I am new to email and need some advise. What is the easiest way to send out a commercial email into the world. I want to attract new customers in the new year, but don't know where to start. I am using Outlook 2003. Will that be enough or do I need new software?

If you want your email to get read and get a response, don't send a sales messages

Send a personal type of email introducing yourself and offer your prospect/customer something of value like a free report.

By emailing consistently and providing good content, you will build a relationship with your list and then be able to offer your products and services.

Thank you, I'll keep that in mind. How can I find new email addresses to send them to? I want people to get to know our business.

Spamming is a sure way to ruin your reputation -- don't do it! Build your own list through old fashioned networking.

You should build your list organically by providing a video, report, or something else of value that you give away in exchange for an e-mail address.

In terms of email services, Outlook works, but I like Aweber a lot better. It's permission-based and allows you to build a strong list based on those who have given you permission to market to them - this is the group of people that are also most likely to purchase from you and tell other people about you (which is the point, is it not?).

Aweber also allows you to create a great an auto-response sequence. If you pack your auto-response sequence full of information that your subscribers want to hear they will READ your emails!

An affordable option you may want to look into is your local area chamber of commerce. A lot of the chambers offer affordable email blasts to all of their members. We just took advantage of this with one of our local area chambers and the response was pretty good.

I would not recommend email marketing. Recent studies show it's really not a viable way of marketing. You want to do ads or ad exchanges on sites, do things to make your website be noticeable.