For a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), there is no more powerful marketing tool than the humble email. There’s no more immediate way to connect with existing customers and clients and no more effective way to promote your business and gather new custom. Here are some tried and tested email marketing tips that no small business with an eye on the digital world should ignore – plus some essential information.
The vast email market
The first thing you need to be aware of is the sheer scale of email, and thus the size of potential for email marketing. We hear a lot about the numbers of people who have Facebook and Twitter accounts, but there are three times as many email accounts as the users of these two social networks combined. This gives you some idea what a market there is to be reached – and research shows that consumers who receive targeted marketing emails spend 83% more when shopping online.
Start by establishing trust
With that in mind, what are the most important steps to take when launching an email marketing campaign? Initially, you are seeking to build a rapport with your customers, and engender trust. Giving them the chance to opt-in to your email and newsletter list is a good start, and leads to high levels of interest and engagement in your business. The first few emails are a great way to establish a good reputation and later on translate that into increased sales. Once you’re started, here are some other things to bear in mind…
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Don’t just spam your subscribers. Make sure your messages contain solid information about your business and what it has to offer, and ensure that any promotions or special offers are worth the name.
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Make sure your email has an eye-catching and compelling subject line. It’s very easy for a potential customer to delete messages that fail to interest them – don’t let your painstakingly crafted email be among them!
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Consider the services of smart email marketing software, offering quality email templates and the ability to target certain messages to those subscribers most likely to be interested. Software will also provide you with data on click rates, the rate of opt-ins and conversions, ripe for analysis!
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Make your emails attractive with catchy images. Too much dense text puts customers off, and analysis shows 65% of users prefer “mainly visual” emails.
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With the vast majority of people now checking their emails on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, ensuring your emails and their graphics are compatible with these devices is a must.
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Make those messages personal. Again, email software can help you with this. Research has found that click rates and conversions increase when a subscriber is mentioned by their first name in your messages, alongside prominent mentions of the name of your business.
