Small Business Strategies for Email Marketing

Electronic marketing strategies are appealing because they are inexpensive and can reach a large number of people, yet many electronic ads don’t entice consumers to engage. Social media platforms are saturated with ads, and small business ads can drown in the masses. That is why email marketing is a crucial part of every small business marketing plan, as it provides a good advertising mode for personalization, incentivization, and relevance.

Personalization in Email Marketing

Personalization in email marketing is not as simple as it sounds. Sure, the customer’s name can be easily inserted into a form letter, but this isn’t awe-inspiring. Instead, personalization in email marketing means targeting the consumers wants and needs.

A customer who only orders online, for instance, is not going to find an appeal to enter your business very valuable. However, understanding which customers are entering your business vs. ordering online can be an excellent way to tailor advertisements to those methods. For example, you can highlight sales or coupons for in-store vs. online purchases.

Additionally, previous purchases can be a huge indicator of a customer’s preferences. If your customer is constantly entering your restaurant and ordering a lunch special, a coupon for a lunch special can serve a customer appreciation function.

Customers are no longer swayed by the use of their name. It is still worthwhile but a name alone only a gimmick. They are moved by information that is clearly catered to meet their needs.

Incentivization in Email Marketing

One challenge in email marketing is getting your email list started. Your website is a classic place to put a call to action and build your email list. However, you should also incentivize your customers to get on the list.

Make your email list seem like an exclusive club. Invite people to join by offering rewards or notifications about new products. This incentivization builds value in your brand and your product. Your customers will want to know what is next.

Relevance in Email Marketing

Finally, email marketing reminds your customers that you are still there for them. Getting one customer to visit your website is great. Getting them to come back is much better. Email marketing is one way to do this because it is a non-intrusive method to touch bases. The customer simply sees the subject and is reminded of your presence. It’s very easy to encourage a click once you have their attention.

Relevance is important because the consumer is quick to forget your existence if you aren’t constantly engaged in promotion. You can also engage in regular contact with your customer, which allows you to share significant events in your business and ask them to share these events with you. The customer feels inclusion, and the feeling of relevance is reciprocal.

Small Businesses Should Not Ignore the Power of Email Marketing

It is rare for a small business not to need an online presence, but simply advertising on Facebook is not likely to get you an adequate return on your advertising investment. Instead, email is a powerful tool that still provides the benefit of low cost while also adding much more value to your customer’s experience.