Yes, really. Believe it or not, Email marketing is an easy and cheap way to build two way relationships.
The trick is not to over do it. We’ve all had the experience of signing up for someone’s email list only to be bombarded with 4 or 5 emails a day. What happens? We unsubscribe…in a hurry.
Well, the first thing you should do is consider getting an email service to do this for you. The are several out there, but the two biggest are Mail Chimp and Constant Contact. Both have distinct advantages and both have plans that have free trials. After the free trial periods, both have very reasonably priced plans, depending on what features you want.
The major benefits of using a service are:
Next you have to build your list for your Email marketing campaign. This is not as hard as it sounds.
You can start with the names you all ready have. If you don’t have a list of current prospects or customers, start with the names in your personal contact list.
You can add a “Join My Mailing List” box to your website.
You can add a link to your Email signature
When you respond to an inbound Email, you can ask them to join your mailing list.
You can also buy mailing lists, but this typically does not produce quick results. Remember, building a list takes time. You want to make sure the people on your list want to be there.
OK, This is going to take some work. You need a plan. This is not just one Email. It’s a series, and you will need an outline. Then you need to decide how often you are going to Email customers. This is important. Too many and they’ll unsubscribe. Too few, and they won’t remember who you are.
Remember, it’s not about you. It’s about your customer. Close your eyes. Imagine your ideal customer. You are going to talk directly to them. Here is what you can talk about:
Your Emails should also be short. Cover one topic and that’s it. Multi-page Emails get deleted.
Here’s where an Email Service really proves it’s worth.
First, they can run surveys for you. This is an ideal way to find out what your customers and prospects want you to talk about.
Next they can provide tracking information such as:
You betcha! Using Email Marketing as a solution to getting your message out there can be very rewarding. As you build your list over time, you can potentially reach thousands of people interested in your products or services.
I realize creating copy long term can be a daunting task. If you would like some help, just go to my Services Page and look for the email section.