Small businesses- from florists to realtors-are quickly catching on that e-mail marketing can be an effective way to quickly reach thousands of customers inexpensively.
E-mail marketing refers to the communications that businesses have with current customers who have given permission to receive e-mails about special offers and new products or services. By categorizing customers by their buying preferences and creating e-mail offers that address those preferences, a small business can personalize their marketing for the cost of a mouse click.
Instant Sales
E-mail marketing helps businesses create instant sales from existing customers. It also helps maintain and build long-lasting relationships with repeat customers, which are at the core of most successful businesses. And yet, in a recent poll conducted by research firm Greenfield Online (on behalf of FileMaker, Inc.), 49 percent of small businesses said they were not even considering e-mail marketing.
What is the other half of small businesses doing with e-mail marketing? Making money. For example, the Tara Bella Winery used e-mail marketing software based on FileMaker Pro to send an e-mail to its customers about a special wine package. Within 24 hours, they had sold out their inventory and grossed $8,500. They spent less than three hours writing the e-mail and sending it out
Almost any business can im-prove its profitability using e-mail marketing. Even nonprofits are using e-mail marketing for fund-raising. New database software and the Internet have made it quite inexpensive and, now, easy to do. All you need is a Windows or Macintosh computer, an Internet connection, an e-mail account and easy-to-use database software such as FileMaker Pro. In some instances, the rewards of your first successful e-mail campaign can even pay for these affordable technology tools.
Free 46-Page Guide
But to make the most of your e-mail marketing, you'll want to do it efficiently and effectively, using the right tools the right way.
A free 46-page guide is now available that helps first-timers and experienced e-mail marketers develop and execute an effective e-mail campaign with customers. Titled How to Start Email Marketing in 10 Easy Steps, the how-to guide can be downloaded from www.filemaker.com/emk.
The guide takes you through each of the key steps, from building your customer e-mail list and selecting the right customers for a specific e-mail to writing the e-mail and sending it out.
A Toast-One company sent an e-mail to customers about a special wine package and sold out.
Author: John Terry
Author Bio:
To learn more, visit www. hp.com/sbso/. Fortunately, there are now a number of online resources that provide small businesses with IT training once available only in a classroom setting.
