How Small Businesses Can Overcome Spam Fears and Cash in on E-mail Marketing

Top ways small businesses can avoid spam and go straight to e-mail marketing profits.

Once upon a time e-mail marketing was footloose and fancy-free, but with the insistent pressure from spam - and spam filters, small business owners shy away from one of the best tools for their businesses: e-mail.

Bar none e-mail has come to be the killer application with great tracking and follow-up capabilities, everything a small business needs to compete against the big boys. So why are so few businesses cashing in? Spam. They don't want to irritate their already small customer base.

"Even if a company does use e-mail they often send sporadic messages that add up to a very fragmented marketing approach," said Lisa Sparks, author of the new ebook on writing e-mail marketing campaigns called Power Words: Increase Your Sales with a Click. "When the results don't come, companies clam up and abandon this lucrative tool."

No doubt the spam concerns are real. A report by BURST! Media released in June of this year found that an average of 57.2% of Internet users believe spam to be a major nuisance. The threat of spam is undeniable. "But for reputable firms, there are ways to convey honesty and integrity to subscribers and avoid spam complaints," says Sparks. "Overcoming the spam barrier opens a huge door to higher profits and lower overhead: the main goals of any small business owner."

Ms. Sparks also details a major problem among small business owners. They have their clients' e-mail addresses but they've never sent them a newsletter. Now, they want to send something to their customers and they're afraid their company will be labeled as a spammer.

To win more clients over, Sparks offers these solutions:

- Send out a message with your company name in the FROM line. That way, your existing clients will automatically know who you are and what you offer.

- Give clients the option of opting into your list. Place a sign up form on your Website and direct clients to it so that they can sign up for your e-mail newsletter.

- Offer an incentive for joining such as a special report or a discount on your products or services. This will show clients how committed you are to using e-mail as a way to communicate on a regular basis.

For those daunted by the threat of being labeled a spammer, get Lisa Sparks' free report "Top 7 Ways to Eliminate Spam Complaints" by sending an e-mail to this address: lisa12-45286@autocontactor.com