How to start an email marketing campaign for your small business

If you have a business that you want to grow, a great effective way to market your company is through the internet.Starting an email marketing campaign can be a simple, successful and fairly inexpensive process.A common myth about email marketing is that only large corporations can afford the technology and reap the benefits.However, the truth is that email marketing can benefit both small and large companies.There are even outsourced email marketing services that allow you to try out email marketing with a small amount of upfront cost.With this in mind, here are some benefits for starting an email campaign and a few tips on how to start your marketing campaign and make it a successful one.

First off, email is inexpensive.It is far less expensive on a cost-per-contact basis that other advertising options such as ads, telemarketing, print advertising, banner ads, etc..
One great benefit of email is that is creates a quick response cycle. With direct mail advertising it can take up to six to eight weeks to get a response, with email it can be in as little as 48 hours.Another great benefit to starting an email marketing campaign in the face the email has a wide reach.In today's world filled with technology, email is a part of many people's daily routine.Not only can a recipient immediately act on messages received, but can effectively drive traffic to your website using links.

Now that you are aware of some of the benefits of an email marketing campaign, lets look at how you start you campaign.There are 3 major types of email marketing
available to today's online businesses.These are opt-in email, bulk email marketing and email newsletter marketing.Opt in email marketing consists of sending emails to a list of addresses that has been compiled by your company with permission from the user.This type of marketing can benefit most online businesses.You are easily able to keep customers up to date on your products or services.Bulk email marketing is sending announcements to a list of email addresses that your company has purchased.This type of email marketing is a very inexpensive method to reach a large number of customers.However, this marketing does have its pitfalls.Most bulk email marketers SPAM their list with junk mail.Email newsletter marketing is when an online business identifies an email newsletter that reaches their target audience, and then places an advertisement with in the email newsletter.This is a great method for marketing but is usually the most expensive as well.Most recipients will read your newsletter, where other most receivers will delete the message without reading anything but the subject line.

Email is revolutionizing the art and science of direct marketing by bringing marketers new opportunities and challenges.Here are some great attention-getting ideas to make your email campaign the best it can be.

* Offer a contest-give prizes away in order to attract and entice prospects
* Develop a newsletter about your small business and relate a topic that will interest the clients with whom you want to do business with
* Use your mailing list to advertise a special event or promotion
* Use your mailing list as a way to get the word out about your service being offered; direct all response to your website
* Make announcements using your website; for example if you are moving, upgrading a product or service, hiring new employees, etc.. Mailing lists are a perfect way to distribute this kind of information