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Reaching out to new customers works very well through email, but the power comes when you start sending out periodical messages to a growing list of interested prospects and customers.
Newsletters keep people informed. They keep your name top-of-mind and they give you a monthly opportunity to sell something. Spend some time formatting your newsletter so it's readable. Make sure your newsletter is a newsletter and not just a sales letter. Make sure it provides value. Then tryout a multitude of ways of getting people to subscribe. Encourage them to get others to sign up.
Besides the CompanyTimes,it turns out a lot of people really dolike straight sales pitches. What's the next special of the week? What's on sale? What contests or sweepstakes can they win? While these are powerful tools, they can cut both ways. You could end up with a database full of nonqualified nonprospects. Above all, confirming consent is critical. Do it well, and you can move up the chain of customer communication
to viral marketing.
Viral marketing is good old word of mouth on steroids. When people can communicate at the speed of light all over the world, marketers have the opportunity to fuel their discussion with something worth repeating. Everything from free email accounts to virtual gift baskets have a way of spreading the word about you in the most credible way of all, because the customer is the one doing the spreading.
Some companies are doing such a good job at viral marketing that they offer advertising space on their email. Newsgroup discussions, emaillist discussions, reminder services, e-coupons, and e-games are all available for promoting your products and services. Youwant to use every means possible to bring people to your Web site, where you can give them your brand message, get them to sign up for your newsletter, and sell them.
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