By Joe Reinbold  

For the new guy or gal just starting to market online, it is difficult to keep centered on just marketing. Let's face it, once your email address and/or web site becomes public, you are bombarded with all kinds of offers and other proposals. It can become overwhelming!  It was for me initially and I am sure it is for others.  

So how do we work more economically, simpler and faster? We get ourselves organized. I started with my email marketing and if you are doing any type of marketing online you are using email.  If you aren't, you should be, because it will increase your bottom line - "profits"!  

How many times do you send out the same type email message?  Do you have a standard signature file or files that you use? How many "bounce back" messages do you have available?  If you are offering a product or service, or several, you probably have a standard message you send to someone who inquires.  Maybe you have several variations and maybe you type up a new one every time you get an inquiry. Some messages may be short explanations referring someone to your website, others may be full explanations with ordering instructions.  

The first thing you need to do is track how many different responses you make. Try to put them in categories, those that are very similar with only slight changes etc. When you identify those that you use over and over again, save each in a separate  
file. If you send out three variations of one, save all three. Why keep re-doing it.  

When I started actively marketing by email, I created a specific directory on my computer's hard drive called "atemp" where I file all my individual templates of messages. Why didn't I just call it "templates"? I wanted it up near the top of my directories so I could get to it quicker, without having to scroll all the way down  
to the "t's". I create a template for any message I send out on a repetitive basis. If there are five variations, I save five. Just name them distinctively so you know what they are.  

The first time I make up a marketing message and realize that I will be using it over and over, I save it in my "atemp" file. When I have to use it in an email, I just open the file, copy it and paste it into the email message. Quick and efficient!  

When I want to add a signature file to a message I follow the same process. I have five or six different signature file templates saved in individual files.  

"Bounceback" email messages! That's what I call them. They are simply email messages I send back to someone that sends me a bulk email message. I simply thank them for their offer and indicate I am marketing a number of products/services and usually try to steer them to my website. I will also, in most cases have two or three signature files grouped together at the end of the message. Once they send me an offer, I just refer to their offering and send back mine.  

Be aware that you are going to get some of the messages back as undeliverable since many of the bulk emailers are using "stealth" addresses that are non-existent so that their "spamming" doesn't get their service cutoff. If you look through their messages, sometimes they will have a real address listed to get additional information. I would say I get about 30% of my bounceback messages back. But I figure it's worth a shot,  
you never know who will find your offers interesting and you get a sale or new subscriber.  

The primary purpose of organizing your email marketing efforts is to be able to work more efficiently. Time is money!  Especially if you are working on your own. I never stop looking over different offers, sites and reading newsletters. But I also can't stop my marketing! So if you work more efficiently, maybe you have a little more time to get into those special projects you always put to the side. Be Efficient, take a look at how you do things! 

Joe Reinbold publishes a free weekly online newsletter,  
Home Income Quarterly E-dition. Each issue is full of  
online marketing tips and business classifieds. For your  
free subscription, subscribe@homebizlink.com with  
"subscribe" in the subject. Or visit his Entrepreneur's Home  
Business Link for freebies, monthly contests, bizopps,  
free links and more at www.homebizlink.com