Email Marketing is Cost Effective
We’ve all heard the old adage about how, when it comes to marketing, you can get what you need done well, delivered quickly or produced inexpensively; but you can only choose two out of the three.
Well, thanks to the wonders of technology, those days are gone. Today, using email marketing, you can communicate effectively with quality content, design, and delivery. You can do it quickly and repeatedly. And, you can do it within a budget that makes absolute sense for your business. What’s more, you can do all this and at the same time build excellent relationships with your customers.
When you communicate with your customers through permission-based email you get everything you would in a print ad – except the paper. And without the paper, you can skip things like printing costs, mailing costs, and media costs. Plus email targets exactly who you want to reach, so you don’t waste dollars on unlikely prospects, like other advertising options do. It is said that communication is a 50/50 proposition.
We beg to differ. We believe good communication should be a 100/100 effort. With email, you not only control your message, but you also create a welcoming, easy way for recipients to have a two-way dialogue with you. They can also pass along your message to their family and friends – valuable referrals for your business. Just like fingerprints, no two customers are alike.
With email marketing, you can send different messages to match the interests of different customer groups or even individuals. And, because email is so easy to create and change, you can revise your messaging to reflect the changing focus of your audience.
Things To Think About
- What was the total cost of your most recent newspaper or direct mail campaign? Do you think it was a good investment?
- What mechanism do you currently use to hear the voice of your customers?
- Is it effective?
- How much time does it take to adjust your marketing message using your current system of communicating with your customers?
How Well Do You Know Your Customers?
Now you can learn more about them as they learn more about you.
The fact is, all of business is built on relationships. And the better you understand your customers, the better your chances of building a mutually- rewarding, ongoing relationship with each other. An email marketing campaign should be built on a clear understanding of your customers and their needs, as well as what you have to offer them.
It’s easier – and cheaper – to keep a customer than to find a new one.
The more you know about your customers, the better able you are to meet their needs. That means they are much more likely to remain customers, and you don’t have to spend extra money and effort trying to find new ones. What’s more, a satisfied customer is your best advertisement, and can help you build your business through referrals to their friends and colleagues.
No matter what you say, say it consistently and regularly.
A sustained email marketing campaign is the perfect way to educate your customers about your goods, services, policies, and community involvement. Just be sure to map out a strategy for the types of information you plan to share with them, and make sure it’s helpful, informative, or enlightening.
Don’t forget to listen.
Every successful email marketing campaign shares a very important common denominator – the ability of the recipient to respond to the message. By including at least one, and preferably several, ways in which your customer can reach you (by email, phone, or in person), you invite comment, criticism, and congratulations. All are valuable ways to learn more about your customers and respond to their needs..
Consider This When Planning Your Email Campaign:
Different kinds of objectives are best served by different kinds ofemail. For example, if you are looking for immediate sales, then anemail highlighting a price reduction or new product introduction may bebest. If, on the other hand, you’re looking to establish yourself as anexpert in your field, then a more informative email with case historiesmay be appropriate.
- Can you identify satisfied customers who may be willing to be quoted in your email marketing campaign?
- What would a communications calendar about your business look like?
- How can you ensure that your business responds to all customer comments in a timely fashion?
Our next post will discuss how to grow your e-mail list. It's not as hard as you may think. In fact, why not sign up for our updates while you're here.
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