Does email marketing really work ?

[Batch]

Does email marketing really work? I decided to promote my site, through email marketing. But will that approach be a spammy approach or will it bring harm to my site.

[OtbHunter]

Originally Posted by Batch

Does email marketing really work? I decided to promote my site, through email marketing. But will that approach be a spammy approach or will it bring harm to my site.

Answer = Yes and Yes... Yes, Email marketing is extremely effective and Yes, you will most likely have your site cancelled by your Registrar or Hosting company. Below are my results from the use of email marketing.
Started and ran my own email program (SPAM). I sent a very honest offer, letting the recipient know a little about the site and a link to it. I complied with all of the CAN-SPAM regulations.
Results = Total emails sent ( 101,366 )
Returned/improper address ( 43,135 )
Request to “remove” from future mailings ( 316 )
Complaints sent to ISP ( 10 )
New Members signed: ( 1,696 )…
AOL had my site cancelled because of 3 complaints,
I had to move to another Registrar and Hosting company.

Of course you could use one of the many Opt-In list brokers that can be found on line, as I did and expect the following results.

As the results were so good and I did not want my site shut down again, I decided to spend the money and pay the list brokers on the internet to send a mailing to their “Opt-In” list.

Results:
Purchased opt-in email list (sent by the Seller) $100.00 for 50,000 = ( 0 ) new members. I was able to get my money back.
Purchased opt-in email list (sent by the Seller) $100.00 for 25,000 = ( 0 ) new members. I was able to get my money back.
Purchased opt-in email list (sent by the Seller) $650.00 for 500,000 = ( 0 ) new members. I was able to get my money back.
Purchased a pop-under program… $50.00 for 25,00 pop-under ads = ( 0 ) new members.
Contacted three of the top rated opt-in email list brokers…. (Sit down for this one) Quotes for mailing were: $4,000, $4,500 & $6,000 to mail to 50,000!!! (Each list comes with a toll-free number to the nearest bankruptcy attorney at no additional charge!)

If you find a great way to use email marketing without having your site shut down... LET ME KNOW!

[Batch]

Great explanation. I got my answer. Thanks a lot.

[eukhost]

Majority of the mails you send will up in the Trash folder of the recipients or filtered by the spam filters. Email marketing is considered SPAM unless the recipient has himself subscribed to recieve your promotional mails.

[lebreton]

I had a similar experince with buying opt-in list. They're either severely oversold many, many times or are very expensive. Cheap or expensive, I do not recommend buying opt-in lists.

Here's how I do email marketing:
I offer a free or inexpensive, targeted product. Once people respond to this, I introduce myself and enter their email address in my autoresponder. My autoresponder sends out 20 emails (1 every other day). I market them a product that I know they will want based on their initial response to the free or inexpensive item. Over time, you'll build a list of people that you can sell products to or sign-up into your business opportunities over and over again.

[cedced]

tell me some best email marketing plz !

Thanks !

[nedo]

Here is a good advice: Think how do you feel about that.

How are you feeling when you find tens of mails on your mail box everyday? Came from no where...

Its just a way to make your "brand" lose. Its just a way to spend money for nothing. (Nothing=at the same time illegal.)

[redz]

nobody likes emails telling them to join or buy something, called "spam" and nobody likes it.

[canvalley]

I agree, with the above in the sense of email marketing being annoying as all hell. In all fairness though I suppose you could see some sort of success if you did it in a large enough volume, but then you've gone from 'spammer' to 'bulk spammer'.

[OtbHunter]

Here we go again... the "uninformed" and the "read half the post" people giving half baked and regurgitated information. Guys, if you are going to post, at least read the other replys and get your ducks-in-a-row with proper information!
Nedo:
Its just a way to make your "brand" lose. Its just a way to spend money for nothing. (Nothing=at the same time illegal.)....
Reply to Nedo: No, Nedo, Spam email is "not" illegal... the Can-Spam Act did not ban spam... it regulated it. Read the Act. And if you take the time to read my results you will notice that I obtained 1,696 new members. You are welcome to list your results of any campaign you have run and tracked with similar success.
Redz:
nobody likes emails telling them to join or buy something, called "spam" and nobody likes it.
Reply to Redz: Again, same answer to Redz... read my info (actual stats)... you will notice that I obtained 1,696 new members. I did NOT tell people to join or buy... it was a very honest, straight forward email letting them know about my site and it was their choice if they wanted to preview it. You are welcome to list your results of any campaign you have run and tracked with similar success.
Canvalley:
I agree, with the above in the sense of email marketing being annoying as all hell. In all fairness though I suppose you could see some sort of success if you did it in a large enough volume, but then you've gone from 'spammer' to 'bulk spammer'.
Reply to Canvalley: This was an honest post... he doesn't like Spam mail but at least admitted that there is possibility of success. Thanks for an honest answer.

Summary: The original questions was...does email marketing work?. My answer were presented as actual stats...not an uninformed, regurgitated answer to a very legitimate question.
Gets down from soap box and hits the Submit button.

[krunk]

I don't use it much myself, but I do believe you can have some kind of success with it if you are consistent. You have several barriers in terms of Spam complaints, Spam filters and just the general responsiveness of purchased leads as a whole. People receive so much spam in their email inbox that most people are not reading what they are deleting. Also because of spam filters a high number of your emails don't even make it in their inbox.

[Rezo]

Does email marketing really work ?

No. It's defined as Spam

[BinkyMelnik]

Rezo:

No. It's defined as Spam

No, email marketing isn't defined as "spam." Spam is sending unsolicited commercial emails. Folks who've double-opted in to a list are receiving messages they've asked for.

If Batch has an opt-in list he can send to, then he's not spamming. If he harvests email addresses or purchases other lists, then he'd be spamming.

[Egils]

Just released version 2006 of Derek Gehl's advanced email guide, Insider Secrets to Email Marketing.

I've just finished devouring Derek Gehl's newly revised and updated "advanced guide" to email marketing...
More, http://weblietas.com/email_marketing_ebook.html

[RedruM*]

what is the best way to do it ? (free)

[BinkyMelnik]

RedruM:

what is the best way to do it ? (free)

I'm almost afraid to ask, but do *what*?

(If I've just walked into a sex question, I'm gonna thump you on the forehead!)

[RedruM*]

to send free emails.

[BinkyMelnik]

RedruM:

to send free emails

That aren't spam, you mean? You can build you own list, or you can join a free credit-based list like Mad Vlad or Muscle Mail. The former is preferable, of course, but it takes work and time, so a quicker shortcut is something like one of the latter.

Or if you know someone with a list and can work out a deal with him, ie, he sends a message from you to his list in return for a favor you'll do him, that'll work, too.

[amroawad]

I think email marketing is the best way to stick a customer to your company.
I think that if you don't use email marketing you will never succeed in online marketing.

[Batch]

Everyday morning my first task is to delete all those mails, which are not of my concern. I used to delete them only by checking the subject line. I know maximum mails for marketing. However when I found a subject line from a site which is known to me I stopped there to check it. If I found the mail is important I do reply. What I feel this is the unwritten standard followed by everyone.

It proves people are concern only about the known partners, known subjects or something that compliment your business interests.

So from all the above discussions I can conclude, email marketing is fruitful when we do send mailers to our registered and loyal members to let them know about our new features, new releases etc.

When it comes to an unknown mailer chances are there that the mail might be deleted.