Marketing today is overwhelming. There are so many advantageous ways to promote your business and so many platforms to show up on.
Be on Twitter! It’s where all the clever, smart people are! If you aren’t on Twitter you are missing out on great marketing opportunities!
Be on Facebook! It’s where all the small business owners are. If you aren’t paying a fortune on Facebook ads you are missing out on great marketing opportunities!
Be on LinkedIn! It’s where all the sleek professionals are. If you aren’t on LinkedIn looking sleek and polished, you are missing out on great marketing opportunities!
Be on a billboard! Your face and your business are exactly what people want to gaze upon whilst cussing at traffic. If you aren’t on a billboard you are missing out on great marketing opportunities!
Be on YouTube! If you aren’t sharing inspirational or sob-worthy testimonials every day on YouTube, you are missing out on great marketing opportunities!
Be skinny on Instagram! If you aren’t skinny on Instagram with 275.2K followers you are NOTHING!
Ok, that last example was a little exaggerated, but you get the point. There are so many marketing opportunities and suggestions shoved in our faces these days!
The question then becomes, what is really the most cost efficient and effective marketing tool that guarantees I will reach my target audience?
The answer is undoubtedly EMAIL MARKETING. When you use this tool, you know that 99% of emails are landing on an audience that wants to hear from you. In fact, statistics show that for every $1 you spend on email marketing you get an average of $38 back!
In this month’s Marketing Minute, we’re going to offer you some helpful advice and strategies regarding your email marketing. By the end of this article, you will not only be able to acquire more email addresses, but also nurture your audience and secure loyal customers.
Email marketing is truly about 3 simple initiatives.
You must…
A. Capture
B. Connect
C. Compel
Do these 3 things in this order and you will start to see that $1 you spent turn into $38 in your pocket.
So let’s dive in!
A. CAPTURE
The first thing you need for a successful email marketing strategy is to grab some email addresses. This sounds obvious, but can actually be very difficult if you don’t have the right strategy. Also, you don’t want to just acquire any email addresses – you want the right ones. You want to reach your ideal target audience to make their lives better with your product or service. In order to do that, you have to find them and find a way to connect with them.
- Offer free information in exchange for an email address. This feature is an absolute MUST on your website. You can offer a webinar, white paper or how-to video. Allow this to be a helpful gift to the customer and you will secure an email address from someone who wants to connect with you.
- Work alongside social media and use it to get emails. When crafting a promotional post or ad on social media, highlight a common PROBLEM the customer faces, offer a way that your business SOLVES that problem and guide them to your website where you offer free, helpful information with the drop of an email address. You can also ask them to send an email address through a direct message, but most people are more likely to offer an address if they’ve browsed a website for validity.
- Once you have an email address and you send the first email you have to get customers to open it. You need a GREAT subject line. Choose a subject line that reflects you and your brand identity. The customer has already handed over their email address, so you know they are interested in your brand and the aspirational identity you promote. Stick to that! Also, empathetically connect with your customer through the subject line to nurture the relationship from the start. Stay away from gimmicky sales lines and pestering questions.
Example:
“You deserve exercise that is fun.”
B. CONNECT
- Personalize your emails and make sure you understand who you’re talking to. Human beings are biologically wired for connection and desire a sense of being known. Make sure you are using the correct name of the person you’re emailing and, if appropriate, ask questions to start a conversation and learn more about their specific needs.
- After you get to know your customers through the first few emails, engage each customer by creating emails that are specific to their needs. This is a strategy called SEGMENTATION. You want to segment your audience and send specific information and emails to different groups of customers to establish a better connection. Craft your emails using images and content that are relevant to the different segments. This will ensure you are sending the right message to the right customer.
Example:
Examples from Apple are overused. We get it! But, let’s be honest, they are a pretty influential brand. With the first launch of the MacBook computer, Apple was regarded as a crazy, weird company with ideas that broke all the rules and would never work. In spite of this reputation, Apple kept engaging certain, loyal audience members with a specific message: “It’s ok to break the rules. It’s way more fun.” They had a loyal following of rebels and reinforced that thrilling, aspirational identity by continually reaching out and nurturing their audience. It worked for them…obviously.
C. COMPEL
- Compel your audience to engage with you and buy your product or service every week. This requires emailing your customers frequently and following-up. Once you have a customer’s email address and you’ve started connecting with them through email, segment and send that customer an email every week with a CLEAR CALL TO ACTION.
- Make sure your email answers one of these questions: What event is coming up? What are the newest deals or promotions? What helpful tips do we have in our newsletter this week? This compels the customer to look at your services and buy.
- Follow-up these emails when “time is running out” on specials. The customer has already handed-over their email address so they want to hear about these things. Let them know what they want to know.
- Use important HOLIDAYS that can be associated with your product or service. This is also a helpful way to navigate the direction of your subject line and keeps your marketing relevant.
- The best and most important way to write compelling emails is to keep them short, to the point and clear. If you confuse your audience you will lose your audience. Be clear and direct about the PROBLEM, the SOLUTION and where to go to BUY or register.
There are so many profitable marketing opportunities that exist in our face-paced, technology savvy and innovative society. We suggest you utilize some of those opportunities, but the most effective way to reach someone who wants to hear from you, guaranteed, is through email marketing.
Capture. Connect. Compel.
Cha-Ching!