I can’t believe that we are thundering towards Christmas, already the big brands are starting to launch their Christmas ads, always a very exciting time of year. Whilst we have the anticipation of Christmas, November is probably the last full month where we can really focus and drive sales before the new year. This November we wanted to focus on email marketing, a key mechanic in any small business toolkit. So how is email marketing performing these days? Did you know that:
“59% of companies generate more than 10% of sales from email marketing.”
Email Marketing Consus (2014)
“Email is 40x better at acquiring new customers vs Facebook and Twitter.”
(Mc Kinsey & Co 2014).
42% of businesses say email is one of their most effective lead generation channels.
(Circle Research 2012).
Please CLICK HERE to check out my Pinterest Email Marketing board for some more great email marketing inspiration and ideas.
Email Marketing is such an important part of today’s Marketing mix, and in particular for a small business as there are some great economical tools out there to help both deployment and data management eg: Mail Chimp. There are some schools of thought that social media is starting to replace it, I am not so convinced. I think that both media have their place and appeal to different audiences in different ways, here are some top 5 things to consider:
- It is important to understand where you are with your business, what direction you are heading in, what you are trying to achieve and very importantly who your target audience is. Once you know this then you can steer any activity you are focusing on in a combined and joint direction.
- A strong subject line is key. If people don’t open your email then they wont be able to engage with you or absorb your content. Think about what encourages you to open an email and read it? Mail Chimp recommend something that clearly explains what the content is about, I agree but also I think something with a twist that creates intrigue is also important.
- Create engaging content. Think about what your audience wants to hear from you, what would make them engage with you and most importantly how does that fit within your own business objectives.
- Timing: When do your clients want to hear from you? If you are targeting parents then to speak to them at 9am in the morning possibly won’t work, aim for a time when they are ready to hear from you.
- Data Lists. Growing your list has to be a key objective for any small business, as it is a great way to engage with your audience on an ongoing basis. Do consider the balance between quantity and quality – better to have a smaller list with an engaged audience vs a larger audience which is uninterested.
Finally enjoy being creative and generating some great, engaging emails!
I wish you great success for the close of 2015, if you have any email marketing questions then please don’t hesitate to get in touch! Don’t forget that I offer a FREE 60-minute consultation for any new client.
Sophie x
