3 Tips about Email Marketing
A few years ago there was an article on using email to increase your revenue on the Glazer-Kennedy Insider Circle (GKIC) site, an online entrepreneur marketing network.
The article emphasized three important ways to maximize the returns (ROI) of e-mail marketing:
- Setting up automated email campaigns
- Gaining valuable information from email
- Using email to build brand loyalty
Not getting the results you want?
Too often, in the race to get the sale, you may be skipping important steps in your email process, particularly when setting up automated, or ‘trigger’, campaigns.
This is easy to accomplish if you are using a robust CRM like Infusionsoft. A good rule of thumb is to include the following:
- The Welcome Campaign. It's vital to make a good first impression, and a well-designed welcome email does just that. It also reminds the customer why he or she has subscribed, allowing him or her to anticipate more emails.
- Abandoned Cart email. Don't miss out on a potential sale—remind them they haven't finished their purchase or find out what went wrong.
- Sales Campaigns. Customers on your email list should be privy to upcoming sales, so don't leave them out of the loop.
- Transaction Verification emails. Once a customer has made a purchase, be sure to send an email verifying their order and shipping details. Since this is the one message that is most likely to be opened by every person receiving it, this email is an ideal place to suggest related products or upgrades, and to make a really WOW impression.
- Customer feedback and/or referral requests. If you want to know something, the simplest way is to just ask. Send out surveys. And never be afraid to ask for referrals—most people enjoy recommending services or products to their friends. Infusionsoft has an excellent, free, ready-to-use campaign for getting referrals.
If you've ever had a poor experience using email marketing, did you take the time to gather information about which of your campaigns were or were not working?
Pay attention to your numbers—the open and click rates, how often you had cart abandonment issues—and comments. Try using a different subject line for half your list and note those results. Be careful to change only one variable so you’ll know for certain what works and what doesn’t.
Are they opting In?
By signing up on your email list, your subscribers have reached out to you saying they are interested in your company, its services and products.
It's up to you to build brand loyalty by providing valuable content—not just email blasts concentrated on pushing the sale. Provide your customer with information related to their needs, wants, and interests, particularly as they relate to your product.
Do you provide service contracts? What is your return policy? How can you help the customer further once a sale is made?
Think about what you could do to cause each and every one of your customers to want to refer you to their friends, and how to create a customer for life.
Yes, it works!
There's a reason why businesses use email marketing: it works. Make sure you're using it optimally, and you'll be busy cashing those checks.