There have been some different opinions about Email Marketing. Some feel that it does not fit into an Inbound Internet Marketing strategy. I have to disagree. Email Marketing is a great tool for small and medium size business. Here are some steps on how you can get started.
First, build a list. You need to ask your customers if they want to participate during check out and have a few small signs in the store. Offer a discount on the next purchase if they sign up. Something like “10% you next purchase over $100”. Make sure the offer is attainable. You want customers to come back and spend more money. Put a thirty day expiration date on it so there is a “call to action”. It is cheap marketing to offer a discount to people in exchange for their email address. Since they are going to get a coupon you can be sure it will be one of their primary accounts. And of course you have an easy “opt out” if people don’t want to receive your newsletter.
Second, pick an email marketing program. Constant Contact, iContact and others are very good (I like iContact). They have free trails or even free applications so you can try it out with no upfront cost. Plus they have customer service you can talk to or contact online. They also have templates you can use. Remember simple is best. As Seth Godin says. “Be brief, be brilliant, be gone.”
Third is send a email “newsletter” every two weeks (no more no less). You can get away with contacting your customers via email about once every two weeks. Any additional emails during the month may be considered spam. Try to keep a regular schedule of sending email. People will get used to receiving them and will be more likely to opening them.
Fourth is break out your newsletter to a formula of: New Offer (some type of discount or special), Section of your bestselling goods or services (20% of your inventory make up 80% of your sales), Something New (new good or service or a bundle package of items) and lastly a “fun contest”. Trivia or guessing contest that is related to your business. If you are a coffee bar maybe, “Name the three top producing coffee countries?” Answer: Brazil, Vietnam and Columbia.
Fifth is ask for feedback. Leave a section on how you can better serve your customers better? How can the newsletter better? How can anything be better? It will let you know what your customers are thinking and your customers will be more invested in your business. You can even have a contest that the best idea wins a prize.
Sixth is have fun. Put in pictures. Staff factoids. And other silly stuff. If you are having fun doing it people will have fun reading.
Of course you can contact us any time a www.inboundinternetmarketing or email us at info@inboundinternetmarketing with any questions. We are here to help and would love hearing from you. We have been working with small and medium size business for over 20 years and we would love to help you.
