Email
Marketing

Email marketing can be a viable option to increase current customer retention rates. The business type and model would determine the frequency and method of delivery.  Most successful businesses use email marketing to keep in touch with their client base. It is important to have something to say other than “please come back and spend more money.” I have used this type of marketing successfully for several clients. Deciding thoughtfully about spending your marketing dollars can spell the difference between a good year in marketing and a truly bad one. Email marketing happens to be a web marketing method that can consistently deliver higher ROI per marketing dollar spent than other advertising and marketing methods.

Gathering Customer Data:

Customer data can be gathered through the client’s website or a physical/”brick and mortar” location, if available. I had a local car repair shop client with a box with a sign that said, “sign up to win a free oil change.” The signup form included the client’s name, phone number, and email address. The client would then enter this information into his email marketing system once a week. This method can be effective in gathering customer data.

However, with the reality of health restrictions in many cities and people being less willing to travel, businesses need to increase their customer touchpoints in and out of their sites. Email marketing works better when other systems are there to support it. Lead generation efforts on social media, for example, can help improve your email database.

Keep it Legal:

Most email software systems ensure that customers have a way to “opt-out” of the emails. Besides being against the law, there is nothing people hate more than unwanted email (spam). Here are seven steps you can ensure that the email you send out is compliant with US laws.

• Provide an unsubscribe option.
• Honor opt-outs within ten business days.
• Use legitimate “from” email addresses.
• Don’t use deceitful subject lines or headers.
• Display your mailing address.
• The message should contain at least one sentence.
• Monitor your messaging (especially if you contract this out).

Pick Email Software:

Your business model and infrastructure will determine the most appropriate email software. The most popular ones, such as Mailchimp and Constant Contact, are easily integrated into most websites. Your web developer or business marketing expert should be able to help in this area.

Powerful email software should have these public benefits and features:

• Email Builder/WYSIWYG Editor – The email builder is the core of your operations. The email builder should be easy to use, intuitive, and should have essential drag-and-drop features so you won’t have to code any HTML if you don’t want to. A WYSIWYG editor should show you the final look of the email, and there should be no surprise changes when it’s received. An email builder should allow you to easily add text, hero images, links, dividers, and spacers to balance the email’s look and make it more readable. Using the right visual elements in your email will ensure that it looks good once on a narrower screen.

• Design & Previews – Before sending a message to your subscribers, the email software should provide a testing environment where you can view the message on different devices. The email software will render the messages’ look on mobile and then on desktop/full-sized computers. You should also send a test message to yourself to double-check that everything reads properly and there are no broken links or misspellings in the email. When everything is in order, you then schedule the message and select the subscribers’ list to send the message.

• Mobile-Ready – The number of people using the web on their phones is increasing.  Any email software worth its name should already be fully optimized to deliver messages that will look perfect on mobile devices. This should be a given. This is not a trend or fad, and the need to send marketing emails that look amazing on mobile devices is here to stay.
• Spam Testing – You should be able to test your messages to see if they trigger any spam warnings. Getting flagged for spam can greatly reduce your ability to deliver messages to your subscribers’ inboxes. Emails can trigger preconfigured spam filters at different levels, from the desktop (consumer) level to the server level.
• Workable Sending Limits – Different companies offer variable sending limits. Your account’s sending limit will be determined by how many messages you want to send per month and how many subscribers you have in your database. Your email software should not adversely limit the number of emails you can send, and you should also have the chance to pay as you go or instantly upgrade your plan if your lead database has grown immensely because of your hard work.
• Rich Reporting Capability – Data is the lifeblood of web marketing. Data allows business owners to track their progress and figure out what’s working and what’s not. Email software can be a great source of insights as to what your leads like. Therefore, look for email software that provides insights on the bounce rate, unsubscribe rate, CTR or click-through rate, and opening rate.
• Survey Embedding – Surveys are crucial for businesses because they provide the kind of data that you wouldn’t be able to tap had customers not provided the information in the first place. Your email software should allow you to embed or add survey pages to your email seamlessly so that you can send your surveys easily to your active subscribers list.

Have Something to Say:

The point of engaging in an email marketing campaign is to connect with your current clients and promote your business to them meaningfully. An email marketing campaign can be about a new product or service or some new discount. A business focused on a service would more likely offer a seasonal coupon promoting a service that the client is already aware of.

Is your business ready to generate more leads and sales?

Contact me today for professional email marketing support and fruitful email campaigns.

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