What advice do y'all have about e-mail marketing? How do you create your e-mail - through constant contact, or some similar program? I'm planning to create an e-mail blast for church children's ministries to target vacation bible schools.

And then a separate one toward libraries... Any advice?

Thanks...

Last year I tried E-Mail Marketing and it yielded zero responses, I followed it up with written (snail Mail Marketing) about two months later and the events were finaly contacting me. I think people are afraid to respond to emails as they think it is all spam.... I am sure others have had sucess with it and I haven't given up on it as I will again do the same as I did last year. start off this Month with my Emails followed with written material in march and see if last years clients respond to the email marketing this year.

Tony, let's get together for lunch or at the banquet and we can talk about Constant Contact. I send my Magic Youth, business and Ring newsletters and announcements through it. Maybe I can help.

I appreciate that Roger. I'll look forward to getting together with you. We need to talk about the February event as well. I'll shoot you an e-mail and we can set it up.

E-mail marketing accounts for 75-80% of my overall marketing, and about 85-90% of all my bookings and annual income come directly from e-mail marketing. Almost every single time I do a blast I book at least one show, however many e-mails are printed and held for months before they are in a place to call and take action. I code each and every email, so I know what e-mailer went out, when, what offer or call to action, and more. I regularly have people call be from e-mailings from 12-15 months ago, but nonetheless they create results. It's a science in and of itself, and is not for the casual one or two time person. In my business, my list is my biggest asset. I really feel with e-marketing you truly get out of it what you put into it. Best of luck!

Mindpro said it best when he said his list is his "biggest asset."

To MagicB1S, the perception of e-mail as spam is only true when you haven't established a relationship first, or gotten permission to send occasional marketing messages.

I won't go on a rant here, but spam is well defined in the Canned Spam act, and the term is rather loosely thrown about, when in fact it's perfectly permissable to send a legitimate marketing message - even to people you've never met, as long you stay within the guidelines clearly spelled out in the act. However, just because you can, doesn't mean you should, but that's another post.

Tony T (you too MagicB1S): If you have a specific question about e-mail marketing, I'd be happy to give you my best answer. I don't know everything, but I did spend 2009-2010 as editor of marketing blog which relied heavily on housefile promotions through e-mail marketing for a significant portion of its revenues.

I can tell you (from the inside) what worked for us ... and probably why certain promotions you've attempted - have not.

Just ask.

Also, it sounds like Skip Way may have this thing figured out, so hopefully you'll get the answers you're looking for.

All the best,

Oscar

Mail Chimp is a free tool that is not as customizable as constant contact or aweber or 1shoppingcart but can get the job done. I have used 1shoppingcart combined with David Farr's Amazing System for years.

I am a huuuuge fan of real-world, proven results and less of ‘thoughts, ides, speculation, opinion, notions, feelings.

Hey Oscar... I would GENUINELY LOVE to hear and understand more about Your Own Personal Experience and Success. Any hot tips, recommendations or suggestions?

Whoo Hoo… THANKS for you share!

In my opinion, the biggest mistake marketers make when using email is to use it only as a "broadcast" tool to send sales messages. That's the quickest way to get spam complaints and have subscribers leave your list. A more effective strategy is to use email marketing to provide usable content to solve your prospect's problems and offer your services only after establishing a relationship with them.

I wrote several articles related to this. You can find them here...

"Drive Your Customers Away With Email Spam" http://bit.ly/aWYrnM

"Email Marketing Works – Here’s Proof" http://bit.ly/cofiBZ

"Why You Don’t Need A Website To Grow Your Business" http://bit.ly/g2N8hf

No Matter WHAT Marketing Medium We Choose, (Online, Offline, Direct, Tech…What Ever.) We MUST Make Our Messages, Contacts, Communications WORTHY Of Opening & Reading By Adding Real VALUE!

I have received phenomenal results using all sorts of marketing & communication ‘mediums’. Email is an amazing ‘opportunity’ if used properly and so is just about every-other medium… it also has an equal opportunity to be misused. Welcome to life and business marketing… right?

This is NOT an “Email” marketing opportunity and problem; (depending on how it’s applied) it is a “marketing” opportunity and problem.

Great discussion guys!

I am at your service and in HIS Service,
Deano in Reno
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Those are great article links Tim.

I read an article today, posted on AOL reporting that e-mail marketing trumped Facebook by an outrageous 4:1 ratio!

http://t.co/PTL2fnI

@Dean, I was a staff copywriter for Clayton Makepeace, editing his blog/zine The Total Package from 2009 to 2010. In that capacity I wrote e-mail promos for Clayton's proprietary Information Products as well as some affiliates. My experience is grounded in direct response copywriting and Product Launch Formula style events.

What I learned is that marketing isn't as much about setting traps so prospects find you (like most magnetic marketing instructors teach) - it's more about SENDING them to your sales pages and marketing messages. We promoted heavily to our House File, but we also provided great content and useable information like Tim suggested in his insightful post above. It's less about attraction, more about direction and all about the relationship.

That's the difference between proactive and passive marketing.

Currently I'm involved in a technical writing project to make rent. But I'm also doing some things on my own, and just wrote an e-book detailing some of my discoveries about strategies you can use to boost the effectiveness of any campaign. When I finish editing it, I plan to use it as a premium I'll give away to start building my own list.

Here's hoping we all have a fantastic 2011.

Cheers,

Oscar

Tim hits a home run here. My Constant Contact business newsletters target my specific market - middle to upper income families with young children. I draw from several sources to provide a monthly rundown of family-and-pocketbook-friendly events happening around my area. I include a list of businesses that offer family discounts and "Kids Eat Free" restaurants. I offer the inside money-saving tips such as organizing playgroups and neighborhoods into block ticket purchases for shows, circuses, ice capades, sporting events and more. The mere fact that this wealth of knowledge comes from me is all the promotion I need - along with a small ad on the single page e-newsletter.

My newsletters are never about ME - and that keeps the subscriptions growing.

My newsletter has been a great addition for me. Its 100% opt-in that people sign up for when filling out my evaluation sheet. I found the results from the first year to not be very good, but each year it gets better and better. Almost all of the bookings that come from my newsletter are repeat bookings. Often times our problem is contacting people at the right time, but with a newsletter you can stay "top of mind" very easily. Also, response rates are higher from email than they are for other things like social media.

Hope this helps: http://www.onlinemagicclub.com/2009/12/2......ans-101/