7 Email Marketing Tips To Promote Your Business

Now that you have a email list, what will you write? You want to promote your business, but you don’t want to put readers off and lose their subscriptions. You certainly do not want anyone to call your emails “spam.”

You need to develop a content strategy that mixes valuable information with soft sell information and the occasional hard sell promotion.

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1. Give your subscribers content they cannot refuse.

The core of your email marketing plan should be solid, solution-oriented information that your customers want to read. Whatever you sell, customers will open your emails if they know you supply information they want or need to succeed.

As this content will be the core of your email strategy, you should spend some time considering your ideal customer and what she would want to read. A pet food customer might want to read pet care and training tips. An accountant’s customers would likely prefer to read about changes in income tax law that might affect their businesses.

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2. Offer your subscribers special discounts and promotions.

If your customers already use your products, special discount offers can encourage them to open your emails and make another purchase. Even if they cannot be convinced to purchase today, knowing that you may offer a deal the next time they are ready to buy will make it hard for them to choose to unsubscribe from your email list.

The only drawback to this email marketing strategy is that you may train your customers to buy only when you offer a discount. Consider ways to offer discounts on some items and not others to avoid this situation. For example, a dentist might offer a discounted cleaning and whitening package to customers who previously only scheduled preventive dentistry services.

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3. Create interest in new products you have in the pipeline.

You don’t want to overdo this, but letting satisfied customers know what you are developing for them helps build excitement. Customers will appreciate that they have early, inside information, and you can even solicit beta testers for your product if you wish.

Remember, people don’t want to be sold; they want to be helped. Letting them know that you feel their pain and are creating a solution will increase their desire to buy when the product is available.

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4. Share case studies and testimonials.

Sharing examples of how others use your products successfully will reduce buyer remorse and help push prospects off the fence and into a sale. Also, publishing testimonials may lead to more testimonials from customers interested in appearing in your emails.

You may even find some testimonials demonstrate a use for your product that you had not considered or had neglected to emphasize to customers.

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5. Offer upgrades or complementary products.

Again, you don’t want to overdo this or you will lose subscribers who feel your email marketing is too aggressive. However, educating customers about other products that will help them maximize their results will lead to additional sales and increased customer satisfaction.

Customers who bought an awning from you may be interested in upgrading to a screened enclosure during the height of mosquito season or during an outbreak of West Nile virus.

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6. Toot your own horn when your company receives awards or recognition.

Never miss these opportunities to thank your customers for their contribution to your success and their continued support. They will appreciate your gratitude, and hearing about your achievement will make them feel positive about their association with you.

Maybe they already felt good about the car they bought from you, but they will feel even better when they hear your dealership is number one in customer satisfaction.

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7. Test, Test, Test

Finding the right mix of informational and promotional content may take some testing with your brand and customers. If you focus on solving your customer’s problems, you should be able to offer solutions that your customers will gladly buy from you over and over again. However, testing your email marketing efforts will help you make informed decisions on how much is too much with your list. Only testing can prove whether or not sending an extra email each week would double your sales without causing customers to unsubscribe.

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You worked hard to get customers to opt into your list, don’t blow it with hype that lacks substance. These content suggestions will help you with finding topics that make your email marketing campaigns successful and profitable.

Your turn.

Do you know any other email marketing tips? Please share them with us.