s business challenges.

Remember, subscribers can unsubscribe at any time. Find out why by surveying subscribers at the time of opt-out. This will help you gain valuable insight about where your website and e-publication can be improved.