Email Marketing: Getting Started With Email Marketing

This post was written by Internet Marketing John on March 27, 2010
Posted Under: E-Mail Marketing

Anyone getting started with email marketing knows that the most compelling issue facing them, is building a targeted email list of subscribers.

You can argue whether or not building your list the MOST important issue, however you certainly can’t deny that it is the most pressing email marketing issue.

If you have no subscribers to your list, it really doesn’t matter how good your content or your offers are.  No one will see them!

Since the majority of newcomers that are just getting started with email marketing simply want to know how to get people onto their list; let’s start there.

Getting started with email marketing seems difficult at first, but is really quite simple once you get past the initial fear and decide to just DO IT.

  • First, spend a little bit of money and get a really good email service.

As with most things in life, you get what you pay for, so for getting started with email marketing, I recommend getting a good service that is reliable, easy to work with, and can handle your growing list.

AWeber - Email Marketing Made Easy

My favorite email marketing provider is Aweber however you can do a Google search to find other email marketing providers, and do a comparison for yourself.

  • Next, after you have your email marketing account; you need to add a new list, give it an appropriate name, select a sign up form of your liking, get the HTML code, and paste it into your website preferably above the fold.

This sign up form is critical to your list, so do it right.   It’s the only way you can get email subscribers through your website.

Aweber offers several style forms you can choose from, so you can play around with them until you find what suits you but whatever you do, don’t break the form submission.  The last thing you want to do is lose subscribers.

You have now finished the basics, and are getting started with email marketing in earnest.

It’s not good enough to just have a sign up form on your website; you need to give people a valid reason to sign up!

The main reason why people don’t subscribe to an email list, is because the site owners don’t explain to them why they should.

Here are some affordable ways to educate people about your list.

  • Don’t just say “Subscribe Here”, or “Click Here”. Tell people about your list and explain to them what they can expect when they subscribe.
  • Give people a reason to subscribe to your list.  Explain the subscription benefits.
  • Make your sign up form easy to fill in.  At a minimum ask for their email address; you can ask for their first name, but even that is not necessary unless you want to personalize your follow up messages.  Don’t ask them to fill in a census form!
  • Place your sign up form in a prominent location where will stand out and immediately catch your visitor’s eye. Reference your sign up form in your left side bar, under individual posts, in your subscription page, and even in your content when you can fit it in.
  • Tell your subscribers that there is NO CHARGE, and that you are not a spammer.  Don’t assume that your visitors know you won’t sell their information.  Let them know that it is safe and free to sign up.

Although this seems like common sense, many people just assume that their would be subscribers will automatically realize the benefits of subscribing to their email list.

This is NOT the case.  You’ll get more sign ups if your make it obvious, beneficial and easy for them to sign up.

You’ll get more sign ups when you make it easy, obvious, and beneficial.

Getting people on to your list is the hardest part of getting started with email marketing.

  • Now you need to learn how to sell your list.

Provide Incentives

  • A free ebook, audio recording, video tutorial, auto-responder series or anything of real value is a good incentive for people to sign up.
  • Premium content, discount offers, sale coupons, special deals, and other exclusive offers also provide a good incentive.
  • Provide a list that is so compelling that your readers will not be able to wait for the next issue.  Make it worth their while and you won’t regret it.

As long as your subscribers are paying with their email addresses and give you their permission to talk to them; you need to make it worth their time.

The more generous you are giving your FREE information to your subscribers, the more they will look forward to your email offerings.

Getting started with email marketing is easy if you follow these simple suggestions.

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