Email Marketing Tips and Tactics

Email marketing is a more than just sending out mass emails on a weekly or monthly basis. Email marketing is effective, because internet business owners are able to market directly to their customers as well as build a relationship with them.

You can use email marketing for many different reasons. For example, you can email a newsletter on a monthly basis. You can email money saving coupons and offers to current or past customers and even to those who have only visited your website. Surveys through email are help you understand your customer better. You can generate some extra revenue through the use of email ads. On the other hand, you can purchase ad space from other companies' email newsletters to improve your branding and marketing.

These days spam laws have put a damper on email marketing. These laws specifically indicate how an email list can be built. Also, they mandate that email list subscribers must be able to unsubscribe from any future mailings through the use of unsubscribe links. In order to stay in compliance with these spam laws and still be effective with your email campaigns, follow these tips:

* Make your email list "double opt-in." A customer must have at least two chances to confirm before they're officially on your list. Normally, a double opt-in looks like this. A customer gives their email address at a website. Before they join the list, they have to click on a confirmation link on the first email sent by the company.

* Add a link to unsubscribe from your email list at the bottom of every email.

* Gather email addresses on a high traffic webpage on your website. Add a subscription form or even give the customer an option to subscribe when they place an order.

* If you're thinking of purchasing an email list, consider these two things. First, only purchase from distributors with very good reputations. Second, buy a list that contains customers in your target market.

* If you're struggling to build your list, offer your visitors a free incentive to entice them to join. Create an e-book, software, or something similar to give to your subscribers as soon as they join your list.

* Offer two types of formats for your emails: an HTML and plain text format. This allows more users to view your emails.

* Send email newsletters on a regular basis. Once a month on the same date, or once every two weeks is good practice. Don't send them too often as many subscribers may unsubscribe, regarding your email newsletters as an annoyance.