An Introduction To Social E-Mail Marketing

While some people would like to have you believe that e-mail marketing will soon become extinct in 2017 and beyond nothing could be further from the truth. There are many people that would like to have you believe the new way of communicating with friends and customers will soon be strictly social and skip the e-mail marketing process altogether.

While I will not deny that social marketing sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are a great way to stay in contact with your crowd we still need to heavily focus on quality e-mail marketing.
The ForeSee Results report on social media reports that 64% of consumers that are active on the Internet if given the choice prefer promotional contact from retailers by e-mail over of social media.

There's also been tests and reports that have proven many times that e-mail marketing still pulls much higher conversion rates when selling products to consumers than any other type of customer contact including all forms of social media. Admittedly social media outlets are a great way to get subscribers on to your email list with freebies and premium bribes offered through the social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook, following up with those customers is best done through direct response e-mail.

While there is very little doubt that social media is here to stay, I predict that in the very near future we're going to start seeing e-mail begin to develop its own social medium interaction in ways we have never seen before... A perfect example of this is a new app that you can hook up to your Gmail account called Rapportive which can be found here.

Rapportive is an incredible new Gmail app that shows you everything about your contacts right inside of your e-mail inbox. Rapportive gives you instant updates on what your e-mail contacts are doing in all of their social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. Rapportive gives you content rich profiles right inside of your Gmail account including a photo of the person you're talking to. This kind of social interaction in your inbox gives your e-mail a more personal feel.

There are also links to allow you to follow anyone you may be e-mailing on the off chance that you're not already socially connected to that person. Another very cool feature is that Rapportive replaces the Gmail ads within your email inbox, so now rather than looking at ads you can find out what's going on in your friends and customers lives without even logging into Facebook. This is e-mail and social marketing on steroids, would you expect anything less for 2018 in your Internet marketing business?

If you are not using Rapportive yet in your Gmail or Google Apps e-mail account you need to start using it today, plain and simple if you're at all serious about your Internet marketing business.

Targeting Your Email Marketing

One of the most important new aspects of e-mail marketing is making sure your content is highly targeted to your customer base. One of the ways you can be sure of doing that correctly involves heavy experimentation and split testing of your content. Think about every e-mail that you send to your customer list as if you were sending it to your mother or best friend. When you write like you're talking to a single person or a small audience of good friends you're going to connect with your customer list on a much more personal level.

Now that e-mail marketing is been so popular for so many years many people that haven't gotten a new e-mail address in over five years are subscribed to so many darn e-mail lists that are incredibly easy for your e-mail to get lost in the crowd. Because of this, we need to make sure that your e-mail stands out, and that you also build a relationship with your customer base.

Some of the ways that you can target your e-mail and ensure they stand out are by paying careful attention to things such as:

• Subject lines
• E-mail date and times
• Amount of free content vs. amount of pitching

The overall tone of deciding if you want to talk your customer in a professional or personal tone depends on the type of product and type of niche that you are marketing.

Segmentation Through Analytics

A majority of the e-mail marketing services out there these days come with highly targeted segmentation and analytical tools to help you do multiple different types of testing with your e-mail list on every single e-mail that you send. Now it's incredibly easy to find autoresponders that will allow you to send an email on any given subject today, and then in a few hours or even tomorrow pull report that tells you exactly which subscribers on your e-mail list

1. opened your e-mail
2. click a link in your e-mail
3. forwarded your e-mail on to someone else 

Can you imagine how powerful it is if you send an e-mail to 2000 people and tomorrow you figure out that only 500 of those people clicked through to your products page? With this information, there are multiple different things that we can do.

We can send another e-mail to only the 500 people that clicked asked what they thought about the information presented on your website and to ask them to buy. Another option is we can send a separate e-mail to the 1500 people that did not click the link in your e-mail and ask them why. You can now create some sort of urgency about a free report that's going to disappear or a video that will only be posted for a limited time so they need to click today to get access.

By being able to give specific instructions to people based on what they did with the previous e-mail that you sent them is incredibly easy to steer your customers in exactly the direction and sales funnel that you wish them to go. In a while, we're going to talk more about all responders and why you need one so you can highly target all of the content that you send your customer base.

Do You Blog Your E-Mail?

Something else that you want to heavily consider when deciding to market with email is posting a copy of every single e-mail you send to your blog. The benefit of posting the e-mail that you send on your blog as well so you can get tons of content out there for search engines to pick up, not to mention with the social interactivity the blogs have nowadays you can get a lot of new traffic when you put twitter and Facebook buttons on your blog so people can re-tweet or like your blog postings of your e-mails which will give every e-mail that you send a little bit of a viral effect.

Think of it this way, what you sent an e-mail to your customer list you probably got a matter of a few hours if you're lucky before that e-mail is buried in your customer's inbox and possibly will never be seen again. By posting all of your e-mail on your blog you get all the content that you create an unlimited shelf life that never expires. You will be surprised how many of your customers that may miss one of your e-mails catch it for five days after you send it because they follow your blog.

Be sure to stay relevant on your topic of your marketing niche when posting your email content to your blog. If you spent years building up an e-mail list of customers that like to buy material on NLP or hypnosis but then suddenly your blog start showing e-mail posts talking about how to give a great massage, you will quickly lose your customers interest. If they were looking for information on massage they would be on another e-mail list, not yours.

Following Up With Email

While social marketing is great to help grow your e-mail list the best way to stay in contact is through e-mail follow-up and that won't be changing anytime soon. I assume if you are reading this guide on e-mail marketing for your business and you most likely already have an autoresponder account.
If you don't you need to stop reading right now and go get a free trial account over with any email marketing company of your choice. Most of them offer a free trial account for the first month of registration.

Once you have done that then please come back to this guide and continue reading to get the necessary steps to take to make your email marketing effort a worthwhile experience.

Why Do You Need An Autoresponder?

If you’ve ever been on a website and filled an opt-in form to get more information about a product or service, or signed up for an e-mail newsletter on the Internet, and received a nearly instantaneous response in your e-mail inbox, an autoresponder program was responsible for delivering the reply.

To define an autoresponder, it is a web-based program that sends out a preset message in response to every incoming e-mail that is received. Some autoresponders, like sign-up services for e-groups and forums, are one-shot deals: a single response for every message received.

Just about any web-based businesses use autoresponders for different reasons, such automating tasks that would otherwise require hundreds of manhours, building email lists and track prospective leads. Multiple autoresponders send a series of messages to received e-mail addresses on a predetermined, timed basis. As an example, an instant response can be sent, then a follow-up message that may come up three days later, then another one five days after and so on it goes, all using autoresponders.

It can be programmed to send a message a day, one per week, twice monthly, or any interval that satisfies the purpose of the message series. One of the most powerful internet marketing tools available today is autoresponder. The entire marketing process can be automated using autoresponders and the process is very easy.

When you use autoresponders, your Internet business runs itself 24 hours a day. Launching an effective autoresponder campaign can mean the difference between a struggling business and a wildly successful one.

How can I make money with autoresponders?

Just about any online business can benefit from using autoresponders. In fact, with a properly arranged campaign, your brand-new Internet business can be built around an autoresponder program. To succeed in it you need a good product and a series of autoresponder messages to start carving your piece of the internet pie.

Your autoresponder is your golden goose: the marketing tool that will sell your well-developed product far more effectively than any other form of advertising. Few sales are made by impulse buyers, particularly on the internet. But if you are able to get your message out repeatedly to people who are already interested in what you have to offer, you will see an explosive sales response.The goal of this web page is to give you all the information you need to begin profiting with
autoresponders and e-mail marketing.

I'm going to help you choose a niche topic that works best for you and your situation; then together we're going to research your market and find or develop great contents that people want to buy so that you can start your own automated storefront website; tailor your autoresponder messages for maximum effectiveness; and build a powerful opt-in autoresponder list that will make money
even while you sleep.

Are you ready to get started?

To make money with autoresponders, you need a product. Most of the time, the product you’re selling or giving away to build your e-mail list is going to be an information product of some sort. These will include but are definitely not limited to: an e-book, print book, e-course, e-zine or newsletter, CD, or downloadable audio program.

Your topic must be something that appeals to a wide audience—you could have the world’s best book on losing weight, but the only people interested in it would be people who want to lose weight. In this case, your sales base would be limited. On the other hand, if your book or product tells people how to make five hundred dollars a minute—well, you might have quite a few potential buyers.

Once you start building your e-mail list there are going to be things you need to do to help nurture it, so you can start developing a personal one-on-one relationship with your new customers. Here are some things to consider…

1. Get your customers to trust you and your products first 

Just launching your opt-in list would not make you an expert and a believable seller. Write and publish many articles on your website first before you start an opt-in list. It is recommended to write about the topic that interests you and that you have a good knowledge of. Try to put forums first to gain knowledge about your customers about their wants and needs and target those wants and needs.

Join forums from other sites as well. Provide expert pieces of advice and recommendations. Once you've succeeded in gaining people's trust, you can then start your own opt-in list. You may as well build a base and with other forum users. You can ask them to join your list. Friends are always good customers. Put up a link to your site so that they may be able to see what your business is all about.

You can only make money from your list when the subscribers believe and trust you. They want a product or service that could be a good exchange for their money. People are not going to buy something out of your recommendation if they don’t know you.

2. Find a product or service that people want and need. 

Although it may not be your forte, if you provide a service and product that you have researched and learned about well, you can carry it on forward. Invest your time, effort and money that on product or service you could sell and also that the buyers or subscribers of your opt-in list can use.

While it is true that it is best to sell something that you have interest in, there are not many people who have the same interest as you if you go on to sell something that has little or no market requirement. Before you decide on what to sell, ensure to embark on thorough market research to see the profitability of what you want to sell. Also, provide your subscribers with promotional material that they could actually use and spread around.

3. Make friends with other opt-in list users

It is a good to make friend with someone who has already launched a successful opt-in list. These are people that have the experience in this venture and experience is still the best teacher. While there are many articles available for you on the internet to use, there is nothing like getting a firsthand account from someone you trust.

Experienced opt-in list users will be able to tell you what to do and what not to do because they have gone through it. It is true that different situations occur for different people based on the product or service rendered, the general idea can still be very helpful. There are many things to avoid and these people will be able to tell you which ones.

Building a profitable opt-in list doesn’t just happen overnight. You need to make thorough preparations and put in the needed effort for you to succeed. Opt-in lists are built with dedication and consistency from the scratch, and as your list grows, you should also do your best to maintain the quality of your list. Keep it organized and manageable. Get or hire help if need be, just make sure that your subscribers are happy and satisfied and they will be willing to buy from you.

Crucial Things You Need To Do To Build Your List

Online marketing may have developed a sudden surge these past few years, but many in the know how have felt its rise even from way then. As more and more web-based businesses spring up, there is also a rise in the need to develop new marketing skills and knowledge based on this new medium. More and more marketing strategies are being discovered and developed to cope with the changing face of the business world.

The demand for online marketing tips and strategies have drastically grown and a new form of business has been born, internet marketing strategies. While there are companies that are all too eager to help your site and business build a clientele for a fee, there are also many ways that you can spread the word about your sites subsistence in a more cost free way. One of this is Opt-in email marketing, also known as permission marketing.

Opt-in marketing requires the permission of a willing customer to subscribe to your marketing materials, materials that take form in newsletters, catalogues and promotional mailings via e-mail. The more emails that are sent out, the more likelihood there is to bag sales and more sales. To do this, you must build a list of all those who want to subscribe to your opt-in marketing list.

You can get targeted customers through your list. The people on your list are your best potential customers since they already have shown interest in what you have to show and sell that is why they have willingly signed in for your list. These are the people who have liked what they have seen on your site and have decided they want to see more and maybe even purchase whatever product or service your company and site has to offer.

Many people would think that building their lists would take hard work and a lot of time to build and collect names and addresses. This is not so, it takes a bit of patience and some strategies but in doing this list, you open your site and your business to a whole new world of target market. If you want to increase traffic to your website and make a good profit you can use an opt-in list to achieve this. All that is required of you is to put in the needed effort to take your business to a new level.

There are many sources and articles on the internet available for everyone to read and follow in building a list. Sometimes they may be confusing because there are so many and there are different ways. Different groups of people would have different approaches in building an opt-in list, but no matter how diverse many methods are, there are always some crucial things to do to build your list. Here are four of them:

1. Put up a good web form on your site that immediately follows the end of your content 

While some may say this is too soon to subscribe to a website visitors application, try to remember that your homepage should provide a quick good impression. Most of your website visitors will not sign up to your list if they find something that turns them off.

A good web form for subscribing to an opt-in list is not hard to do. Just write a simple short statement about how they would like to see more and get updated on the site. Then there should be an area where they could put in their names and e-mail address. This web form will automatically save and send you the data inputted. You keep your list growing by getting more people to sign up.

2. Make your homepage very, very impressive

You need to have well-written articles and descriptions of your site. Depending on what your site is all about, you need to capture your website visitor’s fancy. Make your site useful and very easy to use. Do not expect everyone to be tech-savvy. Invest in having good programming on your site, make your graphics beautiful but don’t overdo it.

Don’t waste your time making the homepage too overly large megabyte wise. Not all people have fast internet connections, the faster your site gets loaded, the better. Keep it simple with a look that borders between simplicity and sophisticated knowledge.

3. Provide good service and products. 

We all know that a returning customer is more likely to bring in more business. Even then and now, a satisfied customer will recommend a business always. Word of mouth and recommendations alone can rake in more business than an expensive ad. You list will grow as your client base begins to increase. Your product or services will become more popular as your list grows.

4. Keep a clean and private list

Never lose the trust your customers have entrusted you. If you provide e-mails to others and they get spammed, many will probably unsubscribe to you. Remember, a good reputation will drive more traffic and subscribers to your website as well as strengthen the loyalty of your customers.

4 Ways To Get Your Opt In Subscribers To Trust You Quickly

Most email services providers have developed many barriers and protections to keep their e-mail accounts spam-free, there are also those that subscribe to email lists that promote their products, services and their site. This is mainly because these subscribers want to know more about what these sites are offering and can be beneficial for them. They expect to be kept posted on what they are interested in and what are new in the market or field they have chosen.

Businesses would be so lucky to have these kinds of customers; the basic element needed to get these types of people is trust. Your audience will reward you with their loyalty only when they have gained some level of trust in you. Many people will go to any length to protect their email account from receiving spammy emails. Some free-mail internet providers and internet service providers offer spam protection while there are also some internet based companies that screen your emails for you.

You email containing your promotional materials like newsletter or catalogue will scale through such spam barriers and land in the inbox of your target only if the person signup to your opt-in list. Your intended recipient will be able to read and view what you have sent making it a successful transfer of information. To be successful in this, your recipient permission is needed, so you have to get this permission; you need to be able to get their trust. With the great lack of disregard for privacy on the internet, getting the trust of an internet user you don’t personally know is a big achievement.


You need to gain the trust and loyalty of your potential customers to be able to build a good opt-in list, you need to get them to trust you quickly in order to have a fast result. The faster you build your opt-in list the faster word about your site and company gets to be spread. The more you can get people to signup to your list the more traffic you get spelling more profits. It's easy math if you think about it. Getting the numbers is not that simple though, or maybe it is?

• Getting the trust of your clientele shouldn’t be so hard especially if you do have a legitimate business. Getting your customers trust should be based on your expertise. People rely on other people who know what they are talking about. Garner all the knowledge and information about your business. Well, frankly if you decide to go into a business most probably you have an interest in it. Like how many basketball payers become coaches, you don’t really venture into something you don’t have any interest in.
• Show your clients that you know what you are talking about. Provide them with helpful hints and guidelines that pertain to what you are selling. Talk about how to install a roof if you're into hardware products or provide articles on insurance settlements if you’re a settlement lawyer. You don’t have to be a big corporation to make use of an opt-in list. If your customers see you as someone who knows what he is doing and saying, they will trust you quickly.
• Be true to your customers, if you want to hype up your products and services, provide guarantees. The more satisfied customers you get, the bigger probability there is that they will recommend you. Generally, people will trust someone they know, when that someone recommends you then you’re a shoo-in. They will go to your site and check it for themselves and be given a chance to experience what the others have experienced from you, so make sure to be consistent with the service you provide.
• Another tip for getting a customer to trust you quickly is to provide them with an escape hatch. Show them that you are not there to trap them. Keep a clean list that would enable them to unsubscribe anytime they want. Elaborate your web form by providing information on how to unsubscribe from the list. Guarantee them that they can let go of the service whenever they want to. Many are wary that they may be stuck for life and would have to abandon their email accounts when they get pestered with spam.

Remember that when you get the trust of your clients don’t lose that trust. Because if you do anything with their email addresses like sell them or give them out, you will lose many members of your list as well as potential members. The true quickest way to gain the trust of your subscribers is when you are recommended by someone they trust.

This is just an introduction to email marketing. Time will not permit me to go on and on. I will reserve the remaining discussion for another blog post. Your ideas are welcome in the comment section.