MARKETING
TIP #105
The Strength of Email
If someone told you there was a marketing opportunity that provided immediate measurable results, had an ROI of about $52 for every marketing dollar spent and a high percentage of recipients passed your message along to prospective customers at no additional cost to you – would you believe it? Well, it’s true and you’ve probably been the recipient of them. It’s email marketing. It sounds obvious doesn’t it?
But many companies overlook – or don’t realize – the benefits or how to use the marketing channel effectively.
One of the biggest benefits of email marketing is relationship development both with existing and prospective customers. An email that delivers a targeted, interesting, educational and entertaining message builds your reputation as an authority in your industry. Prospects begin to look at you as a trusted information provider with dependable solutions. However, customer retention may be the strongest benefit of email marketing when used as a means of staying in touch and top-of-mind with contacts.
Not only does email marketing help establish your company as an authority and build relationships, it can provide insight into your target market and their needs as well as your own strengths and areas that may need a little improvement. Emails provide objective methods of assessment through:
- Bounce-backs. When an email address is invalid, it will bounce back to you. A high percentage of bounced emails may mean you are falling out of contact with your key audience. It is estimated that about 30 to 50% of email addresses change annually.
- Open rates. Email marketers have tools that track when your message is opened and by whom. Low open rates may mean your emails aren’t getting through. Professional email marketers, such as North Star Marketing, know how to code the email so that it makes it through filters.
- Link click-throughs. When you provide links to articles and websites, your provider can track which of these links were clicked on to help you better understand what your customers are interested in.
Strategic email campaigns can also help build your prospect list. Whenever you send out an email, make sure you provide a ‘send to a friend’ link that makes it easy for the recipient to pass it along. These forwardees are a great prospect source when you follow-up with an offer, an invitation to try your service or sign-up for your newsletter. Offering an ‘unsubscribe’ link is essential to a good rapport with your customers. When someone chooses to ‘unsubscribe,’ follow-up with them, they may want to receive your message in a different format such as direct mail.
Determining when to use email and matching your message to the recipient is crucial and can have a dramatic effect on your results.
North Star Marketing effectively used emails to help Fenner Precision announce an acquisition and McClarin Plastics keep in front of their customers and prospects with an end-of-year message. When Fenner Precision acquired Winfield Industries last month, we broadcast an email announcing the acquisition with a call to action to visit their website. The results were astonishing; their average daily website page views, about 563, more than doubled to 1,267 on the day of the broadcast. The day after the broadcast saw 1,007 page views. In December ‘07, McClarin Plastics used email to build customer relationships by thanking them for their business and extending wishes for a happy holiday. Again, the email drove the recipient to their website. On the day of the broadcast, their website page views increased 40% - the highest number of visitors for the month.
But the marketing uses for email go beyond these types of announcements. Emails can also be used to build anticipation for or launch a new product; special offers; test marketing; surveys of your audience; and educate. However, it is important that your message provide value to the reader, otherwise you’ll soon lose their attention and they will stop reading your emails.
Used as part of a multi-channel marketing initiative, emails can support and reinforce your brand messaging as long as it is kept consistent between channels. That’s when the expertise of a marketing agency is extremely important.
When choosing an email marketing provider, look for an agency with a proven track record and make sure they have technical, management and creative expertise in email marketing. This includes the knowledge to list build, create, broadcast and track your campaign.
The professionals at North Star Marketing have 19 years of branding experience and the expertise to formulate an effective email marketing program to reach your target market. We know the tips, tricks and techniques that will make your emails impact your bottom-line. Call today for a consult, 717-392-6982 or email info@northstar-m.com.
Best,
Bowen Smith
Executive Vice President
P.S.
I’d like to personally invite you to join our next free monthly teleconference on April 15. I’ll be giving you tips on how to increase your sales productivity.