Email Marketing Software Leverages Limited Marketing Budgets

In an era when giant retailers and mega-corporations are pouring millions of dollars into Internet marketing and advertising, owners of small- and medium-sized can become easily discouraged. With limited marketing budgets, can smaller businesses compete in the high-cost world of Internet marketing and advertising? The answer is a definitive "yes." Indeed, one of the best ways to leverage limited marketing budgets is to use email marketing, which can be used to streamline, organize, and enhance customer relationships and communications. Email marketing is the perfect vehicle for distributing a company newsletter, contacting potential clients, sending offers to existing customers, or simply keeping in touch with an audience about updates and changes to the business. At first glance, it may seem that email marketing is a good idea in theory, but difficult to execute in practice. Compiling and maintaining email lists, composing and keeping track of email messages and offers, and sending out the emails manually or using rudimentary email blast software is difficult and time-consuming. It's also a gamble, since so many blast emails are caught in spam filters and are never delivered to the recipients. The only way to truly get the message to the customer is through sophisticated email marketing software. Historically, email list management software has had limited features, was unreliable in terms of assuring delivery of emails, and has been cost prohibitive to all but the largest companies. The good news is that new products have entered the marketplace that not only overcome these limitations, but that also offer enhanced affordability. As a small or medium-sized business, shopping for email list management software can be tricky. Look for the following features:

* Affordability - Email list management software should allow you to send up to 50,000 emails a month for under $100. There are even some email list management software systems that periodically offer introductory rates of $1 for the first month.

* An intuitive, Web-based interface - Web-based software is the wave of the future; a Web-based email list management system means you never have to worry about software maintenance or upgrades.

* Limitless email lists - You should be able to maintain as many addresses as you wish and as many lists as you want without incurring extra expense. Beware of companies that charge based on the number of database entries you have!

* Rollover credits - If you don't use your allotted number of emails during a given month, a good email marketing package will allow you to roll unused credits over into the next month, or to purchase additional credits on the fly, in real time.

* Importing lists - You should be able to import entire mailing lists into the online system with a few clicks of your mouse. You should also be able to rent or buy opt-in email lists and migrate them into the system.

* Sequential mailings - The best email marketing software systems allow you to import a series of messages and set up sequential mailings to be sent at the day and time you desire. In other words, you should be able to implement a six-month email marketing campaign in one sitting.

* Flexibility - Look for software that allows you to edit your lists and messages right up to the minute your mailing is scheduled to be sent.

* Automated list management - Email marketing software should automatically handle bounced emails, bad addresses, and requests for removal. It should also allow you to remove any blacklisted addresses and build opt-in email lists. Great email marketing software can be the great equalizer, allowing small- and medium-sized businesses to compete with the corporate giants in the world of Internet marketing and advertising.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Affordable Email Marketing Software or Majon's Business and Entrepreneurs directory.

Optimizing Your Email Marketing

Email Campaigns

Email marketing can be a tremendously valuable tool for web businesses. Because it is so fast, cheap and easy, and because it is everywhere, email lends itself ideally to direct marketing. In this day and age, to say that the whole world is on the Web is not a stretch. Hundreds of millions of people plug into the Web on a regular basis.

Most regular internet users have an email address. Now that access to the Internet is available on PDAs and mobile phones, people can literally be reached anytime and anywhere. The capacity to send and receive email, and thus communicate with a large audience about your product, is huge and ever-broadening. Even though you only want to focus your email campaigns on those who have expressed an interest in your product, the way of attracting and finding large numbers of those targeted prospects is easier via the Internet.There is no faster way to get your marketing message into the homes of consumers than through email. Additionally, no other method is less expensive. Other than internet access costs, which are likely already incurred for general use, emailing costs nothing. Unlike with direct mail, there are no printing or postage costs. Email allows you to reach potentially large numbers of people instantaneously for free.

Optimize Your Email Campaign

There are ways to optimize any email campaign. Valiss can help you direct your campaign to a targeted group of consumers and avoid crossing that line between responsible consumer communications and annoying spam. Our experts know how to use email marketing to enhance your web presence and convert prospects into loyal customers.
Tip! Don't be afraid to go long. In the early days of email marketing, short copy was the rule.

Ted Prodromou spent over 25 years in the computer industry working for IBM, Digital, and Cellular one. Today he's the owner of Valiss IT, a consulting firm that provides small business coaching and marketing help. He's also a certified personal and professional coach.

Ted has created and led many coaching workshops and today is helping small businesses automate their marketing with his latest coaching program, "Attract Clients While You Sleep". For more information visit http://www.valiss.com/specials.
Tip! Send Coupons Everyone loves coupons. Make them part of your direct email marketing campaign.

If you would like to download his free report "How To Attract Clients While You Sleep" visit http://www.valiss.com.

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