Email is one of, if not the, single most important business communication tools around. Everyone has at least one. If you’re like me, you have many.
Email branding. It’s probably something you’ve never even thought about, but what impression is your email address saying about your business? How does your email effect your branding?
For most small business owners, creating an email address specifically for their new business is one of the first steps they take, even before registering a domain name. This is completely backwards.
Since most businesses start out with a limited budget, trying to save money is important. Creating a Gmail, Yahoo, or AOL account is easy, and usually free. It also sends the entirely wrong message to everyone who sees it.
Communication is key in business. How you communicate is even more important. What you say and how you say it speak volumes to your customers about your professionalism and the quality of product or service you offer. When a potential customer, employee, or business partner sees a business email from you that is hosted on one of these free services, it sends the wrong message. It tells them you’re not serious enough about your new (or even worse, old!) venture to purchase a domain name for your website, and have your email accounts setup on that domain as well.
Your professional business email address *must* be setup on your own company URL/domain name. Example: [email protected]. Not [email protected]. Or worse yet, [email protected]. Having your email accounts on your own domain name tells the world you’re in business, and not still living in 1998.
So how do you get your own self-hosted email? Enter Google Apps.
Google is more than just a synonym for online search. They also provide one of the most popular email platforms available through Gmail. But built on top of that platform is their Google Apps suite of tools for business. We’ve been using their services since our inception, and it has served us very well.
Although not free, at $5.00 p/m per user is more than reasonable for the services offered. If all that was included for that price was just email, it would still be a good deal, but with their calendar, cloud storage, docs, and more, it’s a bargain.
Many web hosting providers include email accounts built on your domain when using their service to host your website. But these services usually have a poor design and user interface, and limit how you use them, which can make it challenging to setup and use on multiple devices.
So now you’ve been told. If your email is still resting on a free, unprofessional platform, you have no excuse not to make the switch right away. Your business reputation depends on it.
Does Email Marketing Work?
As any business owner knows, its easier and less expensive to sell to a returning customer than to create a new one. Knowing this, what is the most efficient, and cost-effective way to stay in touch with your customers? The answer for many, is email marketing.
Email marketing is one of the most powerful ways to stay in contact with past customers and clients. The costs are minimal, it doesn’t require a lot of extra time or effort, and if done correctly the results can be outstanding!
Traditional advertising and direct mail marketing typically required a “push” strategy, where a business owner would place an ad hoping the target audience would see it and take action, or buying a list to mail to, and hoping it would get opened and read.
With email marketing, the list is derived from customers “opting in” to receive communication from the company, which is a “pull” strategy, or permission based form of marketing. Because the consumer has asked to be marketed to, they tend to be a more loyal customer who is likely to purchase more often.
This is why email marketing is so powerful. Its an opportune way to stay in touch with past clients and customers, ensuring you’re in the front of their mind when the need for your product or service arises.
I’m not talking about spamming their inbox every day with the latest news you have. That’s the quickest way to turn a happy customer into an annoyed ex-customer. I’m talking about real communication with past customers who have signed up to receive your email newsletter or updates. Quality, not quantity is key here.
Now, in order to utilize email to market to your customers, you’ll need an auto-responder service. There are many out there offering similar prices and services. A few of the most popular ones are:
- Convert Kit
- Aweber
- Infusionsoft
- iContact
- Get Response
- Vertical Response
- Emma
- Mail Chimp
- Mad Mimi
All of these companies produce a quality product, but my personal favorite is Convert Kit. They have the functionality of Infusionsoft and simplicity of use of Mail Chimp. They can also pull in an RSS feed from your blog to automatically update your subscribers whenever you write a new blog post.
Since every business is unique and has individual needs, you may want to check out each of the above services to see which one is the best fit for your business.
When used in conjunction with social media, email marketing can be one of the most effective and economical ways to stay in contact with past customers, and to create loyal, returning customers, which every business owner wants more of!
Email Marketing for Local Business
Since the advent of the internet, email has become one of the most convenient methods of communication between business and consumer. Harnessing this technology for direct email marketing campaigns can lead to greater brand awareness, customer loyalty, and increased sales.
Simply put, an email marketing campaign is one or more emails sent to a group of recipients who have opted in to an email list. A timed or “drip” campaign will send out emails at regular intervals. This stream of timed emails is triggered by the specific action of each recipient – usually by the recipient “opting in” to a subscriber list. Email marketing campaigns are excellent because you are delivering your content directly to a customer who has already expressed interest in your product or service.
Small businesses are increasingly using email marketing to communicate with customers because of the many benefits:
- Saves Money – Sending communication to your customers through an email campaign is considerably cheaper than sending via traditional direct mail.
- Saves Time – An email marketing campaign can be compiled, tested, and implemented in a matter of hours, not days or weeks, freeing up your time to concentrate on other business activities.
- Builds Brand Awareness – Regular communication with your customers’ helps build brand and product awareness as well as enhance customer loyalty.
- Instant Response Tracking – Your email correspondence can be tracked to determine if and when it was opened, and which links were clicked on, helping you to gauge the effectiveness of your campaign.
- Instant Communication – Your e-newsletter is delivered instantly to the inbox of your customer, allowing direct communication with your target audience.
- Personal Touch – Each email sent can be individually personalized. Sending an e-newsletter to “Dear Mike,” reads much friendlier than sending to “Dear Sir,” or “Dear Customer.”
Email Marketing Plan
You’ll need to establish an efficient email campaign that creates a desired response. Your email campaigns can target existing customers who will benefit from your additional products and services. Campaigns can also target new or potential customers who sign up on your website or through a PPC campaign. In each communication, you provide them valuable information, and in return, they continue to use your product or service, and tell others about you.
Some of the most popular (and reputable) email marketing companies are:
- Convert Kit
- Aweber
- Constant Contact
- iContact
- Get Response
- Vertical Response
- Emma
- Mail Chimp
- Mad Mimi
Expected Results
Three of the major benefits of email marketing are top-of-mind awareness, customer loyalty, and repeat customers. Every email communication should have a call to action, drawing the recipients back to your website, or into your physical business location.
As your emails appear regularly in your customer’s inbox, you are building your business reputation, and your customers will view you as the expert in your field. Sending your subscriber list free information at regular intervals reminds them of your presence. If they find the information useful, they will forward it to friends and family, increasing your exposure and your leads. Inviting your customers to provide feedback increases their direct communication with you and can invite them into your social networking communities.
Are you currently employing email marketing in your business? If so, how are your results?
