Email Marketing

Why Relationship Email is a Marketing “Must”

Generate leads and repeat business with email communications

It is 15 times less expensive to sell to an existing customer than it is to acquire a new one. And, your own house list can yield response rates of 15%, or higher. That makes your house list one of your most important assets.

Make the most of every visitor and every customer by building your email list, obtaining permission and communicating on an ongoing basis.

The customer relationship vehicle of choice

Keeps your business in front of your prospects and customers
Builds loyalty and repeat business
Quickest and most direct method of communication
Delivers immediate results
Measurable and repeatable!

Ideal for new and growing businesses

Easy – no technical skill required
Incredibly affordable
Makes small businesses look more professional
Helps turn leads into customers by allowing you to build your relationship over time (with small effort and dollars)
Positions you as an expert – create an informative newsletter and watch your readership grow as your subscribers forward your emails to friends!

Create Effective Emails – Writing Effective Copy

Know your audience

Tailor your message according to your audience and your objective. Know what motivates your recipients and use it to determine how to describe the benefits of your offer.

Make sure your audience recognizes you

Your “from” line is very important. Recipients open emails from people and companies they know and respect, so be consistent and use your brand.

Be concise

Your subject line should be 30-40 characters including spaces – that’s only 5-8 words total. Your email copy should consist of simple words, short phrases and paragraphs of only 1-3 short sentences.

Include “Call to Action” links

Your subscribers can click from your email to “learn more,” “buy now,” “join” etc. Sprinkle your call-to-action links throughout your email so readers can click whenever they are ready.

Create a sense of urgency

Limit the offer to a specific time period or to the first 50 customers. Try throwing in a bonus (e.g. “Act now and also receive free shipping, a free estimate or a consultation”) to sweeten the deal.

Proofread

Read your email copy aloud. If you stumble over words or phrases, rewrite it. Check your spelling and grammar thoroughly. Errors not only make your email harder to read, they can make your company look unprofessional.

Create Effective Emails – Design for Success

Support your brand

Ensure that your brand is immediately recognizable and consistent in each email. Email is an inexpensive way to build brand awareness and loyalty. Don’t change the look of your newsletters from issue to issue – ensure that they are a consistent reminder of who you are.

Create your image

Each email communication should create a feeling that matches your company’s unique image. If you are a management consultant, your newsletter design should be professional and tailored. If you are a design firm marketing your services, the design of the email should reflect your expertise.

“A picture says a 1000 words”

Support your content with images. A well-placed, quality image can clarify and reinforce your message. If you sell a product or service, it is particularly valuable to include visuals. They will appeal to the “emotion” of a purchase.

Use “white space” effectively

Surround your content with white space. Your layout should be clean and crisp, making your content easy to read.

Lengthy copy, too many colors and/or graphics can confuse and frustrate readers.

Measure Your Results – Understanding Metrics

Open Rate

The number of recipients who open your email will depend on the impact of your from line and subject line. Delivery

timing also affects your open rate.

Click-through Rates (CTR)

Your click-through rate is an indication of the strength of your offer, or call-to-action. If you publish a newsletter,

click-throughs can tell you the level of interest that your subscribers have in each article.

Subscriber Stats

It is critical to monitor your subscriber information. A relevant and professional email will attract new subscribers

(through forward to a friend), while a poor or non-relevant email will cause your readers to unsubscribe.

Bounced Emails

Email delivery is critical to your success. You should monitor your bounces and eliminate the non-existent addresses.

If you can, try to obtain the new addresses of customers whose addresses are no longer valid.

Email Delivery

Many ISPs and companies use SPAM filtering or blocking software. It is key to monitor which emails are not being delivered because they are being blocked. You may need to work with your email service provider, and potentially your subscriber, to remedy this.