You may remember the article I sent a couple of weeks ago about the benefits of adding e-mail to your marketing strategy.

(If you missed it, you can view the article here: http://www.writewaysolutions.com/blog/496/my-clients-dont-read-e-mails/.)

I mentioned in that piece how, according to a recent study, consumers prefer receiving e-mail at a rate of 3-to-1 over any other communication channel. I also stated that the secret to e-mail success was obtaining permission before you start sending educational materials, offers, updates, etc.

Of course, getting the go-ahead from your prospects and clients isn't always easy. But there are some things you can do to dramatically improve your odds.

Below is a comment subscriber Ken Ostrye sent me after reading my "My clients don't read e-mail" article. Check out his approach that resulted in 15 people signing up for a colleague's e-mail list after just one day.

"A thought to share ...

People are more likely to "opt-in" to your (the client's) email list if they are given a reason ... a what's in it for me ... like you do with your newsletter. However, a newsletter may not always be the right medium for the industry.

A marketing acquaintance sells an array of things, among them bonsai trees, on the internet. He was mentioning that although he had good hits on the site, no one was signing up for his list.

 It's been a week and I'll be checking in with him tonight to see how it's going. But the point is to give them a reason to sign up. I know you know it, but these are the minor points we forget after doing it for a while.

Then, of course, there is the relationship building in order to make them your buyers ..."

Ken's strategy is dead on. You will get more people signing up for your e-mails when you provide an incentive.

Simply focus on delivering value first and people will reward you for your generosity.

NOTE: If you haven't started an e-mail marketing campaign because of minor hurdles such as setting up a form on your website ... collecting e-mail addresses ... maintaining a list ... or using autoresponders, reply back to this e-mail. I'll schedule a time with you at no charge so we can go over your concerns.

Please feel free to share this e-mail with the people in your network.

Sincerely,

Tom Trush

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P.S. Did you know e-mail marketing delivers an average of $45 for every dollar spent? You can find out how this ROI compares with Internet marketing here: http://www.writewaysolutions.com/blog/407/a-forgotten-marketing-strategy-that-delivers-45-for-every-dollar-spent/.