Add Email To Your Marketing Mix

If you are serious about adding email to your marketing mix, you should take email seriously enough to develop a plan for it. Too many organizations launch a half-baked email program and then are disappointed when it doesn't live up to expectations.

The plan does not have to be as long as War And Peace, but it must include a few key elements so that you can develop a focused, targeted, measurable program that gets results. At a minimum, here are the elements that Hoover ink recommends:

* Objectives

* Audience Definition

* Key Messages

* Format

* Tactics

* Timeline

* Budget

* Measurement

First, determine what is it that you want the email program to achieve from marketing and communications perspectives. Is this a newsletter designed for relationship management purposes, or is it a sales-oriented vehicle? Are you trying to build awareness, generate leads, increase web traffic, encourage loyalty, or close sales?

Next, you need to define audiences. Who are you trying to reach? What do you know about them from demographic and psychographic perspectives? Are you addressing multiple audiences? If so, do you need to segment your audiences and develop emails with different messages? How will each audience profit from our communications.

Now, what is it you want to say to each audience? What's the nature of the content? Will this include just editorial information or will it also contain some sales-oriented material?

Closely tied to messages is your format. Are you producing a newsletter with a lot of editorial material, or does it contain just brief snippets of information? Is it an announcement list, a discussion list, or just commercial messages? Think about your audiences as you develop the most appropriate format.

Your tactics section lays out tasks and who is responsible for them. What technology do you need? Do you have in-house email capabilities or should you use an application such as nTarget? How will you build and manage your list? How will you acquire new subscribers? Who will create content, design and distribute the email?

After you answer those questions, it's time to turn to your timeline. Develop a schedule for having your technology in place, building your list, creating content, designing and distributing the email. Determine if this will be a one-time mailing, or if it will recur on a weekly or monthly basis.

Your budget may help you answer many of the questions above. Small budgets may mean you complete a lot of the work in-house.

Finally, it's time to establish criteria for measuring the program. An awareness program may call for some baseline research so you'll know how you are doing. A relationship management program may measure customer retention. Increased click-through from your email to your website is also a measurable element. Sales-oriented programs might measure total sales from email, or incremental sales increases with individual customers.

No matter what your objective in using email, spend a little time cooking up a plan so your results won't be half-baked.

Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR, http://www.hoover-ink.com. He has 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Brent Dees Financial Planning, Duke Energy, Levolor, North Carolina Tourism, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, VELUX and Verbatim.

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


The Gold Is In Your Mailing List

Let me ask you a question, "What is the most... Read More

The List Is The Thing

Many companies begin their online sales ventures with the wrong... Read More

12 Tips For Writing Winning E-mail

Learning to write more effective e-mail is a valuable skill... Read More

Who Else Wants to Sky Rocket Their CD Sales, Fan base and Indie Music Career?

If YOU Answered YES, Then Start An Online Newsletter?It's Easy,... Read More

8 Tips to Increase Response in Email

Opt in email marketing is no different than normal direct... Read More

Harnessing the Power of Email Marketing

Given the inherent problems with traditional marketing techniques, it`s important... Read More

The Goose That Lays Golden Eggs

Ever wondered what it would be like to have a... Read More

Lesson #5: Four Easy Ways to Kill Your Business Using Your Autoresponder... And How to Avoid Them

The importance of building an opt-in list over spamming (a.k.a.,... Read More

What Good Is An AutoResponder?

A term that confuses just about everyone is "autoresponder". When... Read More

Six Easy White-Listing Ways... Stop Losing Important Emails!

Are you dead sure about receiving of all the important... Read More

Attract New Subscribers With Magnetic Ads

One of the most effective methods of advertising your e-zine... Read More

All I Really Needed to Know About List Building I Learned From Stephen King!

I have always been an avid reader of Stephen King's... Read More

A Review on Email Go Getter System (EGGS)

A Review on Email Go Getter System (EGGS) by Martin... Read More

BlackList Monitor Gives Businesses Options to Ensure Opt-in Email Gets Through

Email may be fast becoming the preferred means of business... Read More

The Name Squeeze ? Should You? Shouldn?t You?

This is a little "beauty" of an idea if you... Read More

Protect Yourself Legally with an Autoresponder Service

Another powerful reason for making the switch from using the... Read More

Get More Targeted Traffic, List Subscribers and Customers; Without Paying a Cent!

No doubt one of the overriding concerns you have is... Read More

Click for Success!

Being online for the last five or so years has... Read More

How to Do an E-mail Interview in 9 Easy Steps

Need a fresh idea for your e-zine content? Do an... Read More

Email Etiquette II

I had great feedback from my last article, and was... Read More

14 Ways To Persuade Your Web Site Visitors To Give You Their Email Address

1. Ask visitors to subscribe to your e-zine. It's a... Read More

5 Ways to Get Better Email Marketing Data Quality at Point of Collection

Adestra provide email marketing services to a host of UK... Read More

Yes, Please Do Come In, But Better Watch Your Step!

This little parody, and the comments that follow, were... Read More

The Power of a Referral Script

The key to the success of e-commerce is in the... Read More

My Emails Are Not Being Delivered. Black Lists and White Lists Explained.

Over 40% of all emails within your marketing campaign are... Read More

Can You Win The Battle By Using A Toothpick?

Every business needs a low cost way to reach targeted... Read More

Using Internet Direct Mail To Increase Your Company?s Profits

"I want to sell my company's products on the Web,... Read More

How to Build Your Mailing List

1. USE POP-UPS Pop-ups are one of the most common... Read More

To Lead or Not to Lead?

Working with Leads or Opt-In Clients can be very confusing... Read More

How Effective is Your Email? How Can You Tell?

Is your email getting to your list members? If so,... Read More

10 Persuasive Triggers To Plug Into Your Ad

1. Most people want to win over others. Tell your... Read More

Converting More Free Downloads to Paid Customers

Do you give web site visitors the opportunity to download... Read More

Whats on YOUR Subscriber Thank-You Page?

When I coach my clients on how to... Read More