Yes!
Sending unsolicited spam emails in the hope of generating new business was not something we’ve ever recommended but we should be sending emails to our present and past customers.
For most businesses once the initial product is sold or the service completed there should be more you can offer such as add on services, maintenance plans or a product upgrades. In fact a lot of business models are based on the initial product or service being free or sold at cost and then more premium products and services are sold once a relationship has been developed. And because you are sending to customers who have already bought from you they will trust you and be more inclined to read your emails and purchase from you again.
So here are 6 tips you can implement to start using email to re-market to your past customers and generate a valuable extra revenue stream for your business:
1) There’s gold in them there lists!
Your first step to email marketing success lays in your customer database. Create a list of the names and email addresses of your past and present customers. These can then be used to upload to your email marketing system…
2) Find an email marketing system
Don’t try to send emails via your email account, it can go horribly wrong with you ending up getting your email address blacklisted for spamming or breaching the CAM-SPAM Act. Instead use a professional email marketing system such as MailChimp to send your emails and automate tasks such as unsubscribes. You will also be able to see reports showing you how much engagement your emails have received.
3) You don’t have to be flash
There are two schools of though with this. You can have the marketing emails look like they are personal messages from you or you can go for the more flashy branded approach and create a template styled with your brand identity.
4) Make it personal
With most email marketing systems such as MailChimp you can personalise your emails by adding the recipients name. So instead of staring the email ‘Dear customer’ you can personalise it to say ‘Dear John’ or ‘Hi Jenny’. This stops the email looking generic and allows you to have a personal conversation with your customer.
5) Don’t sweat it!
Most email marketing systems will allow you to set up drip campaigns. A Drip campaign allows you to upload a series of pre-written emails that can be scheduled to send on specific dates or intervals. For example you could pre-write 12 emails that are sent out each month over a year. So once done you can sit back with your feet up whilst your drip campaign automatically sends out your emails. You can also continue adding new customers to your list and they will start receiving the emails from the beginning of the sequence.
6) Don’t be boring
No one likes a bore, so don’t send boring emails. Your emails should be informative and interesting. If you are letting a customer know about another great service or product you offer, don’t go straight in for the kill! Educate them first, let them know you understand the problem they face, provide a solution and then add a call to action.
Tone of voice is also important, strike a balance between being an authority and offering friendly advice. You are sending to people you know and have worked with, so talk to them accordingly.
We have helped many businesses in Wandsworth, London, Epsom and further afield with their email marketing and web design. If you are not using email marketing already to stay in touch with your customers, then you are probably missing out on a ton of additional sales! If you would like some advice on how to get started or if you just want it setup for you, get in touch.