Online advertising is an important aspect of increasing your exposure to your target audience and expanding your business. There are many methods of online advertising including banner ads, search engine advertising, classified advertising, and other types of display ads.

One of the fastest growing and most effective methods of online advertising is email advertising or email marketing. It’s simply the use of email to promote products, services, and websites. Utilizing email is an effective way to reach a designated target audience and provide them with important information in their particular area of interest.

How it works

There are different ways to use email as an online advertising strategy. It’s essential to make every word of your email count and to keep the text brief and to the point. Remember that customers are searching for “what’s in it for me” with every email they read. A viewer’s eyes will only spend seconds on a page – sometimes no more than one second!

Email works simply by sending a direct advertisement or promotional message through an email to encourage leads, visitors, and customers to visit your website or make a purchase. By collecting their email address when they visit your website and receiving their information to send emails, you have a valuable prospect just waiting to hear from you. (More on this included below).

Email advertising is also used to promote customer loyalty and create long-lasting relationships with customers. By providing customers with periodic updates on a particular product, industry findings, research results, or other important content, they view your site as more valuable to them. They are interested in what you have to say. By keeping your information concise and ensuring credibility and accuracy, you demonstrate your respect for their time.

Permission counts

Opt-in emails (when people give you permission to contact them by providing you with their email address) have become popular as people are turning to the online world to make purchases and unearth information. This is an extremely important part of email advertising and promotion. If people do not give you permission or decide to opt-out after previously giving permission, you must respect their requests.

Ignoring an opt-out request can result in all types of customer dissatisfaction, poor relationships, and bad press for your website. That’s a key reason people like email advertising. They can find what they need and learn about what’s happening in a particular niche. But they always know they have the option to “turn it off”. Most people who are interested in your products don’t opt-out, but knowing they have the option gives them a sense of security and control.

Having control over what they receive makes your customers more secure and satisfied. When it comes to email advertising, permission counts and it counts big time! Adhering to your privacy and confidentially policy is paramount to your success.

Why you should do it

You may be wondering why you should engage in email advertising. There are some clear and simple reasons:

It is very cost-effective and you can reach a huge audience with a single message.

You are able to promote your website and products to a target audience which is already waiting and anticipating hearing from you. Your emails are unlikely to be rejected.

You reach out to your customers. They don’t have to come to you for information and valuable content. You can give it to them and encourage them to visit your site for more details at their own convenience.

Your potential customers can view your messages when they want to. They don’t have to stop reading content on a website to review your ads or messages. They don’t have to deal with annoying pop-up ads or banners. They can keep your email advertisements until they’re ready to read them. They’re in control.

Potential customers can not only read the emails when they’re ready, they can save them for future reference! Lead generation in the making!

If your email advertisement is interesting and has a lot to offer in terms of worth, your potential customers may forward them to others in their community who have an interest in your subject matter. Your email advertising can become a viral strategy.

What’s not to like about email advertising?

It’s economical, easily accessible, and effective. Creating an opportunity for people to opt-in for your email marketing provides you with a valuable opportunity to expand your business. Adhering to the privacy and confidentiality of your potential customers will increase your credibility and you’ll have a pipeline for future potential sales.