Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 1 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business Dr. Michael Stachiw Format International, Inc. Jan. 5, 2005

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 2 Goal: To fully utilize for marketing and business opportunities Methods: One to one s One to many s Automated s Contact Information Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 3 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business is one of the most effective methods of communicating and therefore is one of the most important marketing & support tools available. Why is its so important? Easy Every person on the web has access/uses it Low cost Transverses time zones Easily shared between recipients Can be automated Fast Can be adapted and utilized in a variety of situations

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 4 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business In order for to be affective as a marketing tool, you need keep in mind the following: Should have a website Remember the 24 hour “rule” Need to “promote” your address(s) through traditional means (i.e. on invoices, publications, etc) Stay away from spamming

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 5 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business Etiquette: Keep you message short. Don’t use all capital letters Don’t use excessive punctuation Avoid using net shorthand (i.e. emoticons & abbreviations)

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 6 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business Make sure to remember two key items: Don’t write messages that shouldn’t/can’t be forwarded. Good s, be they technical support or marketing messages need to be completely capable of “standing- alone”. Include a signature on every message. A signature file should include the following pieces of information: Your name & company Phone/fax numbers addresses (sales vs. support for example) Website URL

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 7 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 8 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 9 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business Types of s & Processes: “Normal” Automatic (auto responders) Bulk or batch Discussion lists/ lists

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 10 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business One to One s or “normal” s Can be either you sending the original message, or response to an inquiry Time consuming. To expedite, consider: Writing standard responses (in a file) for standard inquires

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 11 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business Auto responders: Software that automatically processes s. Good for automating the sending of brochures for example. Can operate by receiving mail, or via a website “clicked” button Remember that “canned” answers are just that. Should state in your automated response something like “thanks for your inquiry, we will review your request during the next business day and get back to you”. Very effective tool to take advantage of the fact that web never sleeps

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 12 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business Batch or bulk From: Exiting customer lists Requests for information for your website Purchased lists or business partners Usually used for: Announcing a sale to preferred customers Availability of a new product Upgrades to an existing product Informative announcements (new business hours, closed for holidays, etc).

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 13 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business Batch or bulk If it’s a small list, can be done from within ecisting client software (Netscape, Outlooks, etc). Large lists should utilize specialized software To not be classified as spam: Include physical address (postal) Op-out address or website link Don’t be attempting to sell “snake oil” Subject must match content Not scripts or attached file should be used

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 14 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business To not be classified as spam: Don’t use offensive language If asked to remove a name do it immediately Really should be used only for existing customers or opt-in lists

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 15 Getting the Most Out of Electronic Mail for Farm Business Discussion Lists/ Lists: Group discussions, that by definition people “subscribe” to Be careful of commercial ‘piches” in this forum if its not your list Can use existing list, or develop your own (with the right software) and host the discussions

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 16 If you need help or have questions  Please feel free to contact me, and I will provide what ever advice or assistance I can. My contact information is:  Phone:  Fax:

Dr. Michael Stachiw - Format International, Inc. 17 The End