Just about everyone, from teenagers to grandparents, has an email account. Most of us check our email multiple times a day, or receive instant notification of new email via our smart phones. It makes sense that email marketing campaigns are a big focus for many businesses, but for a small business owner or solo service provider, you need to weigh the pros and cons before blasting out emails to your clientele or past customers.
Let’s face it, 90% of the email you receive from companies is junk mail. Just like advertisements sent via the USPS, most of this mail finds its way to our virtual trash can just as quick as the paper junk mail finds our kitchen trash can. While junk email may be a bit more environmentally friendly, it is no less annoying than its paper predecessor.
Surprising, some large and well known companies think it is okay to send out an email a day, or more, to customers. If you surveyed the people receiving these blasts, you would likely find out that less is more. Try to use your email list for special deals, time sensitive news, and the occasional thank you letter instead of making a daily or weekly blast. Your customers are more likely to pay attention when they don’t see your business name in their inbox every day.
Another tip for engaging your customers with your email marketing campaign is to ask questions, host polls, or ask for suggestions. Use these emails to link to your social media pages where your customers can respond to your questions and interact with each other. Likewise, send out notifications on your social media when you will be offering discounts or contests via your mailing list to encourage new subscribers to your email campaign.
All in all, email marketing campaigns can be either an asset or a disaster. The key is to be smart about what you are emailing. Ask yourself, would this irritate me if it came to my inbox? If the answer is yes, resist the urge to hit send.
