Since the internet revolution, all offline publicity such as newspapers, magazines and advertisements on television have moved into the online realm. We now use all of the mediums via the internet. One of these transformations has been the use of email marketing which is a marketing strategy we utilize for a company to increase sales and brand recognition.

The main objective of this strategy is to generate brand loyalty, quality and recognition to new customers as well as those that have been around for a lifetime through email marketing. Through targeted emails, we offer promotional offers, special sales and events that would be of interest to customers.

How does a business come across customer emails or potential customer emails? One could purchase an email list or create an email database from existing customers. Have you ever received a promotional email from a company or brand that you purchase from? Now you know how they found you. If you happen to not want to receive emails from those companies, one can always unsubscribe from their list. There are laws that protect the consumer and their desire to be removed from any email list and that protect your privacy.

Want to create an email marketing campaign? Here are some tips to get you started the right way:

Do not send emails to any users that have not given you permission to do so or have already signed up voluntarily. Your message can go straight to the trash and even worse than that, create a bad image in the mind of that potential or existing customer. Offer discounts, specials, prizes, contests, promotions and surveys. This creates value and lots of buzz about your company and brand. Create emails that sound human and not like they came of out of a can. Be human, and your customer will respond in kind. We all like to purchase products from friendly companies, think Apple. Use a recognizable return email address, one that preferably includes the name of your company. Nothing spells spam more than a fishy return email. Keep the titles and subjects of your emails simple and easy to understand. Let your customer know you are a serious company. The design of your email should be simple and easy to understand. Do not make it too busy or your reader and customer will be turned off. Also include two very important links in each email, one to allow each reader to share the message with a friend and the other

It’s always important as a final step to review and analyze all the stats from each email marketing campaign to see what worked and what didn’t. This was each email can be better and more effective than the last. In this way, you can practically guarantee success in any campaign.