The Double-Play Strategy: A Lesson from Baseball's Finest

The Power of Structured Email Marketing

Email marketing is a powerful tool, but its effectiveness can be compromised if it's not structured properly. Instead of a generic email address, consider using a specific email address or one with a unique identifier, such as bob@adv-marketing.com?subject=BOB1234. This allows you to act promptly on the email.

If you use a mail reader like Eudora, you can automate responses to emails with a specific subject. This strategy can be used for different offers with different subjects. It's also an excellent method for tracking your leads' origins.

Leveraging Your Website for Lead Generation

Another strategy is to direct your contacts to your website, where they can fill out a form. This ensures that you receive the information in a consistent format. For instance, when someone subscribes to our newsletters, we receive the information in the same format from all subscribers.

You might lose a few potential customers who won't visit your website, but these are likely to be "tire kickers". By providing a direct link to the form in your ad, the loss will be minimal, and the benefits will significantly outweigh any potential loss.

The Importance of Immediate Confirmation

Once the information is received in a precise format via email, you can immediately send a confirmation notice. This is your first contact back, and it reassures them that their message has been received.

Various email programs allow you to filter messages based on selected keywords. When an email matching these keywords is received, it's automatically stored in a special mailbox for the next step of the process.

Capturing and Utilizing Information

Once the email is transferred to this mailbox, you can capture the desired information and store it in a file or database for follow-up purposes. This can be done manually or with software, depending on the volume of emails received.

While autoresponders can automatically follow up with multiple emails, they can sometimes have the opposite effect of what you intended. Some people may even block all emails from the domain that sends them.

To follow up personally, you need an email account that supports true "Post Office Protocol" (POP). If your ISP doesn't support this, you can get one for about $5 per month. Combine this with some free software from Eudora, and you're all set.

The Winning Strategy

In the world of online business, follow-up is crucial. This double-play strategy, inspired by the legendary Chicago Cubs infielders, could be the game-changer you need to win the marketing game.