Digital Marketing

Why is it important to have an E-mail list and how to get started?

email marketingAdvertising has proved to be one of the most important tools for any business to be on top of the ever competitive market.
Many online entrepreneurs and salesmen have resorted to email marketing because of its effectiveness and the ability to generate more revenue. In this era, advertising costs have increased exponentially. Media companies are charging highly on advertising. E-mail marketing, together with social media marketing, is one of the most important tools to close a sale for any size business.

E-mail marketing, together with social media marketing, is one of the most important tools to close a sale for any size business.
One of the benefits of having an e-mail list is the ability to market your products to numbers of people with a common interest. For instance, it will be easier to sell a weight loss product to people suffering from obesity than advertising the same product on a broad range advertising venue

The other reason for building an e-mail list is that you can sell high ticket products directly to your potential prospects, depending on the category of people you have on your e-mail list. Affiliates may earn high commissions through this technique. It is all about providing your list with useful information, not only on your products or services but relevant information your prospects may be looking for until they are ready to purchase.

It is also easier to follow up your prospects if you have an e-mail list. Email marketing allows you to know more about your clients, what is holding them from purchasing your products, knowing any complaints raised by an unsatisfied customer, and above all understand the needs of your audience. It is important to keep in mind, though, that -as with any marketing tool- your efforts will be rewarded, as long as you track and analize the results you obtain with your email campaigns

After knowing the benefits of having an e-mail list, a question remains…

How do I build an e-mail list?

1. Identify your niche.
An email list is built according to a niche. If you are interested in promoting books, you should only focus on people who buy and read books only.
2. Creating a lead capture page. This is a page where the targeted visitors’ emails are obtained. There is normally a free offer given to people who give their email addresses. This is one way you can use to entice those that are not willing to give in their email. Remember that most people are reluctant to give their email address unless you provide them with something they want, mostly information.
3. An autoresponder. This is a software that sends an email directly to the person that has just signup or given in his email. Most of these emails ask the subscribers to verify their accounts. There are many autoresponder tools on the market you can purchase to attain the best results. Autoresponders may also be a great tool for remarketing

Tips for Local Business Marketing

Marketing globally on the Internet is a valuable effort, however, there are lots of small steps (and not so small ones) that can be done to promote your website, services, and products in your local region

Target your effort to make SEO local perfect

Local search is extremely powerful. Mos customers turn to search engines for local information. Some stats show that up to 50% of consumers who conduct a local search on their smartphone end up contacting a local store within a day.

Focus on creating a Mobile Website.
Even though most current websites are responsive and work fine on mobiles, it is a better practice to have a different version of your website only for people searching on smartphones or tablets. Low time to upload and easy contact information are vital for mobile websites. Navigation also needs to be adapted for usability as well as content.

Build an email list

Keep contact with your customers and prospects. Newsletters can drive business by helping you notify customers about special offers or new products/services. Offer a special discount or incentive to entice people to subscribe to your newsletter, but most importantly write the newsletter with valuable information to keep growing your list

Use other high traffic websites

Craiglist-type of marketing could be an effective addition to small business. Remember that eye-catching headlines and call-to-actions are necessary tools to increase the number of potential leads. Make sure, though, they arrive at a highly optimized landing page.

Social Media
Local social media is perhaps one of the most powerful tools to increase awareness to your products but it requires constant work. It is important to write effective and useful content, and that requires research on who is your customer and also your competitors. It is very time consuming but profitable in the long run.

Strategic partnerships with other local businesses

Build relations with other businesses. Exchange links and referrals, develop cross promotion strategies,  join business associations and participate in local events. Be a speaker… All those elements will help create an image of your company that your neighbors won’t forget

Get listed in local directories

Even though they might not bring a lot of traffic, the sum of several will add up. You should always try to get listed in as many local directories as possible.

Request testimonials and reviews from happy customers

More than 70% of consumers have said in different surveys that positive reviews make them trust local businesses more.