1. Start building a prospect and client email list NOW
A list that you buy will never be as effective as a list you've developed yourself over time. Plus,When a customer buys, or even inquires, about your business try to get their email address. This is true whether they've visited your store or your webpage. You can use a tablet at your store to get as many people subscribed to your list! Read More.
If
your business has many types of services, then you might want to divide your
list into different categories. Not everyone on your list has to get the exact
email or the same offers. Target your offer to the right list.
2. The Subject Line
If your subject
line doesn't speak to your reader than they won’t even open your email. Be
honest and tell them who the email is from. Then they'll know it's a list
they've subscribed to and it's not spam.
Then
tell them about the interesting offer or information you have in the email.
For
example:
Comp. ABC.- 7 Ways to Increase your Profits this Month
Comp. ABC - The Winner of this Month's Gift Card
3. Write Emails That Intrigue or Interest Your Potential Customers
A good subject line gets them to open the email, but then you must hold their interest. Make it short and sweet. People want to read quickly on the internet. If your information is good they'll keep reading. Don't ramble.
Break
the information into small paragraphs or bulleted lists. Long blocks of text
are overwhelming and harder to read.
Make
it personal. Write directly to your client. Use this sheet to properly define who your audience is and what problems you are solving! Use their name at the beginning if possible. Talk about things
happening in your local city. Let them know your company is community minded.
4. Put The Most Important Information First
If they only read the first few lines before they're
distracted, you've still made your point.
5. Have a Clear Call to Action
Tell them exactly what they should do next.6. Provide Links
Make it easy for
them to click through to your landing page or web site.
7. Include your phone number and the physical address of your business
This is one of the major differences in
email marketing to local customers. Not all of them will want to correspond by
email. They may want to call or actually drop by your business.
8. Use a P.S. at the end
This is one hold over from direct-mail days that still works. A P.S. is your last chance to throw in an extra offer or reinforce your call to action. Even when people skip reading the email, they'll often read the P.S. at the end.9. Don't send it on Monday
Everyone's busy, and their email box is full. There's a good chance your email will get deleted
before it's even opened.
10. Follow-up
Your email campaign can be the greatest in
the world, but if you don't follow up on the contacts you've made or the
interest you've generated, then you've done it all for nothing.
Have
your follow-up plan in place from the beginning.
If
you don't have the time or ability to write an effective email campaign,
consider hiring a professional. The investment will pay for itself over time
with increasing customers and profits.
