Taking the Email Plunge

We know that email marketing can add punch to a company's marketing efforts. Yet selling the solution to small business owners (SBO) can be a difficult task. Josh Nason of SendLabs identifies three major obstacles when pitching email's value to the SBO: 1) budgetary concerns, 2) lack of education and experience in the area, and 3) motivation. Successful email marketers can surmount such resistance by stressing these key concepts:

Cost-effectiveness. Email marketing solutions have many different payment options—pay by the month, the campaign, whatever makes the SBO most comfortable. "If they're saying they have no money," says Nason, "tell them that email is the stop gap in flushing money down the marketing drain, and that if done right, email will help their sink overflow."

Metrics. Measuring ROI from traditional marketing elements can be difficult. Email marketing, however, tracks how many people see your message, forward it to a friend, or come back to the message. Such metrics provide invaluable information about the efficacy of the program, which can only improve a business' prospects.

Honesty. Be clear about what email marketing can and can't do for the business. Says Nason, "If you're honest and upfront with every prospect you come in touch with, that'll alleviate any potential trust issues down the road."

The Po!nt: "The email marketing business is more effective and targetable than any other mass media out there," says Nason. "The tricky part is getting [the small business owner] to understand it."

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