Fish from the right pond

Probably a million analogies between fishing and email marketing have been written; but, when the analogy is true on so many levels, it is worth examining again.

Entrepreneurs breaking into email marketing often get impatient and try to fish in the ocean with a rod and reel. The first step to successful fishing is, of course, finding and identifying the right spot.

Big ocean: Tons of fish
Many new email marketers look out over the ocean of people and see nothing but opportunity. They see the results of established fisheries and think to themselves that if they just had access to those people, they could be brought to shore. They forget that established fisheries have spent years learning the migration routes of the schools of fish they want to harvest. Simply dropping a net or line out in the ocean does not guarantee a successful catch.

Many new email marketers think that if they buy a big list and send email messages, it will result in huge sales and instant success. That is what large list brokers would have you believe. The truth is, you will only be hurting your marketing efforts, sometimes even beyond repair, if you purchase a large list. Chances are the list you purchase, especially if it seems like a bargain, is probably out of date, the leads are stale, the addresses bad or obtained illegitimately.

The ocean is teeming with fish, some species of which you have never even heard about and wouldn't know how to attract to your line. If a fish happens to choose your bait over the millions of other fisherman plying their trade, there is a good chance it is not the fish you are after.

Smaller pond: Plenty of fish
The expense of traveling to the ocean, buying a trawler, mending your nets, hiring a captain and crew, and spending weeks at sea will result in an enormous drain on capital. Fish can be had closer to home with a rod, a reel, and some patience. Smaller ponds stocked with fish can provide meals for any number of fishermen who are willing to fish there.

The smaller fishing hole is a much more intimate experience. You can cast your line, using specific bait, to attract the largest fish. These fishing holes are often less crowded so you don't have to compete with a thousand other fisherman. If you are looking for results quickly without expending a lot of capital, grab your pole and head to the local fishing hole.

In email marketing, the small pond may not necessarily be a market that is physically closer to you, but would be the customer pool where you are most likely to find quality customers – your marketing niche. Using highly segmented lists with attractive offers is how you will land the most valuable customers. You can take advantage of your niche market with a less expensive in-house email marketing product like Email Marketing Director or Campaign Enterprise. The results may surprise you. -- Arial Software

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