Last time we showed you how data feeds (RSS and XML) can help drive customers to your store.

This time around we’re going to be a little more traditional and show you how two different types of email can make customers notice you.

The first, newsletters, shares news about your industry and useful tips. The second, email marketing, is one of the most cost effective ways to entice customers to purchase.

Newsletters

What are They?

Newsletters for Content Delivery

Newsletters are periodic communications from a business that contain information that is of interest or use to the subscribers. Many newsletters commonly include:

• Company news
• New/Special Products
• Promotions or Sales and Coupons
• Special Offers
• Contests or Requests for Participation
• Informative articles or industry information

Newsletters tend to contain more ‘informative content’ or ‘useful information’ than traditional email marketing, which we will cover next. Newsletters are frequently more well received than straight email marketing as the recipient may feel like they are getting information as well as advertisements – ideally a fair trade in their mind.

How can They Help You?

Newsletters can:

• Increase your company’s visibility.
• Increase your site’s returning visitors – these are typically the visitors with the highest conversion rate.
• Establish you/your site as an expert in your field.
• Provide a valuable opportunity to display new products, promotions, and sales.
• Remind your readers that you exist and that they were meaning to visit your site and/or make a purchase.

*Keep in mind that newsletters (and any email communication of this nature) must be opt-in and must contain an “unsubscribe” link in order to conform to the CAN-SPAM Act.

Email Marketing

What is It?

Email Marketing for Content Delivery

Email Marketing – sending advertisements and other marketing materials via email – has taken the place of many more expensive means of getting your message in front of possible customers. For a fraction of the cost of newspaper and magazine ads, online banner ads, or radio ads, marketing emails can quickly reach your subscribers.

How can it Help You?

Email marketing, just like a newsletter, benefits your company by reminding your readers about your company and the valuable products and/or services that you provide. It also does an excellent job of getting out the word about your new products, promotions and sales.

In comparison to newsletters, email marketing tends to contain mostly offers and promotions – more overt marketing of your products and services.

*Like newsletters, email marketing must conform to the CAN-SPAM Act.

Which of these tools have you used? What’s worked well for you? Any suggestions? Our current poll on the right is a quick and easy way to respond!

Tags: e-commerce, ecommerce marketing, email marketing, Marketing, Web Traffic

This entry was posted on Monday, July 13th, 2009 at 4:34 pm and is filed under Email Marketing, Social Networking, Web Traffic. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.