Email can be a very effective marketing tool for large and small businesses alike.
Most consumers have at least one email account, with some people having as many as 10 or more. Many people check their email from more than one source, and more than once per day. So a successful email campaign can catch people anytime, anywhere. This is why it is very important to have an effective email marketing strategy.
Here are some tips on how to market yourself and your business successfully, using email:
- Sell a reason to open the email in the subject line. Crafting a good subject line for your email can be tricky. You want to give the recipient enough information that their curiosity is piqued and they want to open the email. But if you include too much info, you run the risk of the customer deciding that they don’t need to know what is inside, and just deleting the email right then and there. Be aware of what is in the body of your email and keep the subject line short and sweet.
- Make sure the body of the email is something that is worthwhile to your target audience. While general emails about what is going on with your company can be useful on occasion, make sure that the majority of your emails have a call to action. The call to action can be any number of things. Probably one of the most successful things to include in an email is a coupon or discount. Letting customers know of upcoming promotions is a great thing to include as well.
- Don’t overuse email marketing. Some companies are guilty of sending out 5-6 emails per day. This can get tiring for the recipient. For smaller businesses, even one email per week can keep your company’s name in your customer’s mind.
- Make it easy to subscribe or unsubscribe to your company’s email list. A chance to enter your email address for updates should have a prominent spot on your webpage. Many companies also offer an incentive for signing up, such as a coupon or discount. Conversely, it should be just as easy to unsubscribe if the customer no longer wishes to receive updates. Not being able to take your address off of an email list can be frustrating, and can leave a bad taste for your potential clients. Better to let them easily unsubscribe and come back at their leisure, if they so choose.
- Don’t try to trick your customers. Only include relevant information, deals, and offers in your email. People will be irritated if they open an email with one promise, and land on your site just to find that the opposite is true. Commit to your content.
Use Email Marketing To It’s Fullest
Small businesses can use email just as effectively as those that have a larger customer base, if not even more so. Email is a fantastic way to communicate with your customers. Just make sure to pay close attention and use email marketing to its fullest.