- It can reach a large targeted audience instantly
- It's cost-effective
- It generates interest in your services
- It drives qualified leads to your Web site
- It adds value to your current marketing efforts
With a limited budget and limited time, e-mail marketing might make the most sense. It is perhaps the quickest way to increase leads and establish customer relationships. It's all about being connected and staying connected.
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STEP ONE: Establish a customer e-mail list.
E-mail addresses are a hot commodity in this tech-savvy age, and they are the key to your e-mail marketing success. If you're not already doing so, start asking every customer for his or her e-mail address. Explain that you would like to start sending them promotions or information that may make their job easier and could save them money. Who wouldn't want that? Plus, this method is best if you want to avoid being labeled a spam artist—which those who purchase generic mailing lists always run a risk.
Once you have collected the e-mail addresses, keep them organized and up-to-date. You could sign up for an ESP (Email Service Provider) or CRM (Customer Relationship Management), such as iContact or Constant Contact®. These providers allow you to store your contacts and control your e-marketing distribution.
STEP TWO: Create an e-marketing strategy.
Custom-tailor your strategy around how you would like to position your brand. Incorporate newsletters, sales flyers, surveys—anything that will convey your message and make an impact on your audience. AD-Links™ offers many different sales flyer options designed professionally and approved by leading manufacturers. There is also a quarterly newsletter available with articles that are relatable to business professionals. Each AD-Links piece can be customized in a matter of minutes with your own sale pricing, if applicable, and dealer imprint.
AD-Links flyers will download in the form of a PDF for print, or you can request an HTML format. The HTML format allows you to send your flyer in the body of your e-mail, rather than as an attachment. This means that it will be viewed as you intend immediately when customers open their e-mail. It also allows the piece to get past spam filters.
STEP THREE: Distribute your e-flyer.
You can manage the process yourself, or through the ESP or CRM option we discussed in Step One. If you need assistance sending out your flyers, you can partner directly with OPMA and we will manage your mailings. Contact Anna Kolenda at akolenda@opma.com for additional information.
No matter what means you use, always include an "opt out" line within your e-mail. This will distinguish you from spam and is respectful to those customers who may not wish to be included, regardless of whether they initially gave you their address.
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The world of e-marketing is wide open creatively, but there are some general guidelines that you should keep in mind:
Your brand is what differentiates you from your competitor—whether it be a name, a sign, a symbol, a design, or some combination of all those things. The more you get that brand in front of your customers, the more recognizable and top-of-mind you become. Keep your branding consistent among all your marketing collateral.
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The average e-mail read time is 15 to 20 seconds. Be sure you make the most of those few precious seconds to get your main point across and generate excitement. Keep your verbiage clear and straightforward and your navigation direct. Don't make the reader scroll to find out what your e-mail is all about.
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A well-designed, well-written e-mail message won't mean much to the recipient if there isn't a well-defined expectation. Where do they order? Where do they click? What link do they follow? Make it easy for your recipient to take the desired action and convey a sense of urgency by incorporating a "sale end" date on your promotions. This will also make it easier to track sales success.
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The best subject lines are brief and give the customer a clue as to what they will be reading. This is not the place to use wordplay or splashy phrasing that may cause confusion. Keep it simple, to the point, and under 50 words. Also, avoid words or phrases that may get flagged by spam filters, such as "free," "win," and "buy now."
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Determining e-mail frequency can be tricky. Some marketers believe that e-mail volume is the key to success. Research has found that that's not entirely the case. The data reveals the e-mail message outweighs e-mail frequency in terms of impact. So, keep your messages fresh, and don't oversaturate your readers with too many "to-dos." Create a dedicated calendar to help you manage the frequency of your communications.
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A well-intentioned e-mail marketer should get acquainted with the rules of commercial e-mail. We encourage you to seek expert advice from the appropriate legal consultants for a full understanding. To get you started, however, here are a few things we'd like to highlight:
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Spam is unsolicited bulk e-mail, with the emphasis on “unsolicited.” If you send any bulk e-mail to recipients who did not request it from you or did not give their informed consent to be subscribed to your list, you are spamming those recipients. The lesson here is NEVER buy email addresses from another company and upload it to your e-mail service provider with intentions of sending an unsolicited e-mail.
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The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, which became effective January 1, 2004 sets clear guidelines to what is considered spam. Each violation of the provisions set in this Act is subject to fines of up to $11,000. See the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Web site at www.ftc.gov/spam for more information about the CAN-SPAM Act.
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The Golden Rule is all bulk e-mail must be opt-in, otherwise it is unsolicited. If customers provide you with their e-mail addresses with the understanding that they will receive information from you—they are giving you their informed consent.
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Including an opt-out line in your e-mails does not change the fact that it is spam if you hadn't asked for permission to send the e-mail to that recipient. No one should have to opt out of something they didn't opt in to in the first place.
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