Everyone knows that in order to have a successful business, it’s important to employ good marketing strategies. While there are many ways to market your products, email marketing is a great way to utilize the internet and reach an unlimited target market. Read on to discover ways to use email marketing in your business.
You should not send out emails unless you have the authorization to do so from your customers. If you don’t, complaints that you are spamming people will increase, and that may cause you to lose customers.
To keep your email recipients engaged, use various sequences for different types of readers. For example, if you get an email address from a sale, that customer should receive a very distinctive welcoming email than a reader whose email you received from a lead. If readers aren’t getting what they want from emails, then they simply won’t read them.
Use A/B testing to test subject line variations. Take one of your emails, and divide the mailing list in two. Send each half of the list the same mail, but with differing subject lines. This gives you the information you need to figure out which subjects work and which don’t.
Send your opt-ins a link that they must click on to confirm their subscription to your email list. This way, you ensure that it is something that they want to do, and it will protect you from getting complaints about spam. Let your opt-ins know in your pitch that they will need to click on a link.
Post a version of your newsletter with graphics and animation on your website. Then send your email list a plain text version of the newsletter with a link to the web version. This keeps your emails simple enough to stop them from being diverted to the spam folder as well as encouraging your customers to visit your website.
Include a link at the bottom of any marketing emails that allows people to unsubscribe easily. If someone does not want to receive your messages, providing a simple way for them to unsubscribe is preferable to ending up in their spam folder. It will also help to protect your reputation as a business that respects its customers.
For your email marketing campaigns to be truly effective, every message needs a clear call to action. For example, if you are promoting a new product then you should encourage customers to go directly to that product’s page. On the other hand, if you are promoting a new sale then you should clearly explain how customers can take advantage of that sale.
If you’d like your emails to feel more personal, try mixing up your format every so often. For example, use plain text if you usually use HTML and vice versa. When well-written, this could give your consumers an emotional avenue when it comes to your services and products.
Getting permission to send emails is not difficult to get. You can use discounts, coupons, special offers and even flyers given out in trade shows to get customers interested enough to receive your emails. They can sign up on your website among other methods. By being friendly and offering a good incentive to sign up, customers may even give you access to personal information and their personal preferences.
One way to keep your email readers engaged is to ask them questions. These should not be rhetorical questions, either. Provide a feedback channel they can use to send you answers. You could ask for direct replies via email, or send your readers to your social networking pages. However you arrange it, asking for two-way communication is a great way to cultivate loyalty in your subscribers.
Be persistent. Studies show that it takes a minimum of 7 to 8 impressions before your advertisements will take effect on a potential customer, and it could take many more. You need to touch base with your customers at least once every few weeks, and assume they will not buy your product or even click your links for several iterations of messages.
Every email that you send out to your customers as part of your marketing campaign should offer them something of value. If you give them a discount on your products, exclusive access to new offerings, or free shipping, they will be more likely to respond positively to your message and come back to you again.
Use email marketing with a select group of valued customers. This way, you can create an elite list of customers who can feel valued that they are receiving special offers and promotions from you. It may even motivate people who are not part of your email club to make more purchases in order to receive these special promotions.
Use plain text. Plain text emails will be received as more personable and HTML can be more difficult for some people to read. Some email readers may even prevent the delivery of HTML, depending on user settings. Plain, simple text will always be easy to read and very well received.
There is nothing wrong with composing your marketing emails in HTML, but you may find it rewarding to give it a break from time to time. A simple message composed in plain text will be taken as a little more intimate and a little less formal by your subscribers. If you exercise moderation, sending plain text emails can encourage loyalty and draw your readers closer to you.
As you can see, email marketing can be an effective marketing method for any business when used properly. By utilizing the internet, you are reaching countless potential customers outside of your local area. Use the tips above to kick-start your email marketing campaign and begin turning a profit in your business.
