Overview

Bulk email, when done properly and professionally, is one of the most efficient and productive forms of advertising possible. You can reach thousands (even millions) of people with your advertising message for a fraction of the cost of traditional TV, radio, or print advertising. Email has revolutionized advertising, making it possible for anyone, from the smallest home business to the largest companies, to reach their audience in a cost-effective manner. We've been in the bulk email business nearly four years. We're not here today, gone tomorrow, like many other bulk email firms. We are committed to the ethical, responsible use of bulk email as an advertising medium. That means we mail our customers' ads using only resources we pay for. We never resort to hijacking third party servers, relaying mail, or in any way cutting corners to force someone else to pay for our actions. Those activities are wrong, plain and simple.

Disclaimer

Bulk email is not for everyone. We want to be sure every potential customer understands that up front. Bulk email works wonders with some offers, but not with others. As your bulk emailer, we make an unconditional promise that all the emails you pay for will be delivered, but we cannot guarantee that you'll get any minimum number of new sales. As the old saying goes, we can lead the horse to the water, but we can't make him drink. We do realize that it is impossible to not receive any response on an ad so if there is no response or a minimal response, we resend at no charge to you. We monitor all of our campaigns very closely by utilizing a neutral email box to filter responses through, and by monitoring site statistics when email is directed to a website.

Security

Another issue that comes up often is web site security. If you're worried that you might lose your web site due to complaints, we can mirror your site on a bulk friendly server for a nominal fee. The URL of this entry page will be given out in your ad, instead of your real homepage address. This is not required, and in most cases your site is not in danger. But some folks are more cautious than others, so we offer this added service.

Effective Email Marketing

A solid e-mailing rests on three "legs": offer, list and creative. If you've been involved in traditional direct mail marketing (the postal variety), these three elements should ring a bell, as they apply in both media.

Basically, your offer means, What are you going to give them and what are they going to give you?

In the most basic kind of offer, you are going to give them a product and they are going to give you money. You can make an offer more compelling by giving the customer a better deal, "Save $43.00," for example, or "Buy one, get one free."

An offer doesn't have to involve the exchange of money. You might offer a free gift in exchange for marketing data; perhaps the user can download a free software program in exchange for providing personal information or filling out a survey form. Or you might offer a free newsletter. In this case, the user might not have to give anything in return; it's enough for them to let you into their inbox every week or every month.

The offer is critical to the success of your e-mail effort. You need to be crystal-clear about what your offer is, and you need to be crystal-clear in communicating it to your recipient.

You might have a great offer, but if you send it to the wrong list it will flop. On the Internet, list buying is trickier than in the world of direct mail, where you can examine a standard-format rate card, look over demographic data, or get help from an experienced list broker or consultant. The e-mail list business has few standards, and it can be hard to be sure who you are dealing with. Talk with the firms directly on the phone.

In advertising, "creative" refers to the concept, copy and design of an advertising piece. Most e-mail advertising is sent out in plain text, so you can't do much with design. But good strategy and copywriting can make a big difference.

Focus your copy around your offer. In e-mail, we recommend copy that's brief, straightforward and to-the-point. Make it interesting, compelling and personal..

Make the offer clear. Include a call to action -- in other words, tell them what you want them to do and ask them to do it. Make it easy for people to respond. You may select to drive users to a web page in some offers, where they can find out more details, fill out a form or send in an order. Other offers may ask for telephone response or reply via email.

Give special attention to your subject line. Make it something simple, unassuming and short, while implying a benefit -- maybe something like, "Discount tickets?" or "New opera recording." Avoid deceptive "gotcha" subject lines that trick the recipient into opening the e-mail.

Give careful attention to these three elements of an e-mailing. If your effort falls short in any one of these three areas -- offer, list or creative -- you can expect a poor response.