There is little argument against the balance between the product and price being the most important part of any email marketing campaign. Get that wrong and everything falls apart. Get it right and all you have to do is count the cash. The email marketing software returns from previous campaigns should be your guide.

In the New Year struggle for sales, you will need to exploit every bit of potential from your email marketing lists and just opting for the best return on investment is not enough. It is highly competitive out there and you need every last edge you can get. This means that your campaigns must have more than one purpose.

It has been said many times, especially on these pages, that your email marketing lists are your biggest asset. There, I’ve said it again. You need to both populate your lists and retain those who are already on it and part of your tactics to do so is to exploit every interface between you and your customers.

In the planning stage of your campaign you need to consider ways to encourage your subscribers to remain on your email lists. Include free gifts or a little more reduction for regular customers, although ensure they know it.

Also consider ways to gain leads to potential customers or subscribers, a little something they can send to friends and colleagues perhaps.

You do not have to go for the ultimate prize, subscribers to your email marketing lists, immediately. A visit to your website is a good start. Once there, you can point out the offers available to them if only they would tick that little box.

You might be concerned that the marketing email will become too cluttered if you try to include all these initiatives. You could well be right. The trick is to integrate all your resources to support the email marketing campaign. If you have counters, then include flyers, posters and a motivated workforce, all pointing people to your website.

The most important aspect though is experimentation. Email marketing software works at its most effective when you try something new in a controlled environment. Believe the returns.