The internet has undoubtedly become known as one of the most resourceful ways to reach the public and email is considered a very powerful tool in online marketing. There are many benefits for small businesses and entrepreneurs to implement an email marketing campaign. However, like any other marketing strategy, email marketing can result in amazing profits and business growth when carried out properly or horrible losses if carried out haphazardly. The following are email marketing tips that will help you build a successful email marketing campaign.
Get Personal
As popular as email has become, unfortunately spam has become just as popular. Just about everyone gets spam delivered to their inbox and thus many are quick to delete anything that even resembles an ad or appears generic in nature. In an effort to dodge your recipient’s delete button, and get your emails open, it is important to use the most beautiful & appealing words to your reader’s ears or eyes, their name! Addressing your prospect by name and customizing the emails creates a personal setting where they’re more prone to feel important and valued and eager to read on.
But Not Too Personal
How willing would you be to give your name, email address, phone number & street address to someone you just met? My guess is not very willing. Testing has shown that the more personal information you ask for the less likely people are to fill out a form. So what’s the best way to convince the reader/viewer to leave their contact information? Don’t ask them for their name, rank, and serial number. An email is really all you need, but if you want to personalize future email mailings, you’re going to need their name. Make your initial request for contact info at most, a name and email address to ensure a higher opt-in rate.
Be Authentic
As mentioned earlier, people have little tolerance for spam, and they’ll quickly send anything that smells of crap into the trash. Forget the hype, misleading subject lines, and over usage of exclamation points & capitalization. Provide good quality information and resources and keep the subject lines on topic. Create an email campaign that will form deeper relationships, gain trust and establish your credibility. Don’t give your recipients any reason to be suspicious of your intentions.
Respect Their Privacy! Respect Their Space!
We all see the small print below the request for contact information that promises not to sell, trade, rent, or share the information provided – plain and simple, keep your promise! Respect their privacy! Along the same lines, be considerate of when you’re sending the bulk of your emails. The fact that people are usually a lot busier around the holidays translates into less time for trivial things, so expect email open rates to be lower and limit your email marketing during these times.
Have a Clear Call To Action
Getting an email opened and read is only half the battle, the real victory dance celebration begins when your reader follows through on the desired call to action of the email. Whether it’s to click a link, purchase of a product, or filling out a survey, the reader must clearly understand what you want them to do after reading the email.
Check Your Links
As simple as this sounds, there are way too many email marketing campaigns that take the set and forget benefits of an autoresponder literally. They write the email series, schedule it to be delivered, and then forget it. To avoid embarrassment and possibly even worse, an unsubscribe and lost prospect/customer, make it a regular habit and frequent routine to check any links included in your email series.
Create Brand Awareness
A long term benefit of email marketing is to develop brand name recognition. Ideally, it would be in your best interest to have your customers be able to easily identify and remember your brand. Assuming your customers are satisfied with the first transaction, referrals and loyalty are just a conversation away as long as your brand has become familiar and to them.
Now for any of these email marketing tips to even work, you have to be collecting email addresses. Running a successful email marketing campaign will no doubt take some work and effort, but a well planned strategic email campaign can dramatically increase business growth and profits. To excel with your email marketing, get to know your target market, treat them well, deliver what is promised, and make a lasting impression.
No better time like the present to start implementing an email marketing campaign. For those who are successful in marketing are successful in business. To further ensure your small business marketing success, avoid these 7 Costly Online Marketing Mistakes.
Andrea Chin is an online marketing consultant passionate about helping small businesses and entrepreneurs market themselves more effectively to boost their business and produce more profits. She invites you to learn more about email marketing and discover other profitable marketing strategies that can result in High Profits Marketing.
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