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Electronic mail (email) is a letter sent over the Internet. Internet users can send and receive mail from anywhere in the world as long as they have a computer, a regular telephone line, and a software programme designed to process outgoing and incoming electronic mail. It is estimated that over 8,000 emails are processed every minute.
Electronic mail can be used in much the same way as the traditional postal services, namely for processing mailings about your products.
But remember the recipient pays to download the letter. Hence this kind of marketing is far from universally welcome.
An enormous range of email programmes exist, some with specific features and benefits, although all share common characteristics such as requiring senders to identify recipient and identification via their own special email address.
An email can have one or multiple recipients and, because letters are processed almost instantaneously, it is possible to send a one-page letter in less than a second. This makes it possible for Internet marketers to send email to tens of thousands of prospects practically overnight.
Email is also a wonderful tool for submitting press releases fast and efficiently to countless magazines all over the world.
Internet culture means you should never - yet - send email to people who have not requested it.
In other words, only write to people who've enquired about your product or requested a free report.
As an Internet marketer you can conduct 'direct mail' through the Internet to existing and potential customers. This eliminates postage and printing costs and cuts time between mail being sent and actually being delivered.
Note that traditional snail mail (ordinary post) can take days to reach its intended recipient, unlike email which usually takes seconds. Consequently, orders and enquiries can be with you in minutes, not weeks.
The Internet also has mailing lists (similar, in some cases identical to newsgroups) to which you can have your email address added. These mailing lists are made up of groups and Internet users with shared interests. Users send messages back and forth to one another regarding matters that interest all members.
Once you join a mailing list, usually for free, and you could receive thousands of letters from fellow members. Bear in mind, you have previously selected these people as potential customers, so you could easily be receiving mailbox loads of enquiries and possibly orders every day.
If you can't find a list relating to the specific product or service you are selling, you can start your own mailing list and wait for others to join.
As for other forms of marketing you must reply while prospects are hot (that is still interested in your product).
Customers can email you for a variety of reasons, thus increasing credibility in your company, and giving potential customers the chance to ask last-minute questions to make a better informed buying decision.
Customers can order via email, provided you have a secure method of ordering.
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