How to Use Email To Market Your Business

Email is a fast,inexpensive and highly effective way to market your business. It is a great communication tool and brings attention to your company or hobby. You may want to consider some of these examples.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• custom made domain name and/ or custom made email from a website provider or email provider.

1. GET A COMPANY BRANDED EMAIL FROM A WEBSITE PROVIDER OR HOSTING COMPANY. Most of them provide free services or low cost services. You'll get a custom made domain name that promotes your company, products or services.
   
   Every time that you send an email from your account you are promoting your company, website, products or services. Include your company branded email on all of your printed or written materials. It shows professionalism and credibility.
2. GET EMAIL ALIASES.
   If your company or service is called Bobs Books, some of your email accounts could be labeled as:
   [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail] or [e-mail].
   
   Have each one forward all emails to one central email location. Having aliases makes your company look bigger. Use them on your printed material or on specific emails when you respond to them. For example put the BILLING- alias on all of your billing or payment invoices, put the INFO-alias on all of your flyers or promotional materials and so on.
3. GET EMAIL NEWSLETTERS.
   It's a low-cost way to reach a lot of customers and make a good impression on your business. First, get permission to email your customers or prospects. You could make potential or current customers angry if you don't have permission first.
   
   To collect the email addresses and get permission, put a newsletter sign-up form on your website, put a sign-up sheet at point of sale locations or add a note at the end of your invoices to ask for sign-ups. It's a soft sell approach.
4. EMAIL OFFERS.
   Send special offers to people who have given you permission to email them. Send a short email blast to announce web-only specials, regular special or limited-time offers. Don't send emails unless you have something valuable to offer them or you will waste their time.
   
   Put your company branded email address in the "from" line on the emails and/ or the "SUBJECT" line. Many people only read the subject line to determine if they will read the email or delete it.
5. VIRAL MARKETING BY EMAIL.
   Make sure that your email communications with customers include some type statement like "forward this to a friend" link. A loyal customer may forward your information to friends, colleagues etc... It will provide free advertising.
6. SPECIAL OCCASION EMAIL GREETINGS.
   Show your customers that you value them. Send out email holiday greetings, gift certificates, special coupons for loyal customers, birthday messages (if you are able to collect personal info from your sign-up page) etc...

Tips & Warnings

• Email marketing is a great way to strengthen relationships with your customers. In a low-cost way of email marketing you can build brand awareness and customer loyalty.
• Always use permission based emails to contact current or future clients.