5 Ways Small Businesses Can Leverage Email Marketing

Email marketing has always been a powerful component of effective digital marketing campaigns, but if you have never tried it (or have been underwhelmed by results) this guide is for you. Here are five smart ways in which you can really leverage your email marketing for maximum benefit.

1. Make it personal

One of the reasons companies such as Amazon are so successful is because they have mastered the art of personalization. Rather than presenting the same message to all of their customers, businesses who focus on personalization split their customers into different groups and target different messages to each.

Amazingly, according to a study by Econsultancy, only 5 percent of businesses use any kind of personalization in their marketing. This means that if your industry follows the typical pattern, you could steal a lead over 95 per cent of your competitors!

Personalizing your emails is easier than you might think. Instead of having one landing page with a sign-up form you could create different pages depending on the answers a customer gives to a specific question. For example you could ask what they are most interested in or why they bought from/visited you.

You can then organize these subscribers into different segments on your email marketing list (and if you don’t have a list platform, that’s the subject of the next tip).

 2. Choose your list platform wisely

While most email hosting and admin tools (e.g. Gmail, Microsoft Office 365, etc.) will allow you to create a distribution list for mass emailing, this is not recommended. For one thing, most recipients’ email systems will feature anti-spam support which will filter your messages into their trash.

A much better option is to sign up to one of the many specialist online marketing automation services on the market. But which is the best one to work with?

Three companies that are regularly recommended are Aweber, Constant Contact and MailChimp. MailChimp is a popular choice for small businesses due to their free lead-in offer (although Constant Contact offers a free trial). Aweber is renowned for their simple drag-and-drop email automation builder and flexible marketing tools.

Using a double opt-in protocol, these companies ensure your emails are only delivered to those subscribers who have opted to receive them. They will then appear in your recipient’s inbox rather than their spam folder.

3. Keep in touch with a newsletter

Email marketing is the ideal vehicle for delivering a monthly (or weekly) newsletter. You can even create multiple different newsletters using the strategy outlined in the first tip. Newsletters consist of an edited email template (all of the platforms mentioned above contain free templates) with a few links to resources. If you have the time and resources, you can even create a downloadable PDF packed full of articles, case studies, and other content.

Whatever the format, the most important factor is that you provide a quality, regular service which keeps your business top of mind.

4. Boost your special offers

Rather than paying for an ad campaign or directing traffic to your special offer landing pages, you can use email marketing to present those offers directly to your email list.

To keep your customers from unsubscribing, make sure that you only send out special offer emails periodically. You might even consider presenting special offers only to your mailing list as a loyalty bonus. For example, giving your loyal subscribers a discount code by email will make them feel valued and is another way to personalize your offerings.

5. Link in to your key products

Do you have a key product or service you want to push? By combining the previous four tips, you can maximize conversions on that item.

One way to do this is to create a themed newsletter ‘special’ containing both special offers and links to a couple of blog posts relevant to your key product. In this way, no matter where your customers are in your sales funnel, they can be nudged a little further along towards pressing that ‘buy now’ button.

Brent Whitfield is the CEO of DCG Technical Solutions Inc. DCG provides the specialist advice and IT consulting Los Angeles area businesses need to remain competitive and productive, while being sensitive to limited IT budgets. Brent has been featured in Fast Company, CNBC, Network Computing, Reuters, and Yahoo Business. https://www.dcgla.com was recognized among the Top 10 Fastest Growing MSPs in North America by MSP mentor. Follow them on Twitter @DCGCloud. Regarding an Email hosting, backup and business class exchange email accounts please contact DCG Technical Solutions at 213-261-3998 or email at support@dcgla.com.