So, you have a list of leads, but do you know how to keep them? One of the most difficult things about running a successful business is finding customers. The second most difficult thing is keeping them. However, with these email marketing strategies, you’re starting off on the right track for engaging with and keeping your customers.
The Importance of Staying Connected
Connecting with and staying connected with your customers is vital to the success of your business. You worked hard to build those relationships with your customers. And any good businessman will tell you that it’s easier to sell something to someone who already likes you rather than someone who doesn’t know you at all. This is why it’s so important to reinforce the relationship between your brand and your target customers.
One of the most cost-effective options for building and maintaining customer relationships is email marketing. Email marketing allows you to build relationships. You can strengthen those relationships with a focus on loyalty and trust. Seeing who interacted with various aspects of your email gives you valuable insight. It allows you to see what works and what doesn’t.
Statistics show that email is about 40 times more effective than all social media combined, including Facebook and Twitter when it comes to acquiring new customers. And, approximately two thirds of those customers purchase as a result of email marketing.
But how are businesses doing so well? Here are 10 email marketing strategies that can help level up your small business.
Email Marketing Strategies That Work
Before we dive into this list, it’s important to understand that not everything works for everybody all the time. The best thing you can do is test these various strategies to determine what works for you and your customers. Don’t let one failed attempt discourage you from the gold mine that is email marketing. Keep at it and try one of the other great strategies on this list.
1. Know Who You’re Emailing
One key aspect of successful email marketing strategies is understanding your audience. If you go out and try to email as many people as possible, your email isn’t going to land. Not only that, but it’s probably going to annoy people. You can avoid this by understanding your audience and how they found you or how you found them.
If someone signs up for your company newsletter, you know they’ve heard of you. However, if you’re reaching out using a targeted mailing list for the first time, then you’ll need to try a little harder to get their permission to email them. Use sign-up tools that give people the ability to opt into your email marketing campaign while providing enticing content that enriches their lives in some way. If you’re emailing your target customers, then think about what makes them tick and how you can be of service to them.
2. Treat Your Contacts Like People
Email can me impersonal and it’s easy to forget that the people you’re emailing are more than just names on a list. Don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity to create strong relationships with these people. One great way you can do this is by customizing emails based on how long someone has been on your mailing list and which actions they’ve taken.
For example, for new customers you can trigger a welcome email that gives them valuable information about who you are and what your company is about. Whereas you can reward long-term subscribers with special offers and deals based on their purchase history. This lets them know you pay attention and that you care about providing them with a good bargain.
3. Send Relevant Content
Email marketing is more than just spamming your mailing list with sales ads. It’s about connecting with your customers. You want to listen to what they’re interested in and provide them with a pleasant experience with each email. If they look forward to reading your messages each time you send them, then they’ll open your emails more often. They’ll also engage with your emails more often. Your email reports will show you what your audience is interested in. It shows if they’re opening your emails and what they’re clicking on.
4. Engage Your Audience
After you discover what they’re interested in, you can then create content they will engage with. Think of a content plan with reliable sources. This is another point where understanding your audience comes in handy. Look at your calendar and think about what’s happening around each newsletter that you’re planning on sending. Try to relate your content to what’s going on in the world around them. Use engaging headlines that will make them want to read more.
You can also pay attention to what your ideal customers are talking about online. Create content about things they’re already discussing and there’s a good chance they’ll be interested.
5. Maximize Deliver Rates
Take all the necessary steps to make sure your emails get to where they need to go. Bounce reports will provide valuable information. Remove bounced emails to improve your delivery rates. Also keep an eye on any spam complaints. If you’re receiving a lot of spam complaints in your reports then you may want to change up your subject line and content to something that works better for your target customers.
6. Respect Customer Privacy
To earn and keep the trust of your customers it’s important that you respect their privacy. You should never share or sell your customer’s information. Not only can it damage your company’s reputation, but it can easily ruin any trust between your company and your customers.
7. Manage Expectations
People sign up for mailing lists because they expect to benefit from it in some way. Be upfront about the value of your mailing list. If you’re an author and your email marketing strategies are to engage customers and inform them of upcoming book releases and appearances, then that’s what you’ll want to do. That’s why they signed up. Be clear about how frequently you email your customers and follow the schedule. No one wants to sign up for a once-monthly newsletter and receive an email every week. Restate this information in your welcome email just to make sure any new subscribers are clear on what to expect.
8. Be Professional
While your email correspondence don’t need to ultra-fancy with the latest graphics, they should be professional. It’s also best if you stay on-brand. If your company has more of a laidback vibe then it’s okay for your emails to be a little more laidback. But if you’re running a wealth management company you don’t want your emails to show up like a guy in swim trucks in a board meeting. Try to keep the feel of your emails consistent with your brand.
Using a professional newsletter service is a great way to ensure your emails are consistent. There are a variety of companies out there that allow you to store contacts and create great looking emails with minimal effort using templates. Use them. That’s what they’re there for. And your customers will recognize the format, colors, and patterns in your emails. This allows them to connect them together more easily.
9. Watch Your Statistics
Keep an eye on your open rates and your click-through rates. These metrics allow you to determine how well your emails perform. You will also want to watch your unsubscribe rate. If it climbs drastically after a specific email then you may want to study that email to see if there was a problem or something offensive that drove them away.
Watching your newsletter statistics combined with your website statistics can help you build a great email marketing strategy that will benefit your business.
10. Step Out of the Inbox
Businesses use a variety of channels to reach customers. Integrate your email marketing strategies with your other methods of communication. Use your social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and more to reach new customers. You can encourage social media followers to join your newsletter. You can also encourage newsletter subscribers to follow you on social media. Show the value in keeping up with your company on these various platforms together.
Find Contacts for Your Email Marketing Strategies
If you’re just getting started and you aren’t sure where to find newsletter subscribers, consider using a targeted mailing list. The DataMasters database houses the contact information for thousands of potential customers. All information is ethically and legally obtained following all federal and state laws. It’s scrubbed regularly to ensure the most up-to-date information.
The best part is that our database is completely customizable. We can narrow data down to fit your target customer profile. So, if you’re a mechanic in California who specializes in Ford trucks, we can provide you with an automotive list for people who live in your area of California who own Ford trucks. Whatever your needs, we can meet them.
