SmallBusinessNewz

As you may have read, email marketing is he preferred method of marketing among small businesses this holiday season according to email marketing firm Constant Contact. Make of that data what you will, but if you do choose to use email marketing, there are a variety of factors to consider when launching your campaign. Add the approaching holiday season into the mix, as well as a weakened economy, and these factors become all the more important.

After my article regarding Constant Contact's data went out, I was contacted by a spokesperson for another Email Marketing firm - Campaigner, who thought SmallBusinessNewz readers would be interested in some tips on how to maximize the potential for their holiday email marketing campaigns, and I agreed, because they do offer some useful tips. When it comes to ensuring campaigns reach the customers' inboxes, Campaigner offers the following tips:

·         Be transparent and stick to your privacy policy

·         Ask subscribers to white list you

·         Avoid “SPAMMY” words

·         Offer web or store only merchandise

·         Create a community where people can post feedback

·         Multi-media: podcasts, YouTube

“Economic challenges will continue for consumers and businesses throughout the holiday season, which is why email marketing’s cost-effectiveness and the immediate value it brings to recipients makes more sense than ever before,” says Luc Vezina, Campaigner’s head of marketing. “Now that we’re quickly approaching the busiest weeks of the holiday shopping season, it’s important for retailers to offer customers unique promotions and deals that stand out from the competition.”     

Campaigner will be offering a tip a day at their site, right up into the holidays. Retailers can find the archived email marketing tips or sign up for free daily tips. For some more discussion on email marketing tactics from SmallBusinessNewz readers and myself, you can read my articles (and their comments) on deliverability, subject lines, keeping your audience, advertising, and email marketing in general. As always, feel free to continue that discussion in the comments.