E-mail campaigns are an essential ingredient to a successful marketing plan. This powerful marketing tool is used to keep in touch with clients; introduce new products and services; announce staff changes, upcoming events and awards; and communicate anything your prospects might find interesting!
$1 for 50x return…not bad!
According to the Direct Marketing Association, the return on investment (ROI) for each dollar spent on e-mail marketing is $57.25. This makes e-mail marketing the highest ROI across all marketing channels. According to Jupiter Research, e-mail marketing is expected to exceed $1 billion by 2010.
No hard selling…
This is a SOFT SELL, and the primary purpose of such campaigns is to make sure your prospects and clients remember your company when “decision time” rolls around. If they are interested in your services or products, they will appreciate the updates. Additionally, your company can make sure that follow-up, up-sell and referral generation programs are promoted consistently.
Starting a successful e-mail campaign:
There are two basic types of emails campaigns. Both use “templates” that match your brand’s image. Both are highly effective, and both should be used as part of a successful and ongoing marketing and branding strategy:
1.Custom E-mail Templates - Designed and hand coded each issue:
These are highly customized templates that result in high-impact campaigns. They are basically “mini web sites.” Using an approved template, and provided content and images…the entire HTML e-mail is redesigned including typography, buttons, graphics, animations, revisions, etc and hand coded. There are no real limitations of this type of campaign. The average cost per this type of email campaign is $400-$1,200 per issue. Many companies use these custom email campaigns to promote specials, success stories, new products and services, important announcements, etc. Most importantly, these emails keep your brand and offerings in front of your customers, increasing the chance of converting them significantly.
2.Editable E-mail Templates (Do it yourself style but less impact)
These campaigns also work with a custom-designed template; however, the template is much more limited in its look and feel. Such designs need to allow “fields” to add text and modify buttons/links. They usually consist of a top and bottom footer matching your brand identity as well as pre-set areas to add links and body content. Because the content is placed automatically…the look feel and layout of the text is limited and usually will leave some “hollow spots.” This is a great option for fast communications and announcements to your target audience or for internal communications. There is little cost to these campaigns, once the initial design is done.
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