Description
What Is Email Marketing?
We’ve touched a little on the concept of email marketing and how it can be a highly
effective way to build your business. Now let’s dig a little deeper into the concept of
what email marketing is.
Let’s start with some definitions:
Email List: An email list is simply a collection of email addresses. Most marketers will
also collect the person’s first name with the email address so that the email can be
personalized through automation software. ie. Instead of just saying “Hi”, you can say
“Hi, Tom!” in the emails. It’s also possible to collect information such as location or
phone numbers so you can further segment your list and market to them based on
certain criteria.
Opt-In Form/Squeeze Page: An opt-in form or squeeze page is an online form where
visitors to your website or blog fill in their contact information to join your email list.
With services like Aweber, that information is automatically added to your email list
with no action on your part – automation is great!
Subscriber: Someone who has joined your email list, typically by filling out an opt-in
form. They are now part of your “list,” and you can contact them via email with offers,
information, updates, and more.
Email Service Provider (ESP): A company that provides the email software you can
use to send out emails. In this report we’re talking about Aweber, a top-ranked online
ESP.
Autoresponder: A list of email messages that goes out in sequence, automatically. For
autoresponders, it doesn’t matter how many people sign up to your list or when they
sign up. They’ll get message #1 automatically, then message #2 a set time later,
message #3 a set time later again, etc. It’s a great way to automate parts of your
business.
Broadcast: A broadcast email goes out at a specific date and time. It’s different from
an autoresponder as it’s a one-time deal. Everyone on your list receives this broadcast
message at the same time, regardless of when they joined your list. These are often
used for sales notifications, special offers, time-sensitive announcements, and the like.
Like any specialty, email marketing has its own vocabulary. Knowing the basic terms
will help you understand what people are talking about – including in this report!
