![]() If it’s something bland and unappetizing like “Monthly newsletter,” they pass on. Most recipients look at the subject line next. “If you look at the From address and it says, ‘Eric Groves, Constant Contact,’ you might say, ‘Oh yeah, I know him. “It goes back to, ‘Do I know you? Do I care?’” Groves said. ![]() Your email newsletters have to grab readers the minute they land in their inboxes. Use the Subject Line to Engage and Reel in Readers “Then say something along the lines of, ‘We gave him a free t-shirt for asking such a good question,’ and then include a link - ‘Click here if you think you can stump us for next month,’”Ħ. For example, if you answer an interesting question for a customer, name the person in your newsletter. When the time comes to write your next email, you have ready topics at hand.Įven better, said Groves, is having your customers provide content ideas. When a customer asks a question in the course of doing business with you, write it down, along with your answer, and stick it in a folder. If you’re running short of ideas, and you’re not sure what you should be communicating to customers, let them tell you. Let Customers Tell You the Content They Want Before you delete an email newsletter or hit unsubscribe, ask yourself why you’re doing it. Go out and find your own examples of people in your industry who are having success with email marketing, and emulate them. There are plenty of resources available, including his book The Constant Contact Guide To Email Marketing, as well as emails, webinars and live seminars his company offers, and e-newsletters from other experts such as Michael Katz of Blue Penguin Development. ![]() It’s not hard to write engaging content that recipients will value, Groves said, but you may have to become a student of email marketing to get up to speed initially. Do you need what I have to offer?’” Groves said. “They just have to flick you on the forehead and say, ‘Remember me. The emails don’t have to be long or involved. Rather than simply advertising sale items, a landscape firm, for example, might send a newsletter article about the various plants that deer won’t eat. He suggests that you offfer information of value to your customers and present yourself as a trusted expert. ![]() The worst case is they hit ‘Unsubscribe’ – and now you’ve lost that connection with them.”Įmail marketing should be about building relationships, Grove said. “The best case with those is that they automatically delete the messages. “There are a lot of great companies out there who - when you join their mailing list - they just bombard you with ‘Buy from me, buy from me, buy from me,’” Groves said. The mechanism could be as simple as a guest book on a retail store counter where customers can sign up to receive emails, or a subscription or RSS link at your Web page.Īs slow as it might go at first, if you do it right, your list will start to snowball as satisfied customers forward your email newsletter to friends and colleagues who also sign up. Present the emails as something that will extend the dialog you’ve begun with them. Next, establish mechanisms for capturing contact information and permissions at the places where you engage customers - in your store, in their place of business, online. Start by approaching your biggest fans - customers with whom you’re in regular contact who express support and appreciation. Quality in a contact list is always more important than quantity, Groves said. Build Your Email Newsletter Contact List Slowly “If you send email to people you don’t know, the first thing they’re going to say is, ‘Do I know you?’ and the second is, ‘Do I care?’ If the answer to the first is no, you’ve lost them already.”Ģ. “The stronger the relationship you have with a person, the more likely he or she is to respond to your email,” said Eric Groves, senior vice president of global market development at Constant Contact, an email marketing services firm. Emailing customers and others with whom you have only a slight acquaintance is, at best, a waste of time. It’s not rocket science, but email marketing the right way does require basic know-how.Īnd while we could have come up with a top 100 list, if you follow these 10 small business marketing tips, you’ll be on your way to creating an effective email newsletter to help build your business.Įmailing complete strangers is spam. An email newsletter often is often their main mode of engaging customers, building loyalty and driving sales. Email marketing has become a crucial activity for many small businesses.
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