November 21/28, 2016: Volume 31, Number 12
By Lisbeth Calandrino
I was recently in Staples and the clerk asked if I would like my receipt sent to me. I told him a paper one would be fine and then he said, “I can do both.” He was still trying to get my email address. My friend is the manager so I went over to talk with him.
“Emails must be pretty valuable,” I said and he replied, “They’re another form of currency around here. Every time we get an email we know we can reach out to another client who has bought in the store. Once we know what you’ve bought, we can send you specials on that product. We automatically can look back at what you’ve purchased and make sure we send you information on those items. We own you Lisbeth.”
I laughed but realized how seriously they take their emails. Before going to Staples, I was in Home Depot buying a bag of rock salt, and of course I was asked if I wanted an email receipt.
Two famous thought leaders would have loved the concept of email marketing. Peter Drucker said, “If you can’t measure it you can’t improve it,” and American statistician W. Edwards Deming famously said, “In God we trust, all others must bring data.” One thing about email marketing, it can be measured.
Email marketing is a real arena for big and small business. If you’re not marketing to your customers you can be sure your competitors are. We all know that Home Depot is constantly staying in touch and letting customers know when they are having specials, including flooring.
If you really want to get into the swing of things here are a few email marketing tips.
Sign up with an email marketing company so you can develop a marketing program that will automatically be sent out to your valued customers. This will make sure your campaign will get out on time and that you have assistance with your program. A good company will not only help you plan but will have content for you.
Look ahead, way ahead. You don’t want to miss important holidays or events. February is Go Red for Women. The American Heart Association created this event to draw attention to women and heart problems. During this month you can raise money and hold an event for the cause. This is a good way to connect with your female customers, and the American Heart Association might also include your event in their email blast.
Find ways to connect with other businesses that have a substantial email list. You can hold an event with them and share your lists. Hopefully their customers will come to your event and you will be able to put their emails in your database.
Emails can go viral if you have a “share” button on the top. Don’t forget to tell your readers to share the event on their social media pages or directly to their friends.
Your emails should drive customers to a specific landing page or offer you want them to see. Create a white paper that they can sign up for. This allows you to see you’re your customers are looking at.
If you want to hear more about email marketing I will be presenting “10 Ways to Attract Customers to Your Store” and sharing a “Case Study on After- Sale Marketing” at TISE on Jan. 17 and 18, respectively.