Ask Jason: Email List Marketing FAQ

“What’s the first step in planning an email campaign?”

Define your target audience. “Who is your ideal target audience?” A good way to answer this is to think about your current clients and what is similar about them. With this information and a target budget a representative will provide you with some detailed list recommendations for your review.

“Can I take possession of the data in the opt-in email lists?”

Tips and Techniques for Advertising in Email Newsletters and eZines

I’m a huge fan of email newsletters as an advertising medium. I subscribe to a number of newsletters to stay current with industry trends, and think they are an ideal way for companies to distribute information and build an online audience.

In general, there are two different types of email newsletter publishers. There are newsletters distributed by companies to keep in touch with their prospects and customers by providing periodic updates and information.

Finding the Right Email Newsletter

Picking the right audience for your company’s offerings is very important. Your objective should be to find a newsletter sent to individuals that have the need for your services and the power to buy them.

Here are a few questions to ask prior to doing a placement in a newsletter:

Who are the subscribers?

You’ll want to know where the subscribers to the newsletter came from.

What Software Can You Use to Build Your Email List

There are a variety of programs available to manage your email list. They can help you with every step from managing subscribers to processing the opt-outs.

Here are some of the functions a good email software program will provide:

• Manage opt-ins
• Send a message to confirm opt-in
• Send a message that requires action to fully opt-in (double opt-in)
• Personalize the messages with the subscribers name
• Automatically manage un-subscribes (removals)
• Allow uploading of existing email lists
• Remove any duplicate subscriptions
• Include additional subscriber data
• Handle deployment of messages on their servers

There are many programs you can purchase to perform these functions.

Tips for Making Your Email Newsletter Ad Work

There are many points and strategies to consider when crafting an effective email newsletter placement. The following tips should get you off on the right foot and help you maximize your ROI.

Negotiate Good Positioning

Newsletter sponsorships vary in their design, but most offer a text ad placement approximately five lines long and 65 characters wide. This is hardly enough space to sell a product or service, but it is enough space to inspire your audience and get them to click and visit your offer page.

Why Email Marketing

The business landscape is littered with failed companies that had strong products and services but never figured out how to market them. Poor marketing or lack of marketing is quoted by many as the single biggest reason why businesses fail.

Your first objective as a business is to determine ways that you can market your products and services in a cost effective manner.

Who Should I Say The Email is From?

Addressing your email message is key. In a study by DoubleClick, 60 percent of those interviewed said the “from” line is the most compelling reason to open an email.

It’s true. When an email message is received, one of the first things people look for in determining if it’s worth their attention is where or who it came from. The subject line and who the message is from are really the only two things a recipient can read before opening an email.