5 Emails Your Business Should Be Sending
Email is still one of your best tools for keeping customers happy and coming back again and again. I know what you’re thinking: “Email is so outdated!” But it’s really not! While social media is important and having a website is a necessity, email is a familiar thing that people feel comfortable with. They don't feel pressured, it is the most likely place to find personalization, and it is versatile. Any small business should concentrate on creating and maintaining an active email list. Trust me. It’s truly beneficial in the long run.
How can you make sure you’re taking advantage of what email can do for your business? To start, you can regularly incorporate these five emails into your email campaign.
Welcome Message
When a person first signs up for your mailing list, it’s important to acknowledge them. You started to build a relationship when they went to your website, but by giving you their email address, they are expressing that they want more of what you offer. Don't disappoint them, especially at this early stage. As a small business, you have the advantage of becoming more personal with your customers than large corporations. Take advantage of this and welcome each new subscriber.
Promotions
Whenever you are running a promotion, let your email subscribers know. You can make it even better if you send it out early so they know about the promotion a couple of days in advance of the general population. Make sure you let the ones who receive this know they are getting the information in advance so they feel like their loyalty is appreciated. Maybe once or twice a year you can send out a special promotional email that gives a special discount to only members of your email list. The point is that you are rewarding your subscribers for their loyalty and this helps cement their relationship with you.
Survey or Feedback
People like to know they are being heard and that their opinion matters. Sending out an email asking for feedback or asking for the recipient to fill out a survey gives them this opportunity. A small business can use this information to provide what their clients want most. In the end, both the business and the customer end up winning. If you implement some of the suggestions and feedback, you get a reputation for caring what they think and they, in turn, feel appreciated and valued.
Appointment Follow-up/Reminder
If your small business offers a service, you have a great opportunity to touch base with clients. First, you should send a thank you email every time a client uses your service. This lets them know you appreciate their business and also makes it more likely they will return to you or recommend you to others. Word of mouth is still one of the most valuable types of referrals you will get. The second type of email that fits in this category is the reminder email. This works for both services and merchandise. For example, places like the Dollar Shave Club will send out emails every couple of months to remind customers that they may want to stock up on a certain item for the coming season or that it is time to refill a certain product that isn't purchased every month.
Win Back
The win-back email is one of the most important. When you set up your email program, it helps to have a system in place that allows you to see who opens your messages. This will show you when it is time to renew interest in a past customer. Say someone hasn't opened your last several messages. Send them an email asking them to return or to tell them you missed them. Maybe offer a special discount. The point is to renew their interest in you. You might combine it with a survey asking what you can do to make coming back worth it to them. This can also be done with customers who have done business with you more than once but have suddenly disappeared. Send them a message asking if you have done something wrong (like issuing a small survey) and expressing your wish to see them return.
Final Thoughts
These aren't the only times you should send emails. A regular newsletter or informational email often gets a boost in business as the customer is reminded of your presence. They are, however, five of the most important emails small businesses can send. Regardless of what you include in your campaign, email is an important aspect of a complete marketing package.
