This is a guide to resources on email marketing, which generally refers to sending advertising to groups of people by email, soliciting sales or donations, or for the purpose of building brand loyalty or trust
Marketing emails might be sent to a purchased lead list, a customer database, or a subscriber list, and can be used to acquire new customers, to encourage previous customers to make another purchase, or to maintain loyalty among customers.
Although email marketing has faced challenges since the 1990s, when Internet users began to refer to as spam, and technologies were devised to filter or block unwanted emails, the technique continues to be an effective means of reaching customers.
Types of email marketing include transactional and direct emails. Transactional email advertising is triggered on a customer's actions with a company, and are intended to facilitate, complete, or confirm a transaction that the email recipient has entered into or agreed to. The main purpose of transactional email messages is to provide information about whatever triggered the message, whether it be a dropped online shopping basket, a password reset request, an order confirmation, or a receipt. Others may include email support requests. Direct email advertising refers to promotional messages that are sent to a list of previous customers or to those who are on email lists that may be rented from service companies.
Another type of email marketing is known as opt-in email marketing. It is a common practice for companies to offer a newsletter that a customer or prospective customer may agree to receive. Newsletters typically include news of the company's products or services, promotional offers, or upcoming products or activities.
Email marketing is cheaper and faster than traditional advertising and, despite spam filters, nearly half of Internet users in the United States check their email at least once a day. Businesses that send a large volume of email can use an email service provider (ESP) to gather information about the behavior of the recipients, which can be used to better target subsequent email campaigns.
On the top of the list of disadvantages to email marketing is the fact that many users will never see it, as unsolicited advertising emails will be filtered out as spam. Somewhat related, most Internet users receive about ninety emails per day and do not read most of those that are delivered to their inbox. Keep in mind, also, that anti-spam laws differ from one country to another, so email marketers need to make sure that their email advertising campaigns don't violate these laws.
The resources listed below should include websites offering information of use to those who may want to begin or optimize existing email marketing campaigns in-house, as well as those of companies offering various email marketing services or tools.
Recommended Resources
In business for more than twenty years, the company was founded as Roving Software in 1995, and has always had a focus on email marketing, and its software continues to offer email marketing tools, email templates, marketing automation, e-commerce, and social marketing, as well as professional marketing services and a marketing advisor program. Software and program features, plans, pricing, discounts, and a 60-day free trial are available, and its partners are acknowledged.
https://www.constantcontact.com/
Offered by a full-service email agency that provides clients with the tools and experience they need to carry out a successful email campaign, from end-to-end management and email consultancy, to design services, data cleansing, and other services, its software features email templates, personalization, automation, forms, surveys, and landing pages, data and insights, and a secure infrastructure. Its features and pricing are posted, and a client list, awards, and contacts are included.
http://www.enablermail.com/
Provides web-based email marketing solutions to help clients build their mailing lists, maximize conversion ratios, increase profits and to build customer confidence. The website singles out each and every GetResponse Email Marketing festures that include unlimited email marketing campaigns, unlimited broadcasts and a lot more. The website also features client reviews giving you an inside look on the company's offered service.
http://www.getresponse.com
Based in North Carolina, iContact offers a turnkey email marketing campaign, which includes a strategic advisor on day one, and may include graphic design, custom email templates, social content, and copywriting, as well as content marketing, custom designs, email and photo editors, and an easy-to-use interface. Customer success managers and a help portal are included. Its features, services, and pricing are posted, and a list of industries currently served is included.
https://www.icontact.com/
IMN has been providing interactive email and newsletter services to marketers across a number of industries since 1999 and specializes in content-driven electronic communications services that enable clients to connect with their customers through multimedia email and e-newsletters. An overview of the company is provided, along with its services, options, and the industries served, primarily automotive, direct selling, finance and insurance, and franchise businesses.
https://www.imninc.com/
Created in 2001, as a side business for smaller clients of a web design agency known as Rocket Science Group, MailChimp was designed to be an alternative to the more expensive email marketing software of the early 2000s, offering small business owners the high-end tools and resources of larger companies. In 2007, they closed the web design company and began to focus on Mailchimp, expanding it to become a full-scale marketing platform, which is highlighted here, with pricing and contacts.
https://mailchimp.com/
Carrying several types of mailing leads, such as consumer leads that can be targeted by variables such as age, income, gender, date of birth, and others, such as ethnicity and mortgage holders, auto owners, and businesses, Mailing Edge offers email leads, trigger leads, business leads, and direct mail. Its consumer sales leads include resident occupants, bankruptcies, insurance, new homeowners, new movers, and others. Testimonials and contacts are featured.
https://mailingedge.com/
Beginning its operations in 2005, Paramount assisted publishers, associations, and non-profits to use email and social media to reach out to their constituents and readers in an effective manner, and that remains their role although its emphasis has shifted toward increasing relevance through targeting and segmentation, and is assisted by partnerships and interactive agencies. Its services are discussed in detail, along with its reseller partnership plans.
http://web.paramountcommunication.com/
Backed by the latest technology, Internet white-listing, ISP feedback loops, and reputation monitoring, Topica Plus is an email marketing tool that allows businesses to build effective email campaigns in seconds, tracking email openings, bounces, clicks, and resulting growth through purchase confirmations or registrations. Its features are highlighted, and plans are available for small, medium or large campaigns. API documentation is provided, along with contacts.
http://www.topica.com/
