What’s not to love about email? It’s easy. It’s inexpensive. And it’s personal. Plus, people like it. (Did you know that 77% of customers* would rather get marketing materials through email than any other way?)
There’s another benefit of email, one that’s critical to the success of your business. Email marketing, when done properly, is one of the best methods for bringing in customers – and turning them into your devoted fans.
Here’s how to do it.
- Roll Out the Welcome Mat – When someone makes a purchase or signs up for your newsletter, a warm welcome starts the relationship off right. Be friendly and inviting, and let them know you appreciate their interaction with you.
- Stay in Touch – Are you using email just to sell? Stop. Connect with the people on your list by providing value. Send a “getting started” checklist. Invite them to an online class or webinar. Share something funny or uplifting. Send out a promo code or run a fun contest. Deliver value in your messages; you want it to be worthwhile for them to read it. And always be subtle in your selling.
- Make Them Part of the Club – Email is great for catering to your existing customers. Sending them one-of-a-kind promotions and discounts makes them feel like they’re part of a special club. Be sure that the email software you use allows for the segmentation of offers based on whether they’re prospects or clients, or based on which products they’ve purchased. Add any extra details you may have – like birthdays, names of loved ones or types of businesses – to customize your messages and stand out from the competition.
- Spread the Knowledge – A simple method for ensuring your messages get opened and read? Give away your best secrets. Divulge your top tips and tricks. Share the inside scoop on how you accomplish things. When you do this, your customers and prospects will be excited to see communication from you in their inboxes. You’ll build a bank of goodwill, and you’ll get your branding in front of more eyes at the same time.
- Keep Them Happy – It might not seem like email is a good choice for customer service. Will the message will get lost in the ether, never to receive a response? That’s an easy problem to fix. Rule Number One: Be responsive and timely. Let people know you’ve gotten their message and that you’re working on the issue and keep them updated, even if you don’t yet have a resolution. And ditch the canned, formal responses. Be candid and real, letting your company’s personality shine through. Show the human side of your business. And, of course, take care of their concerns as quickly and thoroughly as possible.
When you’re strategic with your email marketing, instead of turning people off, you’ll have customers and prospects alike clamoring for what you offer – now and in the future.
* Thanks to Marketing Land and Marketo for statistics used in this blog.
Elisabeth Daniels is a veteran social media marketer and strategist, whose experience crosses both the public and private sectors. She now serves as Social5’s online marketing guru.
