How to Stand Out in a Crowded Inbox

We are bombarded by mass media, voicemail, Tweets, Facebook messages, and emails all day, every day. We have to filter these messages to stay sane and productive. Think for a second about the emails you got today. How do you handle them? You deleted some without reading them because of your assumptions about the sender (Hmmm, he always sends me chain lettersdelete!) or the subject matter (No time to read about the Sierra Clubs latest fundraiser todaydelete!).

You scanned the subject line for others to make a split-second determination about whether to read them or not, and if you did open one of these, you skimmed it quickly to see if was worth taking further action, such as reading the whole email, clicking a link, or opening an attachment.

Now think about those emails that you always open, read, and act on. What makes them special? Make it your goal to get on your customers must-read list.

Who Wants to Add 10-20% to Their Bottom Line in the Next 3 Months...for Less Than $20 a Month?

As you start using email marketing as an integral part of your business strategy, be aware that youre walking into a minefield of deeply ingrained user habits and even some level of hostility and distrust toward the very medium itself, due to the prevalence of spam. ( Spam is defined loosely as unwanted email. The legal definition is more specific, so make sure to read our guidelines later on how to comply with the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States.)

The good news, however, is that marketing with email works . Plus, email can be incredibly powerful and cost-effective, and it neednt take much infrastructure and staff to set up and maintain.

If you are using email already, look out for that one little trick (such as, increasing your open rate with an effective subject line) that just might double your email-driven revenue. Or, you may finally realize why you still dont see good results from your current email campaigns.

Good email marketing isnt hard, but it does require that you understand the quirks of the medium. So, read on to find out how to:

Promote your brand and transform customers into fans who wouldnt dream of shopping with anyone but you.

Turn prospects into customers using automated systems.

Increase revenue and stabilize your cash flow.

Slash your marketing spend by starting your first email campaign for less than $20 a month.

First, the Good News...Email Marketing Worksand You Can Do It Yourself

You must believe that other businesses use email profitably or you wouldnt be reading this. Well, youre right. Email works very well, when done correctly. In fact, it sometimes even works when done badlyand even if your competitors seem way ahead of you right now, its not too late to catch up. Just follow the action steps in this book, and commit to getting started . How? First, get started building your list and crafting your first few messages, and soon youll be ahead of nearly everyone else. Youll naturally get better over time as you learn and adapt to the needs and interests of your customers, and theres nothing more motivating than seeing results from your first few campaigns and realizing, Wow, this email stuff really works! Read Paulis story if you need a little inspiration.

How About $23,525 Cash in 4 Days from a Small Restaurant List?

How would you like to be able to hold a simple sale, promote it to your list, and have over $23,000 deposited into your business checking account in a matter of days? A restaurant owner from Alabama did just that.

Pauli had a list, not a huge one but pretty respectable, with a little over 6,000 subscribers that he had already been emailing on a regular basis, offering customers discounted dining certificates if they printed his email and brought it into the restaurant. Hed had great success with this tactic, but wanted to take it to the next level.