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Benefits of E-mail Marketing and How to Make it Work for Your Business

TMCnet Feature

August 15, 2013

Benefits of E-mail Marketing and How to Make it Work for Your Business

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By Drew Hendricks

Social media and SEO have become such a buzz in the online community that it can be easy to forget how to grab the attention of customers to bring them back to your site for more. There is no better way to reach a customer than by having information sent directly to them via E-mail.


E-mail marketing has been sadly neglected in the past few years as social media networks have become the advertising fad and SEO has taken over websites. Never underestimate the power of sending information to customers directly to their inbox. E-mail marketing gives past and sometimes potential consumers direct links to what they need without looking through websites or social media networks to find it. Thanks to smartphones and tablets, the average person checks their E-mail at least ten times a day. Be where your customers are: their inbox.

Top Benefits of Email Marketing Campaigns

1) Increase sales conversion. Most people are suggested into items by repetitive action, but when it comes to online services, that doesn’t work. Potential online customers can close the window and never find you again. Capturing their E-mail address before they have a chance to leave gives you a chance to contact them. It also puts your business back in front of them to remind them of why they came. It’s sort of like a follow-up phone call.

2) Repeat sales. When a customer orders from your website they have to enter an E-mail address for invoicing. Once they provide it, they give you permission to send E-mails to them. By reminding them about products or services, sales or promotions in the future, it is more likely they will repeat business. Approximately 59 percent of consumers have admitted to purchasing goods or services from an E-mail promotion.

3) Up-selling and Cross selling. A customer comes to your site and buys a set of golf clubs. Using auto-responder E-mails gives your company the chance to suggest other items that match with it such as golf tees, balls, or gloves. It can increase sales by up to 30 percent overall. Brick and mortar stores do it, there is no reason that E-mail campaigns can’t do it for your online business as well.

4) Get feedback. It is difficult online to get consumers to give feedback on products or services they have rendered. By sending out E-mails to customers after the sale has been closed you get the chance to receive valuable feedback.

5) Track needs. Most E-mail marketing companies that help run the campaign for the business can track usage. That means that for every opened, clicked, and converted E-mail you will know what works and what does not. You will also know what products consumers may not be interested in, so when it comes time to restock, the company can avoid stocking goods that don’t sell.

The benefits of E-mail marketing go on to include low cost, targeting audiences and creating personal relationships with the consumers.

How to Utilize Email Marketing to Boost Business

Customers have already given you permission by ordering from you or clicking the box requesting the information. Give it to them. Don’t just send junk to their E-mail box. Give them what they want to capitalize on potential sales.

Finding a hassle free company and one that will have templates that work in a number of browsers is important. iContact is an example of one company who offers this ability so your E-mails won't have broken images, sloppy formatting, and poor performance. Keep in mind that the appearance and ease of use is essential to the success it brings to the company.

Use opt-in boxes to make sure that customer is interested in receiving your information. If they aren’t, it is a waste or their time and your money. Once they do opt-in however, send out E-mails that give hints at tips. Feeding the consumer information is more likely to get the mail read and build trust. Once the trust is built, you can then send out one or two product and service ads. The idea is that by the time they get the ads, they understand the importance of the services and what their needs are.

Find out what consumers want. E-mail marketing allows businesses to open a line of communication with consumers that is often closed. Ask for feedback on product or service problems. Not only can this help fix a problem that you otherwise didn’t know existed, but it gives the business an idea of what is necessary. For example if no one is interested in a new shoes line you are selling, you can get rid of it before it costs money. Asking for feedback builds trust.

Build relationships with consumers. Many companies just send out email blasts that offer discounts but neglect to take the time to explain why the product itself is important. Assume nothing. Build a relationship with consumers by offering personal stories and offering overall content that improves their lives in some way. Once you have their trust you can promote products and services. When doing this, keep in mind that it cannot be a sudden, jarring change from what they are used to. Give them compelling reasons why they need what you are selling. If you have successfully built relationships and promoted it, the cash will flow in.

Keep the business in their minds. Customers will not need every product or service you peddle to them. Just because they don’t need it now does not mean they will not need it (or you) later. By sending out E-mails it reminds them of your business. By building trust and loyalty it reminds them that you are valuable to them. When the time comes, customers will remember this and come to you for their needs.

Scrub out lists on occasion. Every month, every six months, or once a year, track through the E-mail addresses that are not even looking at your mail and clean them out. Some message building services charge by the number of E-mail addresses that it sends out to. By cleaning out inactive addresses, you can capitalize on maximum revenue.




Edited by Stefania Viscusi


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