E mail Marketing is the Key

Two of the major keys for a successful small business is to have great marketing and get repeat business from customers. Yet when I am intrigued over an ad or sale and go to a business very rarely does anyone get any of my personal information. How do they know I am a satisfied customer? How can they contact me for future specials? I think the feeling is they will catch me with their current advertising. Aren’t I different though? I have already spent money there and we should be cultivating a relationship! Let’s examine how to do that.

First and foremost you must get my contact information. I belong to several of those garden clubs but that is not what I mean. Those can be difficult and long to fill out so something more simple. I am always a fan of giving away a gift as a raffle. Just need your name, address, and e mail address. To be part of the drawing you must confirm the e mail we sent you. You could even advertise this on your receipt that prints out. So what do we do with this information? Read on.

The first action to take is sending a postcard to the new client. That postcard will have a coupon inviting them back in and also telling them to confirm their e mail address for the raffle at the end of the month. This gets them used to looking at your e mails and also may bring them back for an item they forgot. As many touches as possible right now to form that bond.

Next send them the e mail for confirmation in the e mail club and for the monthly drawing. At this time you also want to give them something of great value so that they feel wanted. It is another way to develop your business relationship. Also explain to them you will only send helpful information and EVERY email will have a coupon. This will get them to open all e mails that come. Consistently e mail them so they get the rhythm of your contact and they will plan to buy things around receiving your e mails.  A pre conditioned prospect!

If you do this small but simple plan you can get rid of a lot of marketing expense. Yeah but this will cost a lot of money! No, it doesn’t really! Postcards can be sent out for 33 cents including postage. Your e mail campaign can be set up for under 50 dollars a month. Both are semi automated so you really don’t need to hire someone new. In fact hire a consultant to do this for couple of hundred a month and not even have to fuss with it all.

The beauty of this program is in its simplicity to start and maintain for little cost. If you have 15 people come into your store a day and you can get 10 forms filled out you have added 300 potential clients a month. 3,600 people the first year and 10,000 over three years. How would you like to have a client base of 10,000 to mail to? This will allow you to significantly cut back on advertising and save money thus increasing profits. This also allows you to build up loyalty and friendships which help a business become successful. If you need to add subscribers then you have the power to contact other business owners to swap e mail lists! That is for another day!