When it comes to getting the word out about your business, email is an extremely easy and cost-effective method to extend your brand in the marketplace and drive new leads your way.
You can capture email addresses from inbound callers as well as from visitors to your website and other digital channels. Many companies get started by collecting addresses when they attend trade shows and conferences. If you’re starting from scratch, you can always purchase targeted addresses from an email list broker.
Before sending out your first emails, though, it’s important to understand the basics of creating eBlasts that will get results.
1. Write with Mobile Users in Mind
Many potential customers will be using their smartphones to check their email, so you should write subject lines that are short enough to read in full when displayed on iOS and Android devices.
Don’t rely on images (such as an embedded picture of a coupon or your company logo and contact information) because some recipients may disable HTML image linking due to security concerns. They may also have their smartphone read the messages to them while commuting or because they are visually impaired, so plain text should be your primary focus.
2. Harness The Power of A/B Testing
Of course, your writing must be snappy and enticing while quickly getting to the point. But you also need to experiment on an ongoing basis to figure out which approach works best.
A/B testing involves creating different versions of your eBlast and then sending version A to one group and version B to another group of similar recipients. Use A/B testing on different keywords, variations in message length (is 100 words best? How about 200 words?) to limited time offers if they respond now!
Then, you keep track of the response rates and adjust your messages accordingly.
3. Segment the Contacts
If your list is sufficiently large, you can slice and dice it into manageable segments for better focus. For example, you might have different messages for men and women, or by age category, ZIP code, income level and a whole host of other demographic details.
By dividing your list into segments, you can market services more effectively.
4. Offer a Reward
Encourage recipients to forward your eBlasts to colleagues, friends and relatives who would be interested in your company, and offer them something in return for the favor, such as a discount on their next purchase.
This is a fast way to expand your list of contacts, with the added bonus that the referrals are coming from someone the recipients already know.
5. Include Your Social Media Details
When customers agree to receive promotional/informational emails from you (including subscribing to your e-newsletter), it would be prudent to include links to your social media channels and invite them to follow you.
That way, even if they eventually unsubscribe to your emails for whatever reason, they may still continue to follow you on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and so on.
As you can see, there are a number of tactics that you can continuously test and improve upon when marketing by email. The result are more opportunities to drive leads down the sales funnel and turn them into loyal customers.
Ready to begin your new e-Blast campaign ? We'd love to get in touch and learn more about your goals.
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