A growing number of companies are using email marketing to improve their sales and it's not just big businesses that can reap the rewards. The Marketing Helpdesk, a company providing advice to small businesses, believes that even the smallest of companies should consider using it as a marketing tool.

With email being so accessible and easy to use, it is fast becoming the preferred communication method for many consumers. Leon Edwards, who runs The Marketing Helpdesk in the local area, said: "Using the most appropriate means to contact your potential customers is vitally important to any business. Email marketing could make a real difference to your sales for as little as a few hundred pounds a year."

However, getting it wrong could mean alienating your customers and breaking the law. With that in mind, here are Leon's tips to getting started in email marketing.

Set your goals: Start by working out who you are targeting and why you are doing it - is it to get new business or to keep customers loyal? Include some measures for success and review progress after each issue.

Qualify you email list: It's better to have a smaller and more accurate subscriber list than hundreds of email addresses that reach nobody. It's good practice (and often a legal requirement) to get the recipient's permission before you add them to the list.

Know your audience: Thoroughly plan the content of each email to make sure it's interesting and relevant to your audience. A good idea is to test the format with your current clients - use them to find out what works best before you start sending it to prospects.

Grab their attention: People will scan an email in a matter of seconds so you need to catch their eye. One common way to do this is to use an interesting headline and the first few lines of an article - they can then visit your website to read the rest of story.

If you would like to know more about email marketing or how The Marketing Helpdesk could help your business contact Leon by calling 0870 220 2490, visiting www.themarketinghelpdesk.co.uk or emailing b4b@themarketinghelpdesk.co.uk.