It should not be a surprise that collecting email addresses and actually using them is very important in today’s marketplace. There are many ways to collect email addresses. If you are a business just starting to explore the idea of email marketing here are some ways you can quickly start collecting email addresses.

1. Ask: If you own a local business that generates any type of foot traffic when a person makes a purchase just ask for it. You can be nice and polite as them if they would like to give up their email address in order to receive specials in the future and be notified when any new products hit the store. If they don’t want to give it to you they will let you know. Many will not mind.

2. Email Form on Website: if you have a website you should have a clear location where someone can submit their information in order to be put on an email newsletter list. Some visitors will not hesitate to give you their email address. It should be conveniently placed on each page of your site so that they can submit their information easily.

3. Ask over Phone: If you own a service based business that requires spending a great deal of time on the phone speaking with prospects and clients ask each and every single person you communicate with for their permission to be placed on your company newsletter. Most will be more than happy to get more information from you, especially if they called you looking for information.

We speak with many potential clients that say they have something they want to announce but are not sure how to. Email marketing newsletters are a great way to let people know about something that is happening at your business. Many businesses collect email addresses at time of purchase and never do anything with them. These emails could be a very valuable resource to generate new business and leads for your business.

If you have been collecting emails and have something new for your business you would like to announce launching a strategic email marketing campaign is a great way to get in front of your audience very quickly. Email newsletters can carry your store or businesses branding message right through your email marketing campaign. If you have a new product or service being introduced to your business launching an email campaign is a quick an easy way to let people know. Most email distribution companies allow for very low cost if you have under 500 emails in your initial list. if you are a smaller business with maybe less than a hundred some even let you set up a free account until you surpass the the 100 email mark.

Email marketing is one component of getting your announcement and word out in front of people. You have to remember that spreading your message online takes many different components working together at the same time. Online PR is another great way to spread the message but all efforts maximize their potential if working together.

There are no straight forward answers to anything when it comes to email marketing. Everyone responds differently across all verticals. Sending an email to a lawyer will be different then sending one to a webmaster.The best marketeers and the most successful online business know how to put themselves in the shoes of their email recipients and also their audience.

Putting yourself in the shoes of your email recipients will be vital. Don’t assume anything. Assumptions don’t always lead to anything. You have to follow your analytics information and see whats working. Most people have very busy and long Mondays and if you know your audience might be a bit busier than other industries than sending out an email marketing campaign or newsletter on that day might not be a wise choice. Statistics show that most emails are opening during the day roughly during work time hours. If you are sending B2B newsletters this will be your ideal time. Often times people like to clean out their emails in the morning so getting them in their earlier might make sense. B2C is a bit different because people will make purchases at home at all hours of the night. Take into consideration the demographic your are marketing to if you selling directly to the public. If it is a younger crowd they might read your email late at night. If it is an older person that email screen might not stay open past a certain time in the evening. if you are targeting moms than it might not get a look for a few days so be conscience of what you are sending. If it is a 2 day coupon to a busy demographic there is a good chance it might get opened after the expiration date.

Don’t forget to test and try different days and times and always schedule out your email marketing campaigns for the most effectiveness. Try changing everything from frequency to subject lines every few months and make an analysis of what you find.