I spoke at an event recently about how to use email to keep your customers coming back for more. I made the point that marketing cannot be just writing the occasional blog post. It’s not doing the odd bit of social media advertising.
To market your business effectively, you have to use a variety of tools. Different methods will enable you to create meaningful content that encourages people to connect.
Email marketing is one of these tools.
However, I find that email is often misunderstood and badly used. So, I want to show you how to use it to inform, engage and sell.
How To Use Email Marketing
Too often engagement marketing goals are set around the number of blogs and social posts. However, your goal should be to help customers and prospects understand you and build trust in your business. That way they will feel safe and happy about making a purchase.
Email is personal.
The people on your list give you permission to be in their Inbox; they trust you (after all, they have given you their name and their email address); they want to hear from you about topics that they find relevant and interesting.
Don’t disappoint them.
Here are three things that will help you use email to keep your customers, and potential customers, engaged.
1. Build a Strong List
Your email list is probably the most essential engagement tool around… potentially reaching scores of people from all over the world.
But building an effective list isn’t just about collecting email addresses.
Never sign people up without checking with them first, then make sure you hone your list regularly, by checking open and click-through rates for each message.
Don’t be afraid to unsubscribe people who aren’t engaging with what you do – you need to focus on the ones who are!
Use the analytics your email marketing platform provides to help you design messages that really speak to your list members.
You could also keep things fresh and exclusive by emailing subscriber-only offers and events (which also provide a great excuse for people to sign up.)
2. Automate Your Messages
Business owners sometimes shy away from automating their email messages, because they want to maintain a personal connection with their audience.
But if your messages are properly tailored to the right people, automated messages can still be personal… and they’ll also save some of your precious time.
An example of automated messages could be a friendly sequence of emails you send people who sign up to your list.
So, the first one could be a ‘thank you’ for downloading your eBook or watching your tips video, the second could contain some more useful information, and the third an exclusive subscriber offer.
3. Create an Attractive Lead Magnet
A lead magnet is a tempting offer, usually free, that you make available on your website and promote across your social media platforms.
In exchange for your unique offer, you ask customers and potential customers for their contact information; their name and email address.
A lead magnet will generate more traffic to your website but, importantly, it will help you build and hone your email list.
In this way you can create a list of people who are interested in what you do, and who are likely to be interested in hearing more form you.
By staying in contact with relevant offers and advice, you will build familiarity and trust. Trust, as we know, is a key feature of most buying decisions.
Next Steps?
Maybe you already use email as part of your marketing toolkit, but you aren’t using it consistently. Or, perhaps you haven’t started with email yet and are a bit unsure about how to start.
Whatever stage you are at, book a Clarity Call and we can get your email marketing on the right track.