Finding potential customers or getting new clients may seem like a daunting task, but hiding in the shadows is not the solution. All it takes is determination, a little effort—and an email. Help is here.
According to Radicati Group research and statistics, there will be 2.5 billion email users by 2014. With all those opportunities to connect with a prospect or potential customer, why would any business avoid email marketing? Following are several ideas to consider:
1). Keeping it simple.
The number one thing to do in creating an effective email marketing message is simplicity. Make the subject title direct and the body copy clear and concise. The graphics and/or artwork should be clean and uncluttered. The message should be understood immediately with an invitation to your company’s website to read, learn, subscribe or make a purchase. It’s a call-to-action so the recipient of the email is able to respond. It’s also polite and wise to ask the recipient to share your information with their friends—like minds think and shop alike.
2). Content, content…oh, and content.
When your email content is exclusive and proprietary, the better you are positioned as an authority, expert and a reliable source. This applies to every field of business, from selling ice cream to high fashion, real estate to health care. By conveying your expertise or exclusive offering in an email, you will gain client satisfaction and customer loyalty. The tip here is finding the right balance with the most important information and the frequency of contact with your target group.
3). Remain relevant.
It’s understandable that learning how to send the right message to the correct people at the best time, and have them act upon it, makes most business owners want to stick their head in the sand. But help is here. Remaining relevant with your customers is paramount for email marketing. The best place to start is to survey your current customers and let them tell you how they feel about your communication: timeliness, content, frequency, etc. Once you collect that information you can segment your email lists based on subscriber actions—active, passive or lapsed.
Taking the first step is the hardest part for those who are timid about email marketing. But once you hit “send,” it’s all uphill from there. Reaching out to customers and increasing your sales is nothing to be shy about.