Here's the second installment in Email Marketing Summer School from Matt Ringer at Small Biz Bee.

Welcome to day two of Email Marketing Summer School, where the goal of our class is to have you using email effectively to market and promote your business.

We've already covered why many email marketers are not effective, and given you the Top 10 Benefits of using email as part of your marketing campaign.

Today You'll Learn

Today we'll look at some of the numbers behind email marketing that validate it as a powerhouse in the world of marketing.

We'll look at the factors that make email marketing so effective. And lastly go over a couple tips you can start using in your emails today to make them resonate with your list.

It Works!

Email marketing has the potential to convert readers into customers as well as any other form of marketing. The main benefits come from the ability to reach a much larger audience (who have asked you to send them information), in less time, for less money, and have instant feedback on the results. Pretty sweet huh?

I think there is a misconception that email marketing isn't very effective because of all the spam email we receive. We think that spam = email marketing. It's not, it's spam, and you won't be doing it.

When done correctly, with a proper plan and intentions email really does work, consider this:

A Look at the Numbers

• According to research conducted by the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing generated an ROI of $48.34 for every dollar spent on it in 2007. The expected figure for 2008 is $45.06, and the prediction for 2009 is $43.52. As such, it outperforms all the other direct marketing channels examined, such as print catalogs.

• The Ad Effectiveness Survey commissioned by Forbes Media in Feb/March 2009 revealed that email and e-newsletter marketing are considered the second-most effective tool for generating conversions, just behind SEO.
• Shop.org's State of Retailing Online 2009 survey of retailers found that "E-mail is the most mentioned successful tactic overall".

• In Datran Media's 2009 Annual Marketing & Media Survey, 80.4% of industry executives said the email channel performed strongly for their company. This was the top result.

• A February/March 2008 retailer survey by shop.org revealed that email marketing has the second lowest cost per order (CPO) of any online marketing tactic. The CPO of $6.85 compares favorably with, for example, paid search's CPO of $19.33.

To me those numbers seem pretty impressive.

Why Is Email So Effective?

By nature we are social creatures. Just look at the explosion of social networking sites over the past couple years. However, one of the most social things we still do on the internet is email.

We love getting and sending email to friends and family. Sharing information, forwarding jokes, and checking in with people we care about. We look forward to emails from people we know, we like the connection.

If done right, your email marketing will be one of the emails people on your list look forward too.

As far to the other end of the spectrum you can get from spam is where you'll be operating. You'll be making your email personal, and compelling. Informational, and looked forward too.

You'll be building a relationship with those on your list, and that is the essence of why email marketing is so effective. As we discussed in the last class, you'll be gaining their trust, building authority, and become a part of their inner circle.

Tips to Build the Relationship Through Email

When you email your customers and potential customers, those people who have signed up for your list to get more information from you, keep these tips in mind to build the relationship from day one:

You Don't Sell - The Relationship Sells

Don't treat your email list like a cash cow out there to do nothing but buy from you. Sure you can send a "BUY MY STUFF" email to 10,000 people and if 1% buy you just made 100 sales. But wouldn't you rather build a relationship with your audience such that your list of 500 people buy from you every time?

80/20 Information to Selling

80% of your emails to your list should be informational, helpful, or authority building. The other 20% you can directly sell. Remember point number 1, you're building trust and relationships...if every email is a sales pitch, that doesn't seem very friendly!

Make Your Emails Personal

Write for an audience of one. Keep your emails sounding informal, and personal, much like you'd write to a friend. Everything should be spelled correctly, and keep in mind you are representing your business, but you don't need to use the queens English.

Which sounds better?

You could do this:

"Matthew-

If I could have a moment of your time I think I've found a widget that will revolutionize the widget as we know it. I feel this widget will provide you with immense value, and suggest you consider purchasing this widget immediately as part of our special offer. Act fast, this offer will not last long, and you don't want to miss this opportunity. Please come by our store for an instant 20% off!

Sincerely,
Widget Guy

Your Widget Specialist for Life"

Or you could try:

"Hey Matt

Thought I'd pass this along since I know it's something you're interested in. I just found a pretty cool widget - does all the stuff those other widgets do, but a whole bunch more too.

Anyway, if you get a chance stop by the store and check it out, I'll be around to answer any questions. If you decide you can't live without it I'll throw in 20% off so your wife doesn't kill you for buying another one of these things!

See you soon."

See the difference?  One is "selling you", the other is "helping you" by passing along some cool information. Keep it personal, you'll be way ahead of the game.

Email Marketing is Not Drive-By Selling

This isn't a quick hit kind of proposition. You're emails are not intended to produce one major rush of sales.

To fully leverage email, you should be building something over time with your list.

You should get more "in house" traffic to your physical locations, some sales via the emails themselves, referrals, and much repeat business if you are approaching this from the right perspective - long term outlook.

In Summary

If you're still with us I think you're convinced that there may be something to this email marketing thing, and that it bears no resemblance to spam. The numbers are there to make it worth your while to explore as a marketing option, and if you keep our four tips in mind when you are sending out your emails - you'll be building the foundation to an email marketing campaign that pays big dividends.

Homework

Brainstorm 10 topics you could email to your list that would be:

• Informational
• Helpful
• Trust building
• Authority building

No selling, no exceptions.

If you don't have a list yet to email, don't worry - you will by the time this course is over.

In Upcoming Sessions

In upcoming classes we'll discuss how you can get your email campaign set up, get to building your email list, and then put it all together in a way that you can get out there and start using email to grow your business.

I know it sounds like a lot, but don't worry - it's summer school - and we'll be going through all this at a nice leisurely pace.

Class dismissed...

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