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       ** DEMC ** Volume VIII No. 31 **
        The Truth About Email Marketing!
    Serving the Internet Since November 1995

Quote for today:

"A problem is a chance for you to do your best."
         - Duke Ellington
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What's In This Issue - Features

1) Editor's Note: "Are You Part of The 'Inner Circle'?"
2) Email Marketing Insights: "The Trend is to Blend"
3) Feature Article: "Chief Mom"
4) SOHO Help Desk: "3 Free List Building Tips"
5) DEMC's - Advertising Information

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1.

Editor's Note:

"Are You Part of The 'Inner Circle'?"

A study released this week by Quris, which surveyed 1,691 respondents in August 2003 about their email in-boxes, revealed information essential to the success of your email campaigns.

The study found that as Internet users have matured, they have become much more discriminating about what email they'll read and respond to. Quris found users engage themselves in only a limited number of relationships with permission email marketers. And, if you're not in a user's 'Inner Circle' your email simply does not get read.

This finding of course makes sense, as most of us have limits in other areas of life as well. We have a limited number of friends we see, a limited number of hobbies we pursue, a limited number of TV shows we watch, etc.. Everyone's time is finite and only people's favorites make the cut to be in their 'Inner Circles'.

So, how large is the email 'Inner Circle'?

Quris' study determined that only 16 permission email marketers make it into the 'Inner Circle'. That's it! What's more, Quris found most people have already subscribed to their 16 lists, because the majority of today's Internet users have been online for a while.

It was also noted that the 'Inner Circle' is not just made up of similar content emails. Emails of all types are weighed by users against one another for a position in their 'Inner Circle'. Thus Amazon.com new releases, compete with baseball score updates, which compete with local news, which compete with emails on home business, etc., etc..

As a result of this current scenario, when you acquire a new subscriber the only way for you to take an 'Inner Circle' spot is to bump another's list out of the 'Inner Circle' position. The only way to stay in a subscriber's 'Inner Circle' is to deliver more of what the subscriber likes than someone else.

Permission email marketing it seems is a very competitive field. To succeed we need to know and implement the tactics that work to achieve and maintain 'Inner Circle' status.

Entering the Inner Circle

When looking to acquire new subscribers the Quris survey ranked the most effective strategies for getting you into a user's 'Inner Circle'. Their findings were as follows:

41% - Sweepstakes or a chance to win. (It was noted that while this method gained subscribers readily, the subscribers did not often make purchases from the list's promotions.)

40% - Already a customer, so favorably disposed. (This statistic emphasizes the importance of making sure you have a customer in-house list. Individuals who have purchased from you are highly likely to read your email and buy from you again.)

38% - Email address required to access valued content. (Here's a good reason to offer your subscribers a free ebook or report to thank him/her for subscribing.)

37% - Find site randomly (eg search engine). (A great example of why your site has to have good content and be in the search engines!)

24% - Something a friend recommends. (You do have a tell a friend script in place on your web site, don't you!)

Staying in the 'Inner Circle'

Once you've made it past the filters (both email and personal) into the coveted 'Inner Circle' now you have to stay there. The key is to send people what they want.

Quris' study found a certain type of email in particular is popular - service emails. Thus an email confirming a transaction or delivering information about an account are the most likely to be read.

Now before moving on, think for a minute on ways you can use this knowledge. Service emails offer a great marketing opportunity. Do you send any out? Could you send some? And when you send off customer receipts or account updates, why not include an offer for another product / service in the email.

After service emails, individuals noted personalized emails with relevant, interesting content as the next most likely to be read. What's more, good content was cited as the most motivating factor for creating loyal readers and buyers. This survey results emphasize, what we have highlighted in previous issues of DEMC, the critical importance of good, targeted content.

Loosing 'Inner Circle' Status

Once you have made your way into the 'Inner Circle', be sure to avoid these 4 mistakes or you'll be kicked out!

1) Excessive frequency. The number one reason survey respondents selected as causing them to unsubscribe from a list was too much email.

2) Unscheduled Announcements. Subscribers said they prefer a predictable mailing schedule and unexpected promotional mailings were strongly disliked. (This piece of news should make many of us re-evaluate the sending of solo ad promotions to our lists - is it worth losing the subscribers?)

3) Boring or valueless content. Again, the importance of good content can not be overstated. Invest the time and effort to deliver the best content you can or you're likely to loose your readers.

4) Sharing or selling addresses. Subscribers who suspect you've given out their information without permission are quick to turn against you. Be up front about your practices and do not break your policies.

Is Reaching the 'Inner Circle' Worth It?

Yes! According to Quris report, being in a subscriber's 'Inner Circle' pays great dividends. Subscribers of permission lists said they would rather buy from the business they know who does a good job emailing them, than from a competitor. And a large number of them said they had in fact made purchases as a direct result of an email they'd received from one of these businesses.

Once again evidence that email marketing works!

So don't get discouraged by the competitive marketplace. Use this knowledge to your advantage and email your subscribers as they want to be emailed. Deliver the information they desire, in the manner they desire and you will make it to the 'Inner Circle'.

Good Luck!

Abbie Drew
DEMC Editor
mail@demc2.com

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2.

Email Marketing Insights:

"The Trend is to Blend"
By: Charlie Page

Now that summer is over more and more people want to begin their own Internet business. Of course, there is no shortage of marketers eager to 'help' them get started. In many cases, these marketers are offering true advice, telling their readers what has really worked for them.

Sadly, there are many situations where the person giving the advice hasn't really made any money online, yet is perfectly prepared to tell you how to find your fortune online in only 30 days or less!

The question becomes 'what works in the real world?'

Here's something I recommend to my Directory of Ezines customers who are starting out. It's the surest way I know to create results NOW, and it's what I would tell my daughter to do if she wanted to begin a business today.

If you get nothing else from this article, at least you'll have seen something real because this works almost every time.

1. Become a ClickBank affiliate. It's free. 2. Find a hot selling product on the ClickBank marketplace. 3. Use a free tool like Good Keywords (or your brain) and create a list of keywords that describe the product. Good Keywords is free at http://www.goodkeywords.com 4. Create a Google AdWords campaign for a low cost keyword using your affiliate link. 5. Watch as you make some sales. 6. Repeat with other keywords and Overture too.

The total time to do this once is (realistically) about 4 hours. Doing the second and subsequent keywords is about 10 minutes. The money cost is about $75. Most people can afford to do this.

This is a much better use of your $75 than some eBook or even a membership to the Directory of Ezines if you just have to make some money right now.

While Google Ad Words is certainly the 'flavor of the month', I'm seeing that a BLEND of old and new techniques works best. Here's what I mean.

Great marketing consists of a solid marketing foundation blended with today's most innovative techniques. I'll follow this with a quick example of 'blended marketing'.

1. Build your solid foundation with these tools.

Email marketing / ezine advertising / GREAT customer service / posting on forums / asking for referrals / publishing your own ezine / creating a 'viral' eBook or report as a giveaway / search engine positioning / having a powerful follow-up system using autoresponders

2. Now for the new stuff. This is what's working now and some of your competitors aren't there yet. Moving fast works well here.

Google Ad Words / Buying co-registration names for a penny each (if sign-up proof exists) / joint venturing on a blog with others to create a super-blog / using auctions to sell non-auction goods like monthly subscriptions / using lead generation pages instead of sales letters / using multiple landing pages based on each main benefit of your product / running a regular contest to give away your best product / surveying other people's lists to sell your product / Using Pay Per Click to test eBook or website names

Now, a brief example of blended marketing.

Let's say you've written an eBook and need a killer title, want to establish a mailing list fast, and generate some pre- sales activity. You could go about it using any one method, but blending several old and new methods can increase results.

For example, you could buy a Google Ad Words campaign and ezine advertising using a mix of headlines that contained the proposed titles of the book. Send the clicks you get to a page that simply offers visitors a chance to get a free copy of the book if they help you choose the best title. Give them three titles to choose from, have them leave their name and email address, clearly agreeing to receive follow-up emails. They WILL leave a real address because they want the book if they win.

Now you are using Google Ad Words, ezines and autoresponders blended with contests, lead generation pages, and building a mailing list too. Using multiple tools can lead to much better results than only using one tool at a time.

It is important to use new techniques, and perfectly reasonable to get very excited about their potential. Yet, it is vital to add these layers on top of a solid foundation. Do this and your business will not only thrive now, but will also stand the test of time.

###
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3.

Feature Article:

* Exclusive *

"Chief Mom"
By: Yvonne DiVita

I have one powerful word to share with you, a word that will get your e-mail marketing messages talked about all over the Internet. That word is: Mom.

During the last eight months I have been writing a book on marketing. At a family gathering recently, everyone wanted to know how the book was coming. When I mentioned that it was nearly done all of my siblings asked if they could work for me. One sister wants to be the CFO, she has a monetary background. One sister wants to be the CPS, Chief Personal Assistant. The other wants to put my book on the coffee table in her bed and breakfast.

My mother just sat there smiling. "All I want to be," she said, "is the Chief Mom."

The Hand the Rocks the Cradle

It's been said that "the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world." How true! Moms are all powerful. Even my sisters, who had specific parts they want to play in my company's success, are Moms. My nieces are Moms. My neighbors are Moms. There is a veritable ocean of Moms out there, all waiting to buy something from you!

Moms are old hat at shopping in general. All those years of supplying the families household goods, gifts for special occasions, clothing-especially back to school-Christmas gifts, Thanksgiving and Easter trimmings, Mom have this shopping thing down pat. Today they are flocking to the Internet to get it done; with more choices, free shipping, and the convenience of not having to fight the crowds at the mall, Moms are very big online shoppers.

It might interest you to know it was a mom who invented the word "surfing;" The idea of surfing online was coined by a woman, Jean Armour Polly, who was a librarian, writer, and a mom. Polly wrote the first "Surfing the Internet" book in 1992.

You will find a lot of Moms in women's online communities. These Web sites are composed of hundreds of individuals with a collective mind. Think of it as thousands of women meeting at a virtual well. They stop at that well almost every day and they are always looking for new "stuff" to buy.

With the Christmas season looming, you should be preparing an ad campaign to specifically address Moms. Last year, 63% of the shopping done online during the holiday season was done by women, many of whom I have to believe are Moms. With the latest reports out of emarketer and Cyberatlas, two online research companies that study who does what online, showing that this holiday season will be even better than last year's season you should be considering this huge demographic very seriously. For this shopping season, online sales are expected to show an increase in clothing, toys, CDs, and gift items.

Color Blind

And interesting thing about marketing to Moms is that you can concentrate on promoting your products and services almost with worry about the Mom who's receiving your message. Moms everywhere want the best for their families. Moms shop for their kids, for their husbands, and often do the shopping for their parents, if their parents are elderly and don't get out much.

By advertising through online communities, you get by the touchy issue of spam and filters. E-mail campaigns and ads in these community newsletters or on specific Web sites are sure to reach the right folks because the communities know how to handle their e-mail or ad campaigns to keep everyone happy. This allows you the time you need to concentrate on crafting your message.

Holiday Shopping

Look at the statistics below and you will begin to feel the power of Moms. Just imagine how many of these women are moms.

Online purchases of kitchen products, small appliances and large appliances, all of which are popular with women and older consumers," is expected "to show strong growth over the next five years." http://www.e-commercetimes.com

American Road and Travel provides a list of demographic highlights in a "Female Buyer Study" on its Web site, http://roadandtravel.com showing that:

* Women spend $300 billion annually on used car sales, maintenance, repairs and service.
* Female buyers are the fastest growing segment of new and used car buyers today.
* More than 53% of all women use the Internet to research product information and resources online compared to only one-third of female buyers reading a print automotive magazine.

Women's Online Communities

I advise you to include women's communities in your e- mail marketing campaign. There are hundreds of them. They offer advertising at a reasonable rate on their Web sites and in their newsletters. To find one that suits your product or service, type "Womens Communities Online" into your favorite search engine. Consider your options- look for the exact women's community whose members will be eager to buy your products and services.

Here are a few I like, just to get you started:

http://www.womans-net.com: A gathering place for work at h*me Moms. Their motto is: "It's not only WHAT you know that makes you successful, it's WHO you know." Get to know them.

http://www.womensforum.com: "Whether you're a busy mom, career-blazer, or superwoman trying to do it all, you're in the right place. Our motto is come as you are and throw perfection out the window! So join the fun, find a community that suits you, and make womensforum.com your own."

http://www.emptynestmoms.com : A great place to meet and court women over the 40-50 age range. These are women with a good deal of discretionary income and they are spending it online, on their kids, on their grandkids, and on themselves!

It's beginning to look a lot like - a woman's world on the net. See you there!

###
Yvonne DiVita is the owner of Windsor Enterprises, Providing web content writing, editing and marketing. She is an avid Internet guru specializing in cutting edge technology, website development and promotion, and Internet marketing. Contact her at, mailto:divita@windsorenterprises.com

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~/~ SOHO Help Desk ~\~
http://www.demc.com

"3 Free List Building Tips"

Today's SOHO Help Desk is from a guest contributor to DEMC E-Magazine. Gary Baker is a h*me business veteran and the publisher of "The H*me Workers' E-Gazette". He has written up a short article on how to properly build an in-house subscriber list and do it on a zero budget. If you've been trying to grow your in-house list, you don't want to miss Gary's tips!

If you have a valuable tip, promotional idea, question or answer you would like included in an upcoming issue of DEMC, all you have to do is submit it by email to - mailto:helpdesk@demc2.com

=== 3 Free List Building Tips ===

From: Gary Baker

3 Free Super Powerful Techniques For Building Your Own In-House List!

Hello to all of you loyal DEMC readers.

For those of you who have been with this newsletter for any length of time have learned that the number one way to earn any kind of income on the 'Net is to start, run and maintain your own in-house list.

No matter what type of product or service you might be offering, you will never harness the true profit potential of email marketing without your own highly targeted in-house list.

So with this article you will discover 3 ways to build your list and not spend one penny out of your pocket, which is always a nice thing :-)

So lets get right to it...

#1 - Write an "endorsement" article.

Yes you have all heard about the list building power of writing and submitting articles, but lets take it one step further.

Get together with 3 or 4 other ezine publishers.

To find potential publishing partners you can simply use the Free ezine search engine over at...

http://www.ezinelocator.com

Compile a list of publishers who have ezines that are compatible with your subject matter.

Try and target ezines who have the same number of subscribers as you.

If you are just starting out, then contact publishers who have at least 500 subscribers.

Then you send them out a short email that outlines why you are contacting them and how this "endorsement" will benefit them.

Have the publishers send you 4-6 line description of their ezines.

Once you have found 3 or 4 publishers who are willing to work with you, write up a really good article on your particular subject.

Fill it full of good content. Toward the end of the article let your readers know they can find even more "insider" information by subscribing to the other publishers list.

You "endorse" the other ezines by saying something like: "These are the best of the best" in their field and you should get to know them.

List the publishers at the end of the article.

Once the article is finished, each of the participating publishers run the article to their list and BAM new, fresh subscribers.

#2 - Run a Joint Venture "endorsement" Solo Ad.

With this awesome technique, you again get with 3 or 4 publishers by using the same techniques as described above.

Have each publisher send you a 5-8 line description of their ezines.

Instead of running an article, you build a simple one page mini-site that explains all the cool "insider" benefits that all 3 or 4 of you are going to offer for Free.

You then place each of the descriptions into your mini site.

Write up a strong Solo Ad and have each one of the participating publishers run it to their list.

Again...BAM more fresh and Free subscribers.

Here is a copy of a Solo Ad that I'm currently using to pull in hundreds of Free subscribers.

Just click on the link to look at the site...

============================
Start Of Endorsement Solo Ad
============================

Hi [[firstname]]

The Best Kept Home Business Success Secrets Now Revealed For FREE.

==>Are you struggling with your Home Business?

==>Do you need fresh cutting edge marketing know how?

==>Have you NOT started your Home Business due to the amount of spam, scammers, and thieves?

Stop worrying!

http://www.jempublishing.com/secrets.htm

For the first time ever, 3 successful Home Business owners are "spilling the beans" on exactly how to stay and become a Home Business success.

No matter what your current situation, you can now have access to some of the best "how-to" Home Business info you will find anywhere.

And the best part about it is...

IT'S FREE.

Yep, you are going to get tons of quality, up-to-date business information that is legitimate and proven to work for FREE...Guaranteed

Just visit: http://www.jempublishing.com/secrets.htm

Wishing You The Best Of Success,
Gary Baker
mailto:questions@jempublishing.com
http://www.jempublishing.com/hweg.htm

============================
End Of Endorsement Solo Ad
============================

#3 - Run a "Free Ad Contest".

This is a fun a quick way to build your list. As above you get 3 or 4 publishers together and each donate a very nice prime Solo Ad Spot.

You then write up a short letter that describes the contest and how each potential person has a chance to win Solo Ads worth the total of all 3 or 4 ads.

You have each of the publishers give you a 4-6 line description of their ezines and add them to your letter.

Simply have each of the publishers run the letter to their ezine list.

The letter leads them to the subscribe pages for each of your publishers.

Once a month, you have a "drawing" where 1 lucky sub will win a Solo Ad for each newsletter.

This technique works like clockwork so use it sparingly.

Well there you have it.

No fluff and 3 great ways to build an in-house list and do it for Free.

So get working on these powerful techniques and watch your in-house list explode.

Until next time...

NEVER STOP BELIEVING!

Wishing You The Very Best Of Success,

Gary Baker

Subscribe to Garys Free weekly newsletter titled: "The Home Workers' E-Gazette" and get his "no fluff and bull" tips on how to become and stay a real home business success with help from a person who has done it for over 10 years!" Visit www.jempublishing.com/hweg.htm or send a email to: mailto:subscribehweg@freeautobot.com

======================

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