Email Marketing
Email Marketing that gets results
Jun 22 2012
I wait eagerly for our monthly Lunch and Learn sessions, social media training classes and webinars; they are quite informative and engaging and the topics covered are always action-oriented.
This month’s Lunch and Learn topic was ‘Email Marketing that gets results’. In the initial fifteen minutes, we touched on the latest trends in social media focusing a bit on the new features of Facebook. Facebook now allows you to schedule posts in advance. EdgeRank, the Facebook algorithm, gives less importance to posts coming from Hootsuite. Hence, it makes sense to schedule your posts directly on Facebook. The other important feature that Facebook launched is “promote”. This is a paid promotion for your posts and it has a wider reach than regular posts. We are doing an exclusive Lunch and Learn session to discuss the new Facebook features on July 10. Register here. Our classes often sell out – and we expect big demand for this one!
Moving on to the main topic, Email is the number one tool for business managers to generate leads and increase sales! Here’s why:To a lot of people, the term “email marketing” automatically conjures images of an email intent on one thing – selling. In actual fact, there are a number of types of email communications you can pitch to your clients, some of which are not directly sales related but can certainly contribute to their bottom line in other ways. Emails can be effectively used to generate awareness, send an informational newsletter, or to simply thank your customers for their loyalty. Informational newsletters are a great way to add value to your customers’ business and improve your brand recall.
Most email software providers have this feature, but marketers often do not leverage it. A good way to use this feature is to craft a compelling story and send messages starting day zero by building on your story to finally but subtly make a sale.
The key is that content must progressively generate interest in the triggered campaign. An example of this would be how Boot Camp Digital uses the Autoresponder feature:
Such campaigns are intended to push someone through a buying cycle. However, the content must be evergreen and should generate enough interest for the sale to happen.
First and foremost, follow the industry’s gold standard for permission, “Confirmed Opt-ins.“ Grow your list in a manner that always puts the consumer first. Asking consumers to register on your website by offering them an incentive such as newsletter or white paper download is the most effective way to build your email list. The registration form must be simple with no more than 3-4 fields. Having a privacy policy verifies that you will not sell, rent, or misuse the information they provide. It generates trust in readers’ minds and they will be more open to share their email address with you.
Similarly, you can build the list from business cards you collect at Trade Shows, Webinars, Live Events, and so on. Always collect: online, offline, everywhere. Think of all your existing touch-points with current and potential customers.
Send a welcome note as soon as a customer registers with you. Follow-up with useful information, don’t just start selling right away. Start building a relationship.
When your customer registers on your website, the back-end can be linked your database/CRM system or email marketing software systems such as iContact or Infusionsoft, and these tools and systems will allow you to track when someone signs up with you. You can set up an Autoresponder with a welcome message that outlines what kind of information the customer can expect from you through email.
These software tools also help you segment your lists based on the data you have about your customers. Sending the right message to the right person at the right time is the key to success in email marketing.
We covered a lot of ground during this power-packed session. Here are some quick tips you can follow while crafting your message:
Tracking performance: A quick tip – ‘open rates’ are better indicators of how well your email campaign is doing. Always track your performance and make adjustments to your campaign.
Try FREE for 5 Days!
