Online Business

You launched your web site. You have implemented a public relations campaign and spent oodles of money advertising in trade journals, magazines and newspapers. But your site daily visitors are still digits and your sales are ... Let's just say that early retirement is elected is no longer an option.

Now what?
Maybe it is time to try to e-mail marketing. Or to be more precise, an e-mail newsletter. After all, they require minimal effort to produce, and are proven to increase sales.

Of course, there are many other reasons why email newsletters sense. Here are some of them:

• You can create a marketing campaign on a shoestring budget.
• You can measure results and to discover what works and what does not.
• You can build a personal relationship with a large group of people.
• Your pick YOU subscribers when they opt-in to your list.
• You can track customer behavior.
• You can collect user information for specific, targeted campaigns ... The list goes on.
  

So what are you waiting. It is time to take the next step and put the power of email newsletters to work for you.

From your email campaign
Before starting any kind of marketing campaign or publicity, you need a plan. This is also true for e-mail newsletters. You do not need to set up a 200-plus page document outlining all your goals and objectives, but you need to define basic concepts before you begin.

1. Know your audience. It is not enough to say, "they are people who like gadgets." Take your signal magazine publishers. They know exactly who their target audience is, how much money they earn, what social group they fit into and what motivates them to buy. Find out who your customers are, then tailor your newsletter around their needs and desires.
2. Check your competitors. Yes, you have competition. Find out what they do by investing a little time to the search for their products or services. What could you do better? Is there a gap in their service that you could hold?
3. Identify your newsletter of the end. What do you hope to achieve with your newsletter. Do you want to give your subscribers information about your product to help them make purchasing decisions? If so, you must first help them find out more about your product by letting them see how it can make them smarter, healthier, richer or more successful. Or do you want to position yourself as an expert in your field? Your goal here is to provide your subscribers well-written articles that address issues in your industry. Whatever your goals, your strategy must focus on your goals.
   

Creating Content
Now you know what you want your campaign to achieve, it is time to start thinking about the content. This is usually where the faint hearted duration of the coverage. Fear not. Creating content is not as difficult as it first appears. Below are the different methods that you can use to keep your newsletter content fresh, relevant and on target.

1. Write it yourself. By far the cheapest approach in the long term is to write it yourself. If you like to write and if you have lots of ideas for content, then this may be the best option. Only you can decide.
2. Hire writers to write for you. If you do not write the content yourself, you may want to consider hiring a professional writer to write it for you. There are plenty of freelance writers who specialize in writing newsletter articles.
   
3. Getting the content of the article online directories. A low-cost option is to get the content of the article directories, as Ideamarketers.com, Goarticles.com, and Articlecity.com Ezinez.com. The articles published on these sites are generally free, as long as you include the writer byline when you publish.
   

Design your model
Just as a magazine has a certain look that will appeal to their subscribers, you must have your email. Decide on a template design and stick with it so your subscribers know what to expect in each issue. Think about how magazines and newspapers have regular columns in each issue. Split your newsletter into bite-sized pieces so the content is easier to digest for readers.

Text and HTML? It's really a matter of personal preference, and what you think would most appeal to your readers. The jury is still out on whether one sells better than the other, but if in doubt offer two lists: one in plain text and one in HTML. Then let your subscribers decide.

Ready, Set, GO

You have defined your goals, your site's content secure and designed your newsletter. Now, all you have to do is put it together and launch it to your customers. For that, you need a mailing list. Start with your own in-house list composed of people who have asked to receive information from you. Establish a registration form on every page of your Web site, advertising in your newsletter online Webzine directories or in other newsletters, and announce your newsletter in your signature file - the slogan that is, or should be, attached to every e-mail you send.

However you choose to build your list, never, never become a spammer. Never send your newsletter to anyone who has not specifically requested to receive it. Remember, Can-spam regulations require every e-mail marketing to include a provision opt-out and a physical address invalid. If you ignore these rules, you do so at your own risk.

Sending newsletters, are perhaps one of the most effective tools for online marketing at the disposal of businesses. Exploiting this opportunity, and you are almost assured of recovering targeted customers to your site, create demand for your product, gather customer data and ensure the success of your business.