The Truth About EMail Marketing by Simms Jenkins

I found The Truth About Email Marketing while browsing through the business section at Borders bookstore. I pulled it off the shelf to take a closer look because, quite simply, the book was sticking out a little bit, and the teal cover caught my eye. Upon scanning through the table of contents and reading Truth #1, the author, Simms Jenkins, immediately grabbed my attention in the introductory paragraph when he described how people typically rolled their eyes and made “spam” comments as soon as he told them his job involved email marketing. I would certainly have rolled my eyes about spam as well! After reading the introductory paragraph standing in the aisle at the bookstore, I decided I would give Mr. Jenkins the chance to change my mind, and I hoped to gain an understanding of his perspective upon finishing his book.

The Truth About Email Marketing is organized into what the author calls the 49 Truths of e-mail marketing. These truths are divided and grouped into 11 sections, with titles such as “The Truth About Why Email Works” and “The Truth About Measuring Email Performance.” Every “Truth” is only 2-3 pages, and this format lends itself to the reader; each “Truth” flows logically into the next, and this makes the book both a fast and an easy read.

Throughout the 200 pages, Mr. Jenkins very effectively describes: why e-mail marketing is a valuable tool; how e-mail marketing provides the highest return on investment (ROI) of all marketing strategies; how to create and grow your contact list; best practices; the truth about privacy and the CAN-SPAM act; and where e-mail marketing is headed in the future.

I would certainly recommend this book to marketing students; they could gain perspective on a new technique they may have not otherwise considered, and they can then bring that perspective to whatever new company they continue on to work for. I also recommend this book to ANYONE currently employed in a marketing position; Mr. Jenkins’ ideas are concrete, proven effective, and most importantly, they have measurable objectives. This book ‘makes the case’ for anyone on the fence about whether or not to fit an e-mail marketing campaign into their budget or to increase an existing e-mail marketing budget.

The Complete Guide to E-Mail Marketing by Bruce C. Brown

The Complete Guide to E-Mail Marketing by Bruce C. Brown is a practical “how to” book for small business professionals seeking to use e-mail marketing to reach their audience and boost their sales.

This book begins with a general history of the development of the internet and e-mail marketing. Brown then focuses on e-mail marketing and provides ideas for using it in combination with other marketing strategies such as direct mail and web advertising.

When properly executed, e-mail marketing is not spam. A summary of the Can Spam Act arms readers with confidence in implementing spam-compliant marketing campaigns. An important part of spam-compliance is ethical list-building that uses single or double opt-in as well as a clear offer to opt-out.

Brown provides tips for creating and growing your e-mail list. Proper targeting and segmenting of your list will help prevent people from unsubscribing. When customers opt-in to an e-mail list, give them what they expect if you want to keep them from unsubscribing.

Once your target market is identified, you must craft an effective e-mail. Brown provides tips on how to write an e-mail that will not be overlooked by subscribers and will boost click-through rates and result in increased sales. Special attention is paid to the subject line, as well as when e-mails should be sent, how often, and at what time of day.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an important aspect to a successful e-mail campaign. Readers learn how to use their e-mail campaigns to boost SEO.

Extensive case studies and tips and advice from e-marketing industry experts provide readers with practical applications. The topics addressed in the case studies are varied enough that readers are sure to find at least one example that is directly applicable to a problem they face in their company.

Brown does an excellent job of summarizing information and providing the right balance of general and technical information. He gives readers enough information to understand what they do not know and he points them in the right direction to learn more. Readers should be aware that this book focuses heavily on small businesses with a B2C rather than B2B strategy. It also does not emphasize how to assess the effectiveness of an e-mail marketing campaign through use of web analytics.

Brown is a U.S. Coast Guard officer, small business owner, e-marketing consultant, web designer, and author of 7 books on various e-commerce topics. You can learn more about his books at his blog: http://ggwdblog.blogspot.com/.

If you are a novice in the field of e-mail marketing and you are looking for a reference book that will give you a step-by-step guide for implementing an e-mail campaign, then this is a book for you.