Email marketing is a way to reach consumers directly via electronic mail. Unlike spam, direct email marketing reaches those interested in your business’ area of expertise. The information is sent out more like a laser-guided missile than a bomb: No matter what you’re selling, it is a way to reach thousands of potential customers directly at a relatively low cost when compared to advertising or other forms of media exposure. It brings your business’ message through an attractive mix of graphics, text and links directly to people who may have never heard of your business or considered your products, but are knowledgeable and interested in your business’ area of expertise. Once you understand– what is email marketing?–you can start to implementing these practices to reach more customers.

Email marketing also provides an easy way to track how effective it is. By keeping track of how many hits your website gets after a mass mailing, it’s easy to gauge whether this technique works for your company. It’s also a good way to guide existing customers back to your business. Many companies also provide an “unsubscribe” option for viewers in an effort to focus only on interested potential customers. Also, your company can opt to have a feedback mechanism where potential customers can tell you directly what they liked and disliked about a particular advertising campaign.

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