Email updates and newsletters aren't a new idea, but they're still very effective when used correctly. The great thing about email is that it's fairly unobtrusive; people will click in and read if they are interested or the message could stay in their inbox and act as a reminder of who you are for when it's more relevant.
But how do you ensure that your emails are being read rather than ignored, and not just read but actioned?
Make sure people can opt out!
When email marketing for small business purposes it's crucial to only market to people who have opted into your messages. When people opt in to receive your emails let them know what they're subscribing to, how often they'll get updates and always give them the option to opt out! See the guidelines from the Information Commissioners Office
Keep emails relevant and brief.
People don't usually want to spend all day reading emails, so keep your updates short and to the point. If you want to include more information then link it back to your blog. This way the readers can choose the level of information they get, and you know that those who click through are likely to be more interested in what you are offering. Also make sure that your email is interesting to look at, so even if you're only using text rather than images keep the paragraphs short and well spaced to make it look short and easy to read.
Provide value.
Don't just send emails for the sake of it. Make sure that if you are trying your best to get someone's attention that it is worth them giving you their time. If people recognise that the mails you send them will be interesting and add value to their day then they'll be glad to open them, on the other hand if your mail is useless spam then you'll have so many unsubscribers that you'll soon have no-one left to email! Try including industry news, special offers, links to useful resources, blog updates, competitions or surveys.
Make it personal.
Even if you are mailing multiple subscribers at once try to keep the tone conversational as if you're only speaking to one person. If possible use their name; many mailing packages can do this automatically.
Be Exclusive.
If you want people to sign up to your emails then make them feel special! Offer them things that they can't get elsewhere to entice them into signing up, and then keep the offers coming to keep them interested. It doesn't have to be anything expensive, just something unique that you can offer this customer and nobody else can. For example, a 20% discount to the first 10 people to respond, or a free service voucher to anyone who refers a friend. Be creative!
Use a catchy title.
The title is usually the only thing you can guarantee someone will read, so take the most of that advantage and make your subject lines as catchy and interesting as possible. Mix up your titles as well; if you only ever put a special offer in the title then people will get used to thinking that you always have special offers and will be less inclined to open them. Try using questions, facts, statistics, jokes or extracts from your blog, really anything that might provoke curiosity and get the reader to open the email. Just make sure the title is relevant and in keeping with the rest of the email!
Never overdo it.
Never ever bombard people with mail after mail. No one wants to receive dozens of mails from the same company. The right frequency might be different for each company, but it would be hard for anyone to justify more than once per day. Some businesses might find the right balance is once a week, or only every month. Stay tuned to your feedback and stats to see how many people are reading your updates and adjust accordingly.
Always include a call to Action!
If you want people to do something, you have to ask them. Make your calls to action easy to understand and easy to do: Phone this number, click this link, complete this questionnaire. Each marketing email that you send should have a measurable call to action.
As a final note, make sure that your emails are spell checked, you have included all your contact details, and any links that you include work. You could also include yourself on the campaign just to ensure that you see everything the way your customers see it.
What are your top tips for email marketing?
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