The big guys get it.
Customers have emails and they open them.
Apple, Costco, eBay, Amazon all find my email inbox on a regular basis.
I also get a regular email from a local limo company.
I don't think I ever used them.
What amazes me is that I don't get an email from my barber or my doctor or my local hardware store.
I would be far more interested in getting a reminder from the barber, some updates on my doctor's thinking on health or nutrition, or a sale on the latest cool tool, than I am to get anything from Amazon.
Marketers know that email blasts to your existing client list has the highest return on investment of any type of marketing.
And it makes sense.
It is always cheaper to market to those who have experience with you than those who haven't.
Three impediments seem most likely to stand in the way of small business owners getting on the email blast band wagon.
Let's shoot those down.
1.
People don't want more emails.
Based on real life experience of dozens of my clients, maybe 20% refuse to give their email.
About 30% on average open the emails that are sent out.
2.
I won't be able to collect emails from my clients.
Getting emails is a skill like any other.
Those who follow the below advice are able to add hundreds of emails to their data base every year.
3.
I don't have the time or the skill to create an email to send out.
There are plenty of online services that make this job easy.
There are certainly ways to make the emails more effective, and that will be covered below.
Assuming that I have convinced you that sending out emails to your client base (and potential clients, too) is a good idea, the next step is creating an email list.
There are numbers of ways to do this depending on the type of business you are in.
Retailers would most typically just ask for it at the time of sale, or even if there is no sale.
Take a page out of the playbook of Radio Shack who used to ask for tons of information about you before they'd let you have a 59¢ part.
Use the assumption approach.
Take out a clip board or use your computerized cash register.
Do not say, "may I have your email.
" Merely ask a series of one - three questions.
Name, address, email, phone.
Most folks will just give them to you.
Some will ask why you want them.
Explain that you are going to send out an email no more than once per month that will give them information on new items, special pricing, and events.
Another large percent will be fine with that.
There will be those who say no.
Don't let this get in the way of asking the next customer.
Remember 80% will say yes.
And these emails are like nuggets of pure gold, as you will then use them to create customer loyalty and to get them back into the store for more product or services.
Whether or not you see your clients in person, if you have a website or blog you can ask for emails.
Generally you may want to provide some kind of incentive for folks to leave an email.
It might be a free service, a coupon, a white paper, or just the future benefit of getting information on new items, special pricing, and events.
Use trade shows, chamber meetings, or other times when you are around potential clients to pick up business cards.
Check to see if the email is on the care (50% don't have the email).
If not, ask for it.
Once you have a hundred or so emails in your data base, it is time to start communicating.
You may want to use a company like Constant Contact ( http://www.
constantcontact.
com/index.
jsp ) to help you create professional looking emails for under $20 a month.
You still need to create the content, but you don't need to be a graphic artist to make the email look good.
These kind of services will also keep track of your data base, and let you know how many emails are delivered and how many get opened, plus other stats.
Their meals also include the required opt out message.
What do you want to put in your emails? You want every email to be delightful.
You are better off to send emails less frequently than to send out a bunch that are not helpful or interesting.
Here are five things you might want to include in every email.
1.
Something personal about you, a staff member, or a client.
For instance a nail salon could show pictures of some great nail work.
The clients will love the attention.
2.
Something newsworthy about the business or industry.
A new product, a new variation in an old product, or other news about the shop.
3.
A special or a promotion on some product or service.
4.
Something funny, heartwarming, or encouraging.
One of my clients has a best cat picture and video of the month.
5.
Tons of action options.
Links to social media.
Links to recent videos.
Don't just do one of these things.
Do several or all.
There is no sin in making an email large.
There is a sin in making it boring.
Most companies should send an email around once per month.
Some can do more if they are service an enthusiast audience.