If you’ve made it through 2020 this far, well done – you must have a business that people want to use, and whatever you’re doing, you’re doing it well. But the year isn’t finished with us just yet. The pandemic certainly hasn’t gone away, and is still growing in some places. Real fears of a second wave have hit some industries below the waterline, and the economic downturn might yet have further to go before it bottoms out.
Never has it been more important to engage with your customers. You need to keep reminding them that you’re still around (a lot of businesses aren’t, unfortunately) and that you’re still offering your great service. And if you’ve got new products or services, or have a great deal to offer, there’s no more receptive audience than the ones who are already your customers.
All of the above, and more, can be achieved by setting up an ongoing email marketing campaign.
Building your list
If you don’t already have a mailing list, you’re starting from scratch, which can be a good thing, depending on how you’ve managed your list in the past! The simplest way to build a list is to have an opt-in form on your website, where people can sign up. Make sure you say a few benefits of signing up, for example special offers, early access, free delivery or whatever suits your model.
You can also have a check box for customers to click when they make a purchase – again, point out the benefits of joining as people are often wary of commitment. You can also advertise your mailing list on social media, give out cards and flyers in your place of business, or run paid search campaigns incentivising sign-ups.
Plan your campaigns
Two mistakes that are often made with email marketing are sending out too many emails, and ardly sending any at all. Make sure there’s a reason for each email, but use your marketing nous to dream up those reasons.
Remember, most people probably don’t care too much about your business, so you don’t need to tell them about everything you’re doing. But if you have stories that are good PR or advertise specific deals, they can form the basis of a mailshot.
Make a calendar to work out when you’re sending the emails out. Seasonality matters in a lot of businesses, but also try and tie in your campaigns with other events, especially those relevant to your sector. If you’re a gardening store, talk out the flower shows, for example, and how you can supply the flowers from the prize-winning exhibits.
Make them eye-catching
Once you’ve got compelling reasons to mail, and your messages are spot on, the final piece of the jigsaw is creating emails that look the part. A bespoke email template is the best way to go. It should look fantastic on any email client or web-based email client, and should be optimised for quick downloads, but it should also look professional, with your branding and tone dialled in.
Creating HTML email templates is one of the things we excel at, and we’ve helped out dozens of companies, giving them delightful, unique emails that really perform. Why not get in touch? We can help turn your email marketing campaign from a dud to a really effective channel of communication that converts readers into customers. The downturn will become an upturn eventually. And when it happens, you can have a loyal, engaged list of customers with extra disposable income, all thanks to an effective email marketing campaign.
