Permission Email Marketing Tips for Offline Small Business
Article:
Unless your small business is situated under a rock, you've
probably heard something about email marketing by now, and you
may have even wondered if it's time for your small business to
get into it.
In its simplest terms, email marketing means communicating with
consumers through email. But there's a big difference between
trying to talk to consumers who never asked to be talked to in
the first place, and talking to your own customers, who at some
point have said, "Yes, I'd love to hear from you."
That's where permission email marketing comes in. Permission
email marketing means giving valuable information to consumers
who have requested to receive it. It is the ONLY legitimate way
to send an email marketing campaign, and it is the only way your
small business can benefit from email marketing.
But how do you get your customers to say "I do"?
If you have an online business, or if your offline business has
a website that receives many visitors, compiling subscribers can
be as easy as adding a subscription box to your website. You
would offer users something valuable, like a periodical
newsletter or emails with discount coupons and, in return, your
users would subscribe to your mailing list.
Sounds great. But what if your business is primarily offline,
and what if you don't even have a website?
Many businesses think that's reason enough to step out of email
marketing altogether. But what they're missing here is that
compiling a permission email marketing list offline can be as
easy, if not easier in some instances, as building a list online.
We have advised many clients on tips to collect email addresses
at the point of purchase. Here are some of our favorite tactics:
- Collect business cards, Offer a prize. This is one of the
oldest, most proven methods of collecting customer information
in-store. Your prize doesn't even have to be huge. If you own a
restaurant, it can be as simple as a free dinner for two. If you
own a hair dresser, it can be as easy a 50% off coupon towards
their next cut. The beauty here is that customers who submit
their business cards have expressed genuine interest in your
products or services. So when you contact them by email with
further offers, you know you're talking to people who want to
buy what you're selling.
The one thing to keep in mind here is that you MUST inform users
that by submitting their business cards, they are agreeing to
receive email communication from you. This can be as simple as
adding a sign to the business card drop-off box saying: "We will
send you an email to notify you if you have won. We may also
send you periodical emails with special offers and
announcements. If you do not wish to receive emails from us,
please write 'No Email' on your business card."
- Start a V.I.P. Club Many consumers like the idea of belonging
to something exclusive, and receiving offers that are extended
only to a select group of people. The labor on your part is
minimal. It's as easy as keeping a notebook by the cashier. As a
customer comes up to complete a purchase, casually tell them
about your businesses' V.I.P. Club and ask them if they would
like to join. Customers will appreciate this if you position it
as a rewards club, or a way to say "Thank you, we love to have
you around" to your most loyal customers. Of course, you should
offer V.I.P. Club membership to any of your consumers, as you
may find, once you start emailing them offers, that's a great
way to build your most loyal customers. Make sure the offers you
send them are, in fact, exclusive, and that you email V.I.P.
Club members often enough, but not too often to become annoying
(once or twice a month is usually a good interval).
Again, when you're collecting customer emails for the V.I.P.
Club, make sure your customers know they're signing up to
receive email offers from you.
These are just some ideas to get your permission email marketing
subscriber list started. The best news here is that compiling a
list is actually the toughest part of managing an email
marketing campaign. As long as you're using an email marketing
manager program that's specifically designed for small
businesses like yours, the rest of the process is a breeze.
Creating a campaign involves little more than selecting a
professionally-designed template, typing text and choosing a few
good images. Your campaigns will be scheduled and sent
automatically, so you'll never have to worry about being
involved in that part.
What you will get to do (and this is probably the most exciting
and most rewarding part of email marketing), is analyze your
campaign after it's been sent. You'll be able to see how many
people opened your email message, how many people clicked on
each link within the message and, best of all, exactly who did
what. Now that's what we call accurate, detailed, and immediate
consumer research (you actually get to track your consumers'
actions from the exact moment they happen). And while you would
previously pay a fortune just to get this research data, today
your small business can send professional email marketing
campaigns and track detailed consumer behavior for less than it
would cost you to print store flyers.
It's the new age of marketing, and there's never been a better
time for your offline small business to get into the game.
About the author:
Robert Burko is president and founder of Eliteweb.cc, an Internet
portal and suite of Fortune 500 tools designed for the specific
needs of small businesses. Eliteweb's permission email
marketing manager is perfect for online or offline small
businesses. Click on the link above for a no-commitment 30-day
Free trial.
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