Email marketing is not a new concept by any means, but several businesses are still not embracing this marketing concept as well as they should be. There are several worries that come along with email marketing, such as:
- Won't my emails be treated as spam?
- Is it a waste of time?
- In the end, is it going to help my business that much?
Some businesses are going to say that the time that is devoted to email marketing is not worth it for them, that the profits they may earn from this do not even start to pay for the time that they invest. The truth is that when it comes to marketing, most studies have shown that email marketing does better than other marketing methods, including the use of social media. This does not mean to dismiss the other marketing methods, as a healthy marketing plan is one that utilizes various marketing techniques to complete the marketing goals.
How Email Marketing Works
It is best to think of email marketing just as any other marketing method, minus the use of a printer, paper and ink. Emails can be sent that have what would normally be sent in the mail as postcards announcing a new sale upcoming, a new item or even giving coupons to valued customers. The route in which they do this is to collect email addresses from current customers and potential customers. The best route to do this is to have a collection area on your website. For example, a call to action box that allows customers or potential customers to sign up for email offers. This allows you to legally obtain the email address and use this to send email marketing material to.
There are companies out there that are providing bulk email lists. However, there are dangers to this that need to be discussed. You need to understand that you can only send emails to those whom you have permission to send this email to. Thus, buying email addresses is not always the best alternative. Keep in mind that the US has a CAN-SPAM Act, enacted in 2003, that spells out what a business can and cannot do in email marketing.