How can I advertise to a specific clientele using email?

I would like to send emails to specific people in public schools whom I believe would like to use my seminar. My question is, how do I do that? And, perhaps a second question, how would I gather the names of these people. For example, I would like to market my seminar to those people who specifically deal with special needs children. How do I gather the names of the people who work with these children, and, how do I send them an email with my seminar and sign-up information in it?

How can I advertise to a specific clientele using email?
I assume you are in the USA? I am a teacher in Australia and have tried this here: Several methods worked for me, mabe they will for your too.





1 Through Official Channels


Introduce yourself to the education authority in the areas you want to do business. Pester their public relations officer for an interview and come equiipped with references to: Substatiate your good character (police clearances etc to prove you are not a criminal.) and references to confirm the value of your product/service to the teachers AND the students (target both here).


Remember all you are after is the authorities approval - you won't get it but conversely, their failure to stop you approaching teachers, amounts to an endorsement by default. What you are after is being able to approach Principals and say honestly that the Authorities are aware of your actions. (Kind of a default reference)


If you are extremely lucky, and sufficiently impress the Education Authority's representative, they can supply you with a list of facilities that fit your market, so be specific what type of schools etc. you want access to.If they don't - don't panic - read on . . .





2. Professional Development


This is a totally different marketing strategy - you want access to teachers proffessional development meetings. This will come through the Principal personally and you will address a staff meeting. To win this one you need to use the "Snowball Effect" - you win one Principal over, then after you have addressed that meeting you use that as a reference for approaching the next principal. Now your credibility has increased 100% - repeat the whole process again. After each seminar/meeting, ask the Principal if he would "have any objections if you used him as a reference". The wording there is vital - you want a "Yes" from someone who cant get through the workload they have now - so you don't want them to feel they have to do anything extra, that you'll do the work and all they have to do is say yes.


After a dozen or so successes, the professional grapevine will market your seminars if they truely are value for money.





Here teachers have a Gazette that is used to advertise vacancies. This tells you the school, address, Principals name and phone number - for you it could be a goldmine if you can get one (hint - even an old one that the staff at a school doesn't value any more :-)
Reply:There are several ways you can approach this task. You could aquire a mailing list from certain organizations and bulk email them although this is very ineffective and there are many legal issues to take into consideration.





I would look into offering some information online with good keyword placement OR possibly set up a local demonstration for your target market. Getting involved is always the best way.
Reply:Let me assume that you don't have the email directories of public schools either because they don't exist at all or you are not willing to spend money on buying these lists from other sources.





You can start your own Blog and publish some of the main features of your seminar and at the same time publish your email address. This can take time.





You can all use what is call buzz marketing, word-of-mouth marketing or viral marketing.





Review the list of your acquaintances that work at any public school and give them the information of your seminar. Simultaneously ask them to give you the names of teachers in that same school that would be interested in the seminar. You repeat the same process with the names you get.





If your seminar give people any perceived benefit the group of people your are directing your seminar to, will talk about it to others. This is word of mouth. And believe me this might take time, but is the best way of getting into the niche.