Targeted email marketing is an important advertising and lead generation tool, since it involves the controlled dispersal of information to recipients who have already expressed an interest in the product, service, or industry connected with the email. When a person subscribes to an email list, whether via a website, email newsletter, or by other means, it is a clear sign that the person is question has an interest in the product, service or industry in question. There are several ways to make sure that a marketing email is opened and read, and hopefully acted upon, and this article will discuss a few such ways.

Emails should be timely. It is important to make sure that the email contains information that the reader cares about, and is also timely. Certain products and services are only marketable at certain times, and it is essential that the emails reach the consumer at the appropriate time. A swimsuit promotion may not work very well during December or January, for example.

Emails should be useful. This is essential, and similar to the old journalism question, why is this newsworthy? Why should the reader care, in other words, about this email? This is where placed calls to action, specials, i.e. Get one month free, etc. An email that contains a lot of information but does not offer the reader anything in return is sure to be passed over by people who receive many, many emails each day.

Emails should be short and to the point. Emails that look lengthy, whether due to the volume of content or improper pagination are often skipped. If it is necessary to include a lot of content, a link to the website in question that readers can click on in order to finish the article that they are reading is a good idea for many reasons. This is a direct call to action, because it sends the consumer directly to the merchant site, increasing the chances of a sale, which is, after all, the ultimate goal.

A targeted email marketing campaign can be difficult and time consuming to manage, which is why many businesses and organizations are turning to companies and software products that manage email marketing campaigns automatically. Email marketing campaigns are powerful marketing tools, and in the right hands, they can make the difference between a slow sales month and a month when leads come pouring in from interested, enthusiastic consumers.