|
|
|
4 Steps to Success In Life, Business, The Universe And
Everyone wants to succeed in life. And no one starts a business of any sort, on-line or off-line, wanting to fail.
Yet the sad fact is that 80% of offline and 97% of internet businesses will fail in the first year. 84% of internet businesses...
Career Planning Starts with Self-Assessment
One of the biggest mistakes that individuals make in their careers is to go aimlessly through school or work in an entry-level position with no clear direction (goals). They wait until the homestretch — graduation, layoff, or departure — before...
First Steps to Picking the Perfect Marketing Method For Your Home-Based Business
Part of running a successful business is making it grow. Home-based businesses are no exception. In fact, it can be even more important if you are just starting out or lack a potential client base. The key to growing a business is marketing.
...
Making Money in the Online Dating Gold Rush of 2004
Have you noticed the explosion of Websites related to love, sex, matchmaking, relationships, etc.? They're popping up all over the place. Why the sudden popularity you ask? Well, the reason for this "gold rush" towards Online Dating &...
Ten Ways Your Chamber of Commerce Can Help Your Crafts Business Grow
Joining your area's Chamber of Commerce can be a smart move for your jewelry or craft business. Because businesses that participate in this group promote each other and work together, your own business can grow and prosper quickly. Here are just a...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Permission Email Marketing Tips for Offline Small Business Owners
Unless your small business is situated under a rock, you've
probably heard something about email marketing by now, and you
may have even wondered if it's time for your small business to
get into it.
In its simplest terms, email marketing means communicating with
consumers through email. But there's a big difference between
trying to talk to consumers who never asked to be talked to in
the first place, and talking to your own customers, who at some
point have said, "Yes, I'd love to hear from you."
That's where permission email marketing comes in. Permission
email marketing means giving valuable information to consumers
who have requested to receive it. It is the ONLY legitimate way
to send an email marketing campaign, and it is the only way your
small business can benefit from email marketing.
But how do you get your customers to say "I do"?
If you have an online business, or if your offline business has
a website that receives many visitors, compiling subscribers can
be as easy as adding a subscription box to your website. You
would offer users something valuable, like a periodical
newsletter or emails with discount coupons and, in return, your
users would subscribe to your mailing list.
Sounds great. But what if your business is primarily offline,
and what if you don't even have a website?
Many businesses think that's reason enough to step out of email
marketing altogether. But what they're missing here is that
compiling a permission email marketing list offline can be as
easy, if not easier in some instances, as building a list online.
We have advised many clients on tips to collect email addresses
at the point of purchase. Here are some of our favorite tactics:
- Collect business cards, Offer a prize. This is one of the
oldest, most proven methods of collecting customer information
in-store. Your prize doesn't even have to be huge. If you own a
restaurant, it can be as simple as a free dinner for two. If you
own a hair dresser, it can be as easy a 50% off coupon towards
their next cut. The beauty here is that customers who submit
their business cards have expressed genuine interest in your
products or services. So when you contact them by email with
further offers, you know you're talking to people who want to
buy what you're selling.
The one thing to keep in mind here is that you MUST inform users
that by submitting their business cards, they are agreeing to
receive email communication from you. This can be as simple as
adding a sign to the business card drop-off box saying: "We will
send you an email to notify you if you have won. We may also
send you periodical emails with special offers and
announcements. If you do not wish to receive emails from us,
please write 'No Email' on your business card."
- Start a V.I.P. Club Many consumers like the idea of belonging
to something exclusive, and
receiving offers that are extended
only to a select group of people. The labor on your part is
minimal. It's as easy as keeping a notebook by the cashier. As a
customer comes up to complete a purchase, casually tell them
about your businesses' V.I.P. Club and ask them if they would
like to join. Customers will appreciate this if you position it
as a rewards club, or a way to say "Thank you, we love to have
you around" to your most loyal customers. Of course, you should
offer V.I.P. Club membership to any of your consumers, as you
may find, once you start emailing them offers, that's a great
way to build your most loyal customers. Make sure the offers you
send them are, in fact, exclusive, and that you email V.I.P.
Club members often enough, but not too often to become annoying
(once or twice a month is usually a good interval).
Again, when you're collecting customer emails for the V.I.P.
Club, make sure your customers know they're signing up to
receive email offers from you.
These are just some ideas to get your permission email marketing
subscriber list started. The best news here is that compiling a
list is actually the toughest part of managing an email
marketing campaign. As long as you're using an email marketing
manager program that's specifically designed for small
businesses like yours, the rest of the process is a breeze.
Creating a campaign involves little more than selecting a
professionally-designed template, typing text and choosing a few
good images. Your campaigns will be scheduled and sent
automatically, so you'll never have to worry about being
involved in that part.
What you will get to do (and this is probably the most exciting
and most rewarding part of email marketing), is analyze your
campaign after it's been sent. You'll be able to see how many
people opened your email message, how many people clicked on
each link within the message and, best of all, exactly who did
what. Now that's what we call accurate, detailed, and immediate
consumer research (you actually get to track your consumers'
actions from the exact moment they happen). And while you would
previously pay a fortune just to get this research data, today
your small business can send professional email marketing
campaigns and track detailed consumer behavior for less than it
would cost you to print store flyers.
It's the new age of marketing, and there's never been a better
time for your offline small business to get into the game.
About the author:
Robert Burko is president and founder of Eliteweb.cc, an Internet
portal and suite of Fortune 500 tools designed for the specific
needs of small businesses. Eliteweb's permission email
marketing manager is perfect for online or offline small
businesses. Click on the link above for a no-commitment 30-day
Free trial.
|
|
|
|
|
| United States Small Business Administration |
| An electronic gateway of procurement information for and about small businesses. Search engine for contracting officers, marketing tool for small firms, ... |
| www.sba.gov |
|
| SBA |
| The Small Business Planner includes information and resources that will help you at any stage of the business lifecycle. ... |
| www.sba.gov |
|
| Main Page - SmallBusiness.com - Small Business Resources |
| Find Small Business plans, advice, tutorials about organization, corporations, entrepreneurship, and smallbusiness. |
| www.smallbusiness.com |
|
| Yahoo! Small Business: Domain Names, Web Hosting, E-commerce ... |
| Yahoo! Small Business provides products and services that enable you to establish and grow your business on the Internet. Services include domain name ... |
| smallbusiness.yahoo.com |
|
| Small business advice business start up small business finance ... |
| business start up small business finance start up advice. |
| www.smallbusiness.co.uk |
|
| Smallbusiness.gov.au redirect to business.gov.au |
| Business Entry Point - Helping small business in big ways. An Australian Government initiative. The content from this website has now been consolidated into ... |
| www.smallbusiness.gov.au |
|
| Business & Small Business |
| Online and print small business publication. Information to help start, grow or manage a small business. |
| www.entrepreneur.com |
|
| Microsoft Small Business Center |
| Your home for information about Microsoft's small-business products and services, tailored business advice, technology tools, and more. |
| www.microsoft.com |
|
| The Small Business Advisor - advice for starting and operating a ... |
| Advice and assistance for starting and operating a small or home based business. |
| www.isquare.com |
|
| SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" |
| A nonprofit association dedicated to encouraging the formation, growth, and success of small business nationwide through counseling and mentor programs. |
| www.score.org |
|
| Small Business and Self-Employed One-Stop Resource |
| IR-2006-2, January 3, 2006 - Temporary and proposed regulations will significantly reduce tax filing burden for nearly 950000 small business owners. ... |
| www.irs.gov |
|
| Welcome to Small Business BC your business resource in British ... |
| BC Business Services offers assistance and resources for those running or starting a business in British Columbia and Vancouver. |
| www.smallbusinessbc.ca |
|
| Small Business Service | Home |
| Provides information and advice to help small businesses realise their potential. |
| www.sbs.gov.uk |
|
| NSW Small Business |
| A site developed by the NSW Department of State and Regional Development for small businesses. Topics include management, resources, current issues and ... |
| www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au |
|
| Business Management & Advice: Small Business Resources & Information |
| Looking for business management and advice? Our website includes small business resources and information that can help you. Visit the small business ... |
| www.businessweek.com |
|
| Small Business Lawyer, Attorney, Law, Legal Help - FindLaw for ... |
| Information and legal sites relevant to small business. |
| smallbusiness.findlaw.com |
|
| Small Business Funding Opportunities (SBIR and STTR) |
| Links to Small Business Funding Opportunities and SBIR / STTR Applications. |
| grants.nih.gov |
|
| Microsoft bCentral Small Business Directory |
| Directory categorized by industry with company business card feature. |
| sbd.bcentral.com |
|
| Our site has moved! Please update your bookmarks! |
| Facilitates the sharing and exchange of information among small business development centers, the small business administration and other business-oriented ... |
| sbdcnet.utsa.edu |
|
| Small Business Development Corporation |
| Our business information services provides guidance to improve business skills and knowledge on advice on starting, buying, selling and expanding a small ... |
| www.sbdc.com.au |
|
|