E-mail marketing is one of the most effective yet underutilized ways to promote a business. In order to maximize the success that your business can achieve, it is important for you to have a solid e-mail marketing strategy. This article provides several useful tips that will help you create or improve your e-mail marketing campaign.
Minimize traditional email marketing activities during the holidays. Customers are preoccupied with family and friends, and are less likely to be paying attention to business email. Your odds of ending up in the spam box are considerably higher, which could have longer term implications for your bottom line. The major exception to this would be a business directly related to the holiday activities. Otherwise, give yourself a break and enjoy some downtime yourself. Business will be back on track in a day or two.
When emailing your customers, an excellent suggestion is to follow up with lower prices. For example, you could link a phrase that says, “Grab it,” onto the email. In addition, the end of this email could include a phrase that says, “Become a member in order to have lower prices on our products.”
Always seek permission before sending marketing emails to potential customers. Sending unsolicited emails will quickly have you labeled a spammer. Getting permission to send your messages doesn’t have to be hard; offer something valuable to your customers in exchange for the ability to email them, such as a discount, coupon, or other sign-up incentive.
Insert a link to your subscription form into your marketing newsletters. That way, if your customers forward marketing emails to their friends, their friends can easily subscribe to your list too. Using this strategy makes it easy for you to build a large list of potential customers who have agreed to receive your marketing emails.
Make sure your emails contain unique and informative content rather than simply promotional material. Give subscribers unique articles and things that might be unavailable on your site. You can also send out limited offers and discounts. Don’t just send an email when you are trying to sell something, also send things like special offers or a holiday greeting.
If you want your email marketing messages to flow out across the Internet to people’s inboxes, consider where you are sending them from. Sent frequently from known and stable IP addresses is best. Sudden surges from new IP locations can raise suspicions and even result in blocks and blacklists from ISP’s.
Always have a link for people to easily unsubscribe or opt out of your email list. Put your link to unsubscribe in a place that is easily visible and be sure it is a part of every email. Make your customers feel that you value their participation and not as though they have been roped in unwillingly and unable to escape.
To avoid complications resulting from being identified as a spammer, notify your ISP of your email marketing intentions in advance. If any unhappy reader ever reports you, this will give your ISP the head’s up that your marketing efforts are legitimate. Your ISP may also be able to suggest an upgraded account that eases your email marketing operations.
Only send emails that are pertinent and worthwhile; customers will unsubscribe if you bombard them with useless information. Do not abuse their confidence by giving them sales petitions that are blatant in nature. Always add something of value like a tip regarding your service, a suggested use for your product, or a special free offer in each message you send out.
While there are many strategies to finding the targeted customers, the best option is to let them sign up via your website, growing the campaign as your business and sales grow as well. You could even lists buy an email list, but always remember customers on your site need to be targeted customers.
Be sure to ask permission to be able to send information to someone’s email. When asking, be sure to offer something in return. Turn it into something that your customers will look forward to checking instead of dreading it. This will keep your emails from looking and feeling like spam.
You can create a targeted mailing list by having customers get their friends to sign up too. The reasoning is that their friends are probably interested in the same things as they are and trust a friend’s recommendation. Include a subscribe for the link in your emails so that customers can forward them to friends, helping your mailing list grow by leaps and bounds.
Before sending any promotional emails to customers or potential customers, be sure to get their permission for contact. Email is a powerful tool, and consumers hate when it is misused. Any email contact that isn’t initiated by the consumer feels to them like spam. Your customers must agree to receive additional emails from you, even if they have made purchases in the past.
Implement a double opt in. Sometimes clicking a little box to signify that you want to receive e-mails slips by a person. To eliminate complaints of spam, use a double opt in. Have the person confirm that they wish to receive e-mails by verifying their e-mail or clicking a second button.
Be sure it’s easy for your subscribers to update their email address on your list. If a customer changes their address but still wants to receive your mailings, you don’t want to lose them. Provide an easy link within your marketing emails where they can update their email address, and you will retain more customers.
E-mail marketing is a great way to promote a business. In fact, it is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to market. For your business to truly achieve its maximum potential, it must utilize e-mail marketing strategies. Follow the advice provided in this article, and begin implementing or improving your e-mail marketing campaign.
