Email marketing: an affordable way to boost sales

Your best customers are the ones who’ve already bought from you, so why are you letting them get away? By creating an email marketing list, you’ll be able to follow up with customers, offering them special deals, great new products and other enticements to encourage them to shop with you again.

Email marketing is very nearly free

While many digital marketing strategies require a commitment of time or money, email marketing has very low costs. Even if you hire an expert to create and maintain your list, you’ll still be able to send hundreds or thousands of emails for less than the cost of PPC (pay per click) advertising or a print ad in a magazine. Best of all, your subscribers have chosen to receive information from you, so they’re much more receptive than randomly selected members of the public.

Automatic marketing

One major benefit of digital marketing is that you can send emails automatically. As an example, most e-commerce stores will automatically send a confirmation whenever customers make a purchase. As well as including details of the purchase, you could add links to other products, a discount code or other enticements. If you’re not sending marketing emails when customers hit key milestones (signing up, making a purchase, changing information, etc) you’re missing out.

Send helpful reminders

Another great way to generate repeat business is a timely reminder. Insurance companies try to do this by sending customers information offering discounts for an early renewal and printer companies keep track of ink supplies where they can, but any business can use a reminder to generate repeat sales. As an example, kids’ clothing companies send reminders on a seasonal basis, grocery companies might send a follow up after a week or a month, holiday companies after a few months. If the reminders are well timed and linked to products that have already been bought, there’s a high chance customers will shop with you again.

Follow up and learn

Digital marketing runs on information, so you may want to use your email list to find out more about your customers and how they respond to your products. Encouraging customers to leave a review is an obvious use for an email marketing list. You can also send customer surveys, ask for direct feedback and remind customers of your warranty and returns information if you think that’s necessary. Creating a dialogue with key customers can be a great way to improve your understanding of your market and your products.

Give away something for free

Creating a marketing email that people actually want to read isn’t easy. The simplest way to draw attention to your work is to give something away for free. The freebie could be straightforward, such as a chance to win a product or a discount voucher. It could also be something more intangible, such as a piece of writing, a photo or video that’s of interest to your target market. As an example, hobby stores, whether they’re catering to knitters or mountain climbers, often send emails packed with hobby-related tips – and a few product suggestions.

Direct marketing

Last but not least, your growing email list is a great resource for direct marketing. As you learn more about your customers, you’re able to target your emails better and improve your click through rates, reduce bounce backs and unsubscribe responses and generate more sales. An email marketing list should never be the only tool in your digital marketing kit but it’s a great one to have on hand.

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