Email Marketing solutions

How Much Is Your Free Email Account Worth?

Most people do not think about what I call on line assets. Many folks have assets on line, items that are worth cold hard cash, but never think about it. While most free email accounts will not let you sell your address outright, your email address can be one of the most valuable assets you have on the Internet other than maybe your domain name and website content.

Most people do not think of optimizing their email address, even when doing on line marketing, and I think that it is a big mistake.

Did you know that most people will delete an email based on one of two things, the header, and the address itself. If you have an email address like yru3394@yahoo.com, what likely hood do you think that others will think that your email message is important to them? Probably very low. And from my personal experience, if you use your business name in your email address, unless you already have a relationship built up with that prospect, your email address only makes it simpler for them to throw your message in the trash. If you have a relationship with the prospect, the exact opposite however can be true, it then allows them to pick out your messages easily for reading.

But how do you get this relationship started to begin with? In such an impersonal environment as the Internet, your own name is not only unique, but it is an excellent relationship builder. Using your own name, even with a free email ISP, lends credibility to your message even before it is opened.

I am opposed to the use of spam, and in fact I feel that it is a horrible waste of time and money for the marketer in most instances, but I do know, that when I am perusing my spam box for mail that was filtered on accident, the spam that uses a personal name in the address actually catches my attention even if I do not recognize it. I do not usually read the spam, but I do notice that my attention is attracted, even when I know it is spam. So what do you think the effect is in a persons in box?

A lot of people focus on the ISP that they use, saying that to have your own domain is best, and to use a free email spells out "amateur", but I do not think that this is necessarily true. On line relationships are built on trust, and even though a local ISP email domain name or your own website domain may give a little credibility, personalization is a much greater relationship builder then the use of someone elses' company name to hide behind. Most people are smart enough to realize that the only difference from a local ISP and a free one is in fact a few dollars, and buying trust is never a real benefit in the long run, and we are all familiar with the "ISP jumper". Long gone are the days of ISP credibility.

But if you use your name, it will make your prospect want to know who you are, and once they know who you are, they will look for YOU in their in box every day.

So go ahead and save a few bucks with the use of a free email account. They are convenient, save disk space, are mobile, and do not cost a thing, and in fact are actually more recognizable in today's age then your local ISP.

They key to the value of any asset online is the ability to create a personal relationship. So what is your free email account worth?