Set Now Solutions specializes in online marketing and web-based productivity solutions.

1. Define Your Target Market
2. Build a Mailing List
3. Create Meaningful Campaigns
4. Get Noticed - Give a Good Impression
5. Follow Up

1. Define Your Target Market

There are two approaches to Marketing: 1. Throw everything at the wall and see what sticks or 2. methodically target your audience. While it might be tempting to send "spam," we advise "targeted, permission-based marketing" to get the best results and avoid the negative reputation and legal issues surrounding spam.

What is spam? Spam is Unsolicited Bulk Email ("UBE"). The term "Unsolicited" means the Recipient has not given express permission for the email to be sent and "Bulk" means that the same email is sent to a number of recipients. Unsolicited Email can be the first contact with a person, job or sales inquiries, etc. Bulk Email is email that is sent to multiple recipients such as newsletters, discussion lists, etc. Generally, only the combination of Unsolicited AND Bulk email constitutes Spam; but, why do either when there are better, more productive alternatives?

By using permission marketing, not only will you avoid the Spam issue but you will target the people that are most interested in your product/service. This in turn should also garner a higher response rate from those you are marketing to.

2. Build a Mailing List

There are two ways you can obtain an email list: 1. Create your own 2. Buy a list

Creating Your Own List

A well-targeted, accurate permission-based list can be built using your own in-house resources and the Internet. Keys to Building Your In-House Email List

• Utilize your own mailing lists which contain email addresses of your customers and prospective customers. Make sure they are frequently updated and people wishing to unsubscribe from your list are marked as such.
• When networking and exchanging business cards, ask the person if you have permission to send them email. On the back of their card, write the name of the event, date, and whether they gave you permission.
• On your web site, offer a form for people to subscribe to your email list. If you offer an incentive, such as coupons or an informative newsletter, people will be more likely to give you their email address.

Buying a List

We don't recommend this approach but buying a list has changed considerably over the years and there may be a few reputable companies who sell email lists. Talk with people who have used email list providers successfully or contact the Direct Marketing Association (http://www.the-dma.org) for a recommendation. Regardless of how you identify potential email list providers, you should thoroughly research the company fully to understand its business practices.

To avoid spamming, it is critical to understand how the list was collected. Companies who sell email lists of people who signed up to be on their list, and permitted their name to be sold, will be more receptive to your efforts.

3. Create Meaningful Campaigns

Decide what you want your email campaign to achieve and what will most likely attract your audience.

• Newsletters - To encourage people to sign up for your Newsletter, it should offer something of real value to the recipient.
• Promotions - Send a coupon or special offer that is good at your store(s) or your web site.
• Event notification - Let people know of events your business is sponsoring or attending. This type of email encourages attendance, reinforces brand, and may prompt a sale.
• Product announcements - Reinforce brand, remind a customer of a product/service, and create customer loyalty.
• Customer service messages - Existing customers may be interested in new products or enhancement to products they have bought from you.

What can you do to get people to respond to your message? The most effective approach is to have a "Special Offer" with an expiration date that prompts a customer to react quickly. By having an expiration date, you will also make it easier to measure your email campaign effectiveness within a given time period.

4. Get Noticed - Give a Good Impression

Whether you are sending email to a list or using email in your everyday business, always pay attention to email etiquette, visual appearance, and content.

• Proof your email like you would a printed letter.
  
• Keep email personal by taking the time to start an email with the recipient's name and to end it with your own.
  
• Since emails are usually scanned quickly, keep your email brief and to the point. Break up long blocks of text -- 4 to 5 lines per paragraph and use bullet points for emphasis.
• Use a P.S. line at the end of your email -- almost everyone glances at the P.S.

Email Guidelines:

• Respect Privacy
  
• Have an opt-in mailing list
  
• Provide easy subscribe and unsubscribe instructions
  
• Be brief - the less you ask, the more you get
  
• Offer something such as discounts or tips
  
• Send email early in the day
  
• Avoid the "sales pitch"
  
• Minimize the amount of email you send
  
• Respond to email within 24 hours - people expect it
  
• Use the Subject Line effectively

Use the Subject Line effectively. Use your name and company whenever you correspond by email. Do not mark the email “priority,” and avoid using words like “Free,” “discount,” “offer,” and “viagra” in your subject line. These words may send up a red flag to spam filtering software.

5. Follow Up

After your campaign, don't forget to Follow Up. If you have the phone numbers of the people you are sending email to, follow up with a phone call but do not mention the email when you call. If they bring it up to you, then you know they read the email.

If you do receive a response from your email campaign and their contact requires action from you, respond to them within 24 hours. If a recipient has asked to be removed from your list, promptly remove them from your distribution list but keep their information on file as "do not send email." This way you know that they have requested to not receive email from you.