Press Release

The U.S. Small Business Administration and Topica Inc., have announced a series of free, live online “webinars” about e-mail marketing strategies, entitled “E-mail Marketing for Small Business.” The first of the 60-minute webinars will be held September 3, at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). It is intended for small to medium-sized businesses such as retailers and professionals, as well as e-commerce Web sites of all types.

“Both the SBA and Topica have a long history of experience in working with small businesses to maximize their investment in e-mail marketing,” said SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto.

“We will focus on how small businesses can take advantage of the inexpensive and rapid tool of e-mail marketing without fear of alienating their customers and suppliers.”

“Every retailer should be using e-mail to increase its sales, and we will be presenting what we’ve learned are the most effective strategies,” said Anna Zornosa, President and CEO of Topica, who will host the webinar. “One lesson we’ve learned is the necessity to make it quick and easy for
readers to buy.”

The webinar will feature—

• a checklist of best practices for responsible e-mail marketing, including ways to obtain the recipient’s permission, unsubscribe links and posted privacy policies;
• tips for successful e-mail selling covering areas like effective offers, how to build a list, e-mail design, the power of confirmed opt-in, frequency, and personalization;
• resources to get started, including a carefully selected catalog of resources that can help marketers increase the effectiveness of their e-mail campaigns; and
• stories from the e-mail/e-retail front, including examples of how various companies have used e-mail to boost sales, recruit paying attendees and generate demand.

Also covered will be overall principles in making e-mail work for e-commerce. There will be a question and answer session following the webinar presentation.

Small business owners can participate in this free, 60-minute session from their own computer and telephone. Interested participants can sign-up at https://topicaevents.webex.com by clicking the “Enroll” button next to the September 3 event titled “E-mail Marketing for Small Business.”

Missed the September 3 event? Check out future Webinars by the SBA and Topica here.