Send Emails to Your Customers

If you have a retail business and a healthy customer list you should consider sending out emails to your customers. Email marketing is often touted as giving one of the best ROI's of any marketing activity.


Why do email marketing?

1. Remind your customers to do business with you. Sometimes customers just need a little prodding. Whenever I get a personal email from one of my favorite wineries asking if I want to order anything, I almost always say yes.
2. Keep them involved with your business. Maybe you have the type of business where customers purchase infrequently. Remind them who you are between purchases.
3. Create word of mouth opportunities. When you send out important information to your customers, it gives them the opportunity to forward the email on to their friends.
4. Introduce promotions, new products or services. Get people excited if this month is "Bring a Friend Free" month.
5. Keep your customers informed. Let them know if you are now open Saturday mornings, or that you've hired a key individual. My wife recently called to confirm her appointment for her annual check up and they told her, "we're glad you called, because we've moved." Luckily she called.
6. It's cost effective. If you had to personally call all your customers or send a letter, how much would that cost?

Use a web-based system to send your emails. There are several great on-line services that allow you to send out colorful, spiffy-looking emails while only requiring you to know how to click a mouse and string some sentences together. You'll be able to send out the same email to hundreds of customers, yet it will also be personalized. Using a web-based email service also prevents you from clogging up your own computer or losing everything if your system crashes.

Which should you use? Check out this list here: Email Service Providers. I have used Constant Contact in the past, but there are cheaper services. Your cost will be determined by the number of emails you send out per month. Most services will offer you a free trial period. Pick a couple and test them out.

For some basics of email marketing, see this reference list.

Have you had success with email marketing? Share your story.

For small business marketing lessons and advice, see our other blog: The Marketing Spot
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