MARKE TING
by Jeff Wuorio
@ccess
the inbox
Create an e-mail marketing campaign that will
draw in new clients and expand your business
I
saac Business Services relies heavily on e-mail—not just to communicate
with clients but also to keep the company thriving. Cheryl Isaac, president
of the Columbus, Ohio, business development firm, is constantly gathering
e-mail addresses from current and potential customers. “When people come
to my seminars, I make sure their contact information includes an e-mail
address,” she says. “I also get addresses from business cards, consultations and
wherever else I can find them. As a result, I have a list of people receptive to
hearing about company updates and events.” Today, e-mail marketing is crucial to Isaac’s
success. “I really rely on it for getting the word out about my workshops,” she says.
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When done right, such marketing can be very effective. According to a survey on
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e-mail marketing trends by Epsilon Data Management, a marketing services firm, 84%
of consumers reported clicking on relevant offers, and 73% bought a product from the
10 vendor online. As significant, 86% of survey respondents made an in-store purchase after
receiving e-mail from the vendor. Still, to successfully market your business via e-mail,
BUSINESS VISION
you must do much more than simply send out random messages en masse and trust luck
to make your content stick with an audience. An effective strategy includes a targeted list
of contacts, strong content and an attractive presentation. In other words, you must care-
fully plan your campaign and give it ongoing attention.
MARKE TING
Build the List in prospects’ inboxes). “When they document their delivery rates,
The first step for any business owner is to create an e-mail list. determine whether they simply estimate figures or get the figures
Here, you have a few options—and a few caveats to mind. Many audited by an outside firm,” adds Jordan Ayan, author of The Practical
experts caution that you should never buy an Guide to Email Marketing and CEO of the Lisle,
e-mail list. For one thing, you’ll likely end up Illinois, e-mail marketing firm SubscriberMail.
wasting precious marketing dollars for names
of people who have no interest in your prod-
Don’t Get
uct or service. You might also incur fines of as Lost in the Consider Your Content
much as $11,000 or even imprisonment if you
Junk Folder Although a targeted e-mail list is important, the
are convicted of distributing spam or unsolic- substance of your e-mail is equally essential. You
ited messages. Instead, it’s essential for you to
obtain explicit permission.
One way to accomplish that is to offer an “opt
1
Stay away from
must decide what you want to accomplish. “Do you
want to increase sales, drive traffic to your Website
or boost your visibility?” Jenkins asks. “The answer
in” feature on a Website that invites visitors to phrases that are will help determine the marketing message you
popular with
sign up to receive e-mails. Or follow Isaac’s lead send.” Let recipients know up front what they can
spammers, such as
and gather e-mail addresses during meetings “free,” “special expect in the e-mails and offer something of genu-
and conferences. Save business cards and even offer” or “click here.” ine value. Depending on your goals, that can mean
feel free to ask customers outright if they are anything from news about sales and specials to a
willing to be added to your e-mail list, provided
that permission is straightforward. Be sure to 2
Don’t use the dollar
regularly published newsletter or blog.
In addition to information, discounts and other
give instructions on how to opt out of any e-mail perks, make certain your message contains a call
sign ($) or any over-
distribution list. Also, craft a privacy policy for the-top punctuation to action. This can take on various forms, includ-
your e-mails (with legal help if needed). (for example, !!!) in ing clicking on a link for information, visiting a
Another option is to delegate the job to an your subject line. Website, downloading documents or signing up
outside e-mail marketing firm that can take on for a special deal or offer.
a variety of chores, from building the e-mail
list to shaping and monitoring the campaign.
3
Get on whitelists,
Experts agree that a key component is the word-
ing of the e-mail subject line. Even if a potential
Whether you should employ such a company which are lists of customer has signed on to receive e-mails, a con-
depends on the amount of time you can devote to allowed e-mail fusing subject line can doom yours to the trash. To
the process as well as how important a successful addresses compiled attract attention, make it interesting but clear. Ayan
e-mail campaign might be to the development by most Internet suggests sending out test messages with various
of your business. “Growing small businesses providers. subject lines to a select audience and measuring
often outsource accounting rather than handle it your responses. Try to avoid attachments, which are
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in-house, and e-mail marketing is no different rarely opened and can clog up inboxes.
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in being a highly specialized and frequently changing area,” says As you determine the content of your campaign, also strategize
Simms Jenkins, author of The Truth About Email Marketing and about the frequency of your communications. Try e-mailing twice
12 CEO of the Atlanta e-mail marketing firm BrightWave Marketing. a month to maintain effectiveness without becoming an annoy-
If you’re short on time and eager for professional help, obtain ance. A regular schedule is vital to the e-mail marketing effort at
BUSINESS VISION
referrals from other business owners who have set up successful Magmic Games, an Ottawa, Ontario, provider of games for cell
campaigns. Ask the companies to discuss prior programs in detail phones and other portable devices. “We e-mail every other Thurs-
and to offer specific examples; in particular, make certain you day morning, and we always offer samples of two new games and
know delivery rates (the percentage of e-mails that actually end up other information such as a coupon code or a discount incentive,”
“ Although a targeted e-mail list is important, the substance of your
e-mail is equally essential. You must decide what you want to accomplish
for your business and frame the e-mail’s content around that goal.
says McKay Smith, Magmic’s vice president of consumer market-
ing. “We never e-mail more frequently than twice a month, unless
something special demands it.”
”
and marketing tracking systems make this manageable. “One
of the beauties of e-mail marketing is that it’s so easily testable,”
Ayan says. Many services even make detailed reports and other
data available just a few hours after the e-mail messages are sent.
Study the results carefully and change your look or your message
Get the Look as needed before you launch your next campaign.
Even with a targeted, receptive audience and excellent content, an What defines success will vary from one business to another.
e-mail will not go far without a visually appealing layout. To make But studies indicate that e-mail can be a powerful tool for market-
matters more challenging for business owners, recipients receive ing your business effectively if it’s pursued with the right address
e-mails on computers with a number of different operating plat- list, valuable content and an attractive layout. “E-mail is great, but
forms, cell phones and a variety of other portable communications it’s not easy,” Jenkins says. “The trick is spending time and effort
devices. Unique filters and settings can further determine which to craft a strategy that lets you accomplish your goals.”
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images make it to potential customers unscathed and which get
scrambled or disappear completely.
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To be safe, create a straightforward design that emphasizes
text and utilizes simple graphics that are likely to appear on any Merchant Ser vices
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number of platforms. If, however, images are an important part Build a better payment-processing solution that allows
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you to stay competitive. Key Merchant Services helps
of your overall marketing message, be certain to test e-mails to
you deliver flexible and innovative solutions. See page
check how they will look on various applications.
B16 of the Tool Kit or call 1-888-KEY4BIZ to learn more.
Once your e-mail marketing campaign is up and running, it’s
important to monitor results closely. Fortunately, e-mail software
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