Management Of Your Email Marketing:-

As Featured On Ezine Articles

Most email marketers know the frustration of trying to secure adequate funding for their online efforts. "Direct mail is so expensive that mailers can often justify a marketing database and top-notch analytics team to help manage costs," says Elana Anderson. "Unfortunately, email is so cheap that online marketers struggle to make the same argument. And executives, often skeptical of business cases that don't show cost reduction, are hesitant to pony up funds for email program improvement." If you find yourself in this position, Anderson's advice includes:

* Framing your work in terms of ongoing project management, not ad hoc campaign management. "Email marketing managers must start to measure, understand, and track metrics like program engagement or the lifetime value of an email contact to illustrate the value of the email program," she notes.

* Partnering with fellow database marketing teams to leverage skills and infrastructure. Aside from the obvious reduction in duplicated expenditure and output, this also facilitates multi-channel customer communications.

* Building a strong case for ROI. Detail for key decision makers the specific challenges you face, and how an investment will pay off. Example: "Perhaps customer win-back and re-marketing tactics are really hard for your organization because they require manual data pulls from your Web analytics tool, external data massaging, manual import ... [and] execution. Document the benefits of lights-out automation of those tactics."

Running a small business can be a risky endeavor, but you don't have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to marketing. Taken from The Reach Group's Free Agent Formula-created by Cheri Hanson, Lisa Johnson and Cassie Pruett-here are the top five mistakes made by entrepreneurs:

Creating a business that follows money instead of your strengths. Without a passion for your product or service, you're already at a disadvantage. Says Hanson: "If you're unhappy or out of sync with your natural strengths, you may be diluting your main marketing tool."

Matching your competitors instead of differentiating and finding your niche. "In so many industries, all the competitors are bobbing in a sea of sameness," Hanson correctly notes. "Get out of the dogfight by serving unmet needs."

Working one revenue stream instead of creating multi-faceted revenue models. From Hanson's perspective, this means operating like a larger company in which your entire income is not derived from the hours you work and the fee you charge.

Packaging products from your perspective, not that of your customers. Today's savvy consumers tune out spin and interruption. They're looking for something that adds tangible value to their lives, so focus on real solutions.

Waiting for established media to cover you instead of creating your own. "Publishing is the new PR," says Hanson. "Whether you create articles, checklists, resource guides, blogs, podcasts, video clips or quizzes, there's a content strategy to fit your communication style and business goals."

The Point: Identify the pitfalls before you begin, and your business will stand a much better chance of finding success.

released on----- 23 September, 2008