Opt-in Email Marketing: Your Essential Marketing Tool

Updated July 5, 2008

If you own or operate an online business, then you're probably an expert in your field. At the very least, you thoroughly understand your product, your industry, and the needs and interests of your customers. There is even a good chance that you are passionate about the work you do, the product or service you provide.

.Now we are not suggesting that you have to do this, as we realize that sometimes you simply do not have the additional time or it may not necessarily serve your particular product market or industry, for instance if you offer funeral services online, you don't need an opt-in electronic newsletter being sent to your customers who have already purchased a package for future service. Surely they want to forget about it until the day it is needed.

But in many other cases your customers may want to have a reminder of special offers, latest news, market trends, and other current news and information.

With an e-newsletter, you have the opportunity to put that expertise and passion to work. At the same time, you also have one of the most powerful, cost-effective marketing vehicles on the Internet. In one electronic gesture, an e-newsletter will:

build your customer base
establish your online business credibility and garner customer trust
establish you as an expert source of industry-specific information
open and maintain a communications channel with potential clients
strengthen your brand and develop consumer loyalty
promote your inventory and highlight special offers

That's powerful stuff. So where do you begin? Viable content. Useful articles. Low-to-no loud hype. Quality writing. Fresh subject matter. Interactive subscriber participation. Regular, punctual publication.

Let's say you operate an online music store or an antiques and collectibles gallery. You don't have to look far for newsletter content. It's all around you - it's your business. And your opt-in subscribers already share your rabid interest in this field. If you're operating an online music store, your audience may want to hear about new instruments, industry innovations, product reviews, musical techniques, and perhaps even concert or CD reviews. Have an online collectibles mall? This month's newsletter might focus on Limoge porcelain, Shaker furniture, or everyone's favorite - those insubordinate Beanie Babies.

The point is: With an e-newsletter you are actively (and amicably) communicating with your target audience in a language you both share. In concrete business terms, you are initiating a relationship with potential customers and revealing your business to be legitimate one: You become a source of valuable information and industry knowledge. Meanwhile, you simultaneously expand your opt-in subscriber list and enhance your web presence - both qualitatively and quantitatively.

So what else can an e-newsletter do? Well, the Internet is often described is a faceless medium - and building trust is a key e-commerce objective. An e-newsletter builds consumer trust as it personalizes your business. It provides a tangible, human dimension to your e-business and reveals that there are actual people working behind your webpage.

More than that, an e-newsletter creates and sustains a bridge between you and your subscribers. Every time you issue an edition, you send a friendly calling card to your subscribers or former customers. You remind them of your services, your products, your Internet presence. And every time a newsletter hits the inbox, a subscriber is just a link away from your site. More than that - you are etching your brand into the template of consumer memory.

If content is indeed king (as goes the e-cliché), then avoid bullying subscribers with overblown promotional hype, recycled content, or filler-for-filler's sake. This means that a company newsletter should contain compelling industry information, breaking news, and great features - not shameless self-promotion. Marketing overtures and product promotion should be carried out subtly, couched in useful content, executed tastefully and with style.

Beyond superior content, interactivity is a nice touch that will differentiate your publication. Initiate a dialogue with your subscribers. Provide a venue for their thoughts and voices in your online community. Offer a Q&A feature. On the Internet, there is no shortage of information - and marketing messages compete for the attention of consumers. A unique, interactive newsletter will eclipse the competition and humanize your brand.

To accumulate subscribers, provide an email subscribe box on your home page. Better yet, place your newsletter in an online e-zine registry, or tender your publication through news group postings. Advertise in your e-mail signature file. When a customer buys something on your site, ask permission to have their email address added to your newsletter list. And always reassure subscribers that e-mail addresses will be kept confidential.

If your newsletter looks professional, is engaging, explores interesting subjects, and is possibly entertaining at the same time, then you are representing your company as a reputable and attentive source of information. Show your expertise and integrity as you spotlight promotions and company news. Though the initial yield may be intangible, the long-term profit won't be.