When small business owners first hear the term "Email Marketing",  it often causes confusion. First, there is the misconception that email marketing is nothing more than spam and nobody wants to read it.  Second, most small business owners assume they would have to buy expensive email lists from a third party that will yeild less money in sales than the cost of the list itself. Third, many believe that the only purpose of email marketing is to convince consumers to use your services or buy your product. In a literal sense, email marketing IS of course marketing and it's an investment for profit. But for a small business, an email marketing campaign is an excellent way not only to advertise, but to build an ongoing relationship with your customers.

An ideal email marketing campaign consists of sending out routine emails know as email blasts. Let's say for example that your email campaign is a monthly newsletter. That newsletter needs to be sent out every month to the same people, with content that will keep them interested in what you have to say, whether it directly reflects your business or not. You have to use each and every opportunnity to engage the customer in any way possible. This may seem like quite a tough feat, but if you know your business well and read through these articles, you'll be suprised at how easy it can be to create an effective and profitable email campaign, regardless of your experience.

Too often, businesses bombard customers with special offers, sales, discounts or free trial products. Sure, everyone likes to save money. But the nature of email marketing for small business offers much more potential than that.  Not only can you provide information to the recipients to create awareness of your business or brand, but if done correctly you can also accquire valuable and priceless feedback from the consumer themselves. If you use the right techniques, email marketing can prove to be a no-fail method to increase your business and it's exposure, especially long-term.

In the next article, we are going to discuss the correct way to approach an email campaign. We'll cover what you need know before you start, as well as the most important steps to take for long-term success. You will learn why the first email you send out is the most important of all, and you'll learn who you should and shouldn't send it to. By the time you are done with the next 4 articles, you will have a complete understanding of why email marketing campaigns are so powerful and why you need them to promote and grow your business.

Next Article: Before You Get Started