How and Why to Start Email Marketing

Let's face it, email marketing is a cost effective medium to get your message out. When compared to printing and mailing costs, emailing is a real value. Not only is it less expensive to send emails, but some reports I've read suggest that for every $1 you spend on email marketing, you can make a $50 return on investment.

Emails are also great to get the message out fast. Having a last-minute sale? It can be tricky to get it advertised in the paper or printed and delivered via snail mail, but takes much less time to create and send an advertisement by email.

Additionally, email marketing is a terrific tool because it provides measurable results. With the newest technology available, email marketers are able to provide details on email openings, bounces, and click-throughs to your website. You can use these metrics, in addition to sales, to determine the success of the campaign.


Start by collecting email addresses. Where to collect emails:

• Hold a drawing
• At a trade show
• Add a sign up form to your website
• Call your best customers
• From a prospect call
• At point of sale in your retail store
• Networking at your local Chamber event

Make sure you utilize a permission based service that allows recipients to opt-out of receiving emails. Spam email provides little to no value to the recipient. "Spam is the abuse of electronic messaging system to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately"1 Alternatively, permission-based emails build relationships and over time convert prospects into customers.

Create content relevant to your audience. Also, include your logo, contact information and links to your website in every email. Be consistent in your timing. Try to send out emails on a regular basis: bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly.

You can set up your own email marketing campaign or utilize a full-service marketing company that handles the details for you. For more great email marketing ideas, check our website.

1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia