You’ve got mail!

Email is a powerful medium that can help build your business. What amazes me is that many are not taking advantage of email marketing. The result — low-cost marketing — is not being utilized.

After reading this article, you should have a good idea what your New Year’s resolution is going to be … to use email marketing in 2016!

• Email marketing is nothing more than a direct marketing vehicle. The best thing about it is that you can use it to promote your products and services, as well as help build brand awareness. It is also an excellent way to generate conversions, resulting in increased sales.

Why email works

Some folks think that email is ineffective. Well, here’s a news headline — “Email is valid and it has a greater impact than many think.”

• First, it is cost-effective. When you start to track your email marketing, you will see why it will become a core cog in your 2016 marketing.
• Second, we are not talking about spamming the living daylights out of your customers. The goal is to do an ethically managed campaign based on the principles of permission-based marketing.  Additionally, spam is illegal, so you do not want to deal with the legal ramifications associated with it.
• Third, some marketers believe that social media killed email. Although the social platforms are the high visibility piece of the digital arena, email is still No. 1 in the pecking order. What many do not realize is that email did not suffer from the introduction of the social space. Remember, using various media channels together allows you and your business to generate an integrated marketing communications program.

Although email does not have the sizzle that the other digital platforms have, it works and is cost-effective and efficient. In short, it gets results.

As my Guerrilla Marketing friend Al states, “It gives you more bang for your buck than the other online marketing channels.”

5 things email can do for your business

So the $50,000 question is, what can email marketing do for my business. How about:

1. Helps you build relationships, establish credibility, and grow your influence in the market.
2. Is instrumental in building awareness and buzz.
3. Helps drive the acquisition of new customers.
4. Drives up-sell and cross-sell by promoting discounts, seasonal promotions, and special offers. The result will be that you will drive more revenue per customer. Now that is music to anyone’s ears!
5. Increases your website traffic. More traffic means more opportunities, and more opportunities turn prospects into customers.

So, will you have an affinity for email marketing in 2016?

If you decide to add email to your marketing, make sure that you think out the needed steps. Identify your goals and put together a plan before you implement. It will make it much easier, and the frustration will be minimal.

The biggest challenge in doing email marketing is the planning and building a list, but the list building will provide one of the most valuable assets of your business.

So, here are the five (5) ways, or should I say tools, to get email to help your marketing

1 – Auto responder

As we said earlier, email marketing is built on permission.

Predicate growing a list of qualified prospects who know you, who are interested in your products, and who want to hear from you. That is why the most important step in your email efforts is getting people to opt-in to receiving messages from your company, and then follow-up with them via an automated email sequence known as an auto responder.

The auto responder process starts with the opt-in box. This can reside on your website, as well as your social media pages. To encourage opt-ins, make it worth their while, and you can do so by giving them an incentive. As a next step, follow-up with a pre-set sequence of emails that have specific objectives.

The beauty of email is that, with a little forethought, you can set up an auto responder sequence and just let it run automatically.

2 – Email newsletter

Newsletters are a great way to communicate. They will hit a positive nerve with your customers and prospects. You just need to make sure that you are providing content that is of interest to your customers and potential customers. The delivery of a newsletter can help you build your authority and keep “top of mind” with the market. Remember — the overall goal is to drive them back to your business.

Make sure you send your newsletter out at least once per month.

3 – Referrals

Use email for a referral solicitation. Keep it short and simple. This type of email can help you get testimonials for your website and other marketing materials. It is also an excellent way to increase your credibility with prospects.

Try giving an offer that your current customers can pass on to their friends and family. It then becomes a “win-win” for everyone!

4 – “Miss you” messages 

Everyone wants to feel wanted. Sending an email that says “We miss you!” is a great way to tug at the heart-strings of your customers. The best thing is, it works!

If people are not buying from you, is it because they do not like you or your business? I would bet the farm that is not the reason.  s it because they are unhappy with your product or service? Probably not. The main reason is that they just forgot about you!

Use this email tactic to reconnect with former customers. Urge them to stop by, visit your website, and take advantage of the excellent products and services you have.  It does not hurt to offer a discount or other incentive.

5 – Offer email

Emails can sell. At least, it can get the process started. My recommendation? Make them an offer they can’t refuse. As the saying goes, “Who doesn’t like a bargain?” Just make sure that there is a perceived value behind the offer.

Thank you

Who does not like to hear “Thank you?” If you open a door for someone, do something nice … the “Thank you” is like the cherry on top of the whipped cream! The problem with many businesses is that they forget to say it.

When someone makes a purchase, get your thank you out right away. It is also an excellent way to make a pitch for your other products and services.

Remember, everyone loves to be recognized and thanked!

Finally, I want to emphasize some things.

• It is all about the list. It is not about quantity; it is about quality! Take the time and build a good, no, a great list. Add people to the list that want to hear from you.

• Use a double opt-in process when building your list. This will not only ensure that you are sending to people who want to hear from you, but it will help build a quality list.

• Do not spam people. Nobody likes email spam, and it will bring more problems than customers. In fact, Google “CAN-SPAM Act” and see what you need to do to avoid any spam problems. You want to stay as far away from breaking any laws as possible.

• Do not send messages too frequently. Once a month is a good frequency.

• Make the subject line of your email enticing and make sure you deliver to the subject promise.

• Make sure your writing is compelling. Take a look at some of the other emails you receive and learn from what you feel is good.

• Measure … measure … measure! Test subject lines. See which days work best to email customers. Test long vs. short emails. It will help you hone the marketing tool that could be the most valuable in your war chest.

Let me know how it goes. It is always great to hear from readers!