Email  can be a very cheap and effect markting tool for your business.

In a recent article at Email Wars blog, Dylan Boyd praised a message sent out by Banana Republic.  It was a minimalist email, just using simple text to annouce an online sale that took place on 09.09.09. 

The offer was “9 Hours Only! 20% off your favourite styles or 25% off when you use your Banana Republic card + Free Shipping when you spend £99 or more”.  Can you see how they have used the date in their offer?  Very simple, but very effective.

Our next key event is 11.11.09, which is Rememberance Sunday.  This would be a fantastic time to reconnect with clients you haven’t spoken to in a while and offer then a special 11hour sale.   Your email will need to cover:

• Deadline driven by immediacy – clients only have a small window to which to make their purchase
• Date chosen for its interesting configuration  – your clients will not be expecting a sale, unexpected offers produce good results
• Use a Code- make it extra special by buidling in a code like 11-11-09 which has to be used to redemm the offer.

Grab a piece of paper and list down all the different campaigns you can offer that either coincides with a event, time or occasion.

Let us know how you get on.

Viral marketing means to spread out information. Traditionally this was and is, still done via   word of mouth.  Online it can be achieved with emails, newsletters, promotions and your website (to name a but a few).

For example, I received an email the other day from a friend who had forwarded it to me.  The message was about the Take That Circus Tour DVD being launched on 24th November.  There was the option to opt in in the email to receive information.   My friend forwarded it to me, because we went to the concert together and she knew I would be very interested in the email.

My friend was obviously on a companies email list to have received the message. By offering the facility to forward the message to friends and share, the company are building their list.  Because there is a very strong chance that I will sign up to receive more information.  Hence the viral nature.

Viral marketing is free and takes less then 5 mins to set up.  What are you waiting for, add a forwarding facility onto your online marketing and grow your list.

One of the cheapest forms of marketing is to build a list of potential contacts and clients and marketing to them.  Using email, newsletters, flyers or what ever you care to create.

One of first tasks I always do with a client is to get the to build their list.  So, I thought I would share with you my top secrets on how to do it.

Secret No. 1 Landing Page or Squeeze Page. 

A squeeze page/landing page is a shameless and blatant tool to get visitors to your website or blog to leave their names and email address in exchange for a valuable piece of information.

It can be your home page on your website/blog or it can be one page website that is created just to capture their details.

This information can be in the form of a down-loadable report, a video, piece of audio or an invitation to a special event.

It is a “teaser of information” about what products you sell or services you provide.

99% of people (or traffic) to your website/blog will leave without taking any action.  Think about the money you are leaving on the table.  If you have a system that you can capture their names and email in exchange for information, you can start to build a relationship with them.

Let me know how you get on