Did you know that…
- 91% of consumers reported checking their email at least once a day. (ExactTarget)
- 7 in 10 people say they made use of a coupon or discount from a marketing email in the prior week. (2012 Blue Kangaroo Study)
- For every $1 spent, $44.25 is the average return on email marketing investment. (Experian)
What this means is that using email to connect with, educate and engage your audience is a GREAT way to increase your revenue.
The statistics speak for themselves. Email campaigns need to be an ongoing part of your marketing mix.
One easy way to start your email marketing program is to commit to sending a regular newsletter. It’s not your audience’s job to remember that you’re available to serve them. It’s your job to remind them!
Sending a consistent, content-rich email newsletter will allow you to:
- Position your company as the premier source your audience should look to for specific solutions
- Stay in touch regularly with clients and prospects
- Create wide exposure and visibility for your company’s offerings
- Help your clients and prospects with pressing issues
- Create a valuable library of information and resources for your website
Your newsletter should be sent at least monthly and possibly more frequently, depending on the subject matter. Generally speaking, B2C businesses should send their newsletter at least twice per month. B2B companies can usually get away with sending some type of communication weekly.
What should you be writing about?
First thing’s first. Before you figure out what you’re writing about, you want to first get clear on whom you’re writing to. Who is it that will receive the best results from your work in the shortest amount of time and with the least amount of effort?
That ONE individual is whom you are writing to. What does their lifestyle look like? What problems are they looking to solve? What are they struggling with? What solutions do they want to incorporate into their life?
The more you know about this person, your ideal client, the better you’ll be able to connect with them in your email communications.
Once you’re clear on who this individual is, you can create all sorts of content to connect with them. Consider developing the following ideas:
- Answers to frequently asked questions from new clients and prospects
- Sharing your take on a current event or new trend
- A review of a book you’ve recently read
- A recap of an event you recently attended
- A list of resources they can take advantage of
- Results of a survey or research report that provide insight into common challenges
- Top 10 (or 7 or 5) list of common pitfalls to avoid
- A video clip of you in action – just use your smartphone
- Client case studies
The options are endless. The point is to create content about a specific topic that is of interest to the reader. Your goal is to always provide value. Your audience is busy. Make sure the time they take out of their busy day to read your email is well worth the effort.
Last but not least, be sure to include a simple, specific call to action in each email! This is how you turn your emails into revenue. Offer a free consultation, a sample, a discount, a product, a trial service… whatever makes sense for your business. Give the reader just ONE action to take in order to accept your offer. The ONE action can be to visit your website, send you an email, or even call you on the phone.
This serves a two-fold purpose:
- You can easily track the effectiveness of your campaign and see who was interested.
- You make it easy for your reader to say YES to your offer! (A confused mind always says no – don’t make accepting your offer difficult!)
NOW is the perfect time to launch (or resurrect) your email marketing program! You can start today by registering for our FREE online training “Email Marketing Simplified”.
At Email Marketing Simplified 2015, our online virtual conference, you’ll learn how to shortcut the email marketing process without skimping on the results.
Join us!
