2. Walking into a business where the first dollor of profit is framed
victoriously is always a great reminder of how important the very first
customer is to any small business. Your first customer represents
validation of your business idea and proof that your products and
services are valuable enough to cause someone to part with his
money in order to obtain them.
However, you need a plan to deliver ongoing communications to
build a steady influx of customers – or your framed dollor of profit will
start feeling lonely.
3. Understanding the Benefits of E-
Mail Marketing
E-Mail might seem like a cost effective way to deliver your marketing
messages. For the most part, it is, because you can send
personalized, targeted, and interested-specific messages to a large
number of people.
The value of email marketing doesn’t end with the cost.
Email marketing has certain advantages over other forms of direct
marketing for your business and for the people who request and
receive your emails.
4. Asking for immediate action
After an email is opened, it doesn’t take long for your audience to
take immediate action because people can take action on an
email with one click of the mouse.
Immediate actions include:
1. Opening and reading the email
2. Clicking a link
3. Clicking the reply button
4. Forwarding the email
5. Printing the email
6. Saving the email
5. Gathering feedback
Email is a two way form of communication, and even commercial
email can be used to gather feedback and responses from your
audience.
Feedback from emails in two basic categories
1. Stated feedback- happens when someone
- Fills out an online form
- Fills out an online survey
- Sends a reply
2. Behavioral feedback –happens when you track
- Link clicks
- Email open rates
- Emails forwarded to friends
6. Staying top-of-mind
If you send periodic emails with valuable content, people who aren’t ready to
buy right away are more likely to remember you and your business when they
become ready to buy.
If your content is valuable enough to save, your prospects and customers might
even create tags with your company name on it and start filling your emails in a
special folder outside the regular inbox for future reference.
Here are some ways that email can be used for top-of-mind awareness and
future reference.
1. Archive your email newsletters on your website
2. Ask people to save your emails
3. Ask people to print your emails and post them.
4. Print your emails and place them in a flip-open book on your retail store
counter so that you can refer to recent offers and show samples of the value
of your email list.
7. Combining email with other media
In marketing, you are likely to employ several media and messages
over a period of days, weeks, months, and years to communicate
everything necessary to attract and retain enough customers.
Keeping the design elements and personality of your emails and
other messages similar or identical over time- Branding- reinforces
each of your messages and make each successive message more
memorable to your audience.
Here are some branding ideas to help you give all your marketing
messages a familiar look and feel.
8. Make your logo identifiable and readable in all types of print and digital formats, with colour
schemes that look good online and in print.
In general your logo and colors should look consistent on
- Signs
- Order forms
- Email sign-up forms
- Your website
- Receipts
- Business cards
- Emails
Include your company name in all your marketing
Incorporate your name in
- Email from lines
- Email address
- Your email signature
- Online directories
- Your blog
9. Format your messages consistently across media
When repeating messages in multiple media, make sure that the
following elements are formatted consistently in your emails
- Fonts
- Layouts
- Images
- Headlines
- Contact information
- Calls to action