If one thing was made clear during last week’s Small Business Expo in New York City, it’s that you can’t sit back and wait for readers to flock to your website if you want to grow your business you need to reach out and grab your readers’ attention, like a magnet.
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What’s the best way to go about doing this? As Training and Education Manager at VerticalResponse, Jill Bastian explained during a session titled “Email Marketing 1-2-3: How To Get Started, Get Results and Get Growing,” that you need to use email marketing to your advantage; it’s essential for building relationships and staying in front of your customers online.
Why is email marketing so important? Aside from the fact that email marketing is very direct, and ideal for mobile use, customers simply like receiving emails. In fact, 86 percent of U.S. adults claim they would like to receive promotional emails from companies they do business with at least once per month. Sixty-one percent claim they would even prefer to receive promotional emails on a weekly basis.
There are, however, a few things to keep in mind while engaging in email marketing. After all, if you commit careless errors, your customers are liable to interpret your messages as spam and block you.
Here are some key takeaways from the presentation:
- Watch your pre-header text: As Bastian pointed out, you need to be aware that the first line of text in the body of your email will appear on your subject line. So make sure your first line serves as both a great intro to your email, and is enticing enough to pique the interest of someone who is skimming through his or her inbox. Also, avoid lengthy or confusing first sentences.
- Be honest: Be as descriptive and honest as possible in your subject lines. Keep in mind that anti-spam laws prohibit luring readers in with tricky or misleading offers. In other words, if you offer something to your readers in the subject line, you’d better allude to it in your email.
- Talk about your company: The tone you use in email marketing, as opposed to the tone you use on your blog or website, can be direct and self-promotional. Don’t be afraid to send out a newsletter, for instance, highlighting company-specific events like personnel changes or community outreach initiatives. This is your chance to be more personal with your readers, and highlight your unique company culture.
Of course, you’ll need to keep the quality of your content in mind, too. For this reason, it’s crucial to have the services of a custom content provider who can craft first class email marketing messages for your team.
Want some great tips to spice up your email marketing strategy? Click here for more information.
