If you expect to get your marketing emails opened and read, you need to consistently deliver useful information, while also respecting the cardinal rule of content marketing – quickly and clearly make your point.
That’s just the beginning.
Having accomplished that, you then have to get your prospects and customers to take action – such as making an online purchase.
However, for many of us whose products and services require a moderate to significant investment, there there are necessary intermediate actions that must be taken before we will make a sale.
What is most important is designing an email marketing program that encourages actions that progressively lead to sales – and more than likely these actions will require human interaction.
Strategically Plan Your Email Marketing
If you are a local retailer, your primary objective may be getting new prospects and loyal customers into your store. For me personally, as a professional speaker, it is collectively having a conversation with the key decision makers after they have reviewed my speaking materials.
You and I need a plan that extends the value of our email message by humanizing it and our businesses. This means we are now the ones that needs to take action.
Emails are valuable for opening doors – but you have to physically give it a shove for that to happen.
In other words, you have to follow-up on your emails. This starts with picking up the phone and having something productive to say – while again respecting the cardinal rule of content marketing by getting to the point.
3 Tips for Humanizing Email Marketing
#1 – Emphasize why you are confirming the receipt of your message. Elaborate on its value for your prospect or customer – hopefully by personalizing it.
#2 – Enhance the value of your message by adding one more thing. My favorite method for accomplishing this is to first let the conversations breathe, then add one more thing that further extends the value of the core message.
For example, you may be introducing a new product or service that may be particularly relevant to specific consumers or organizations. That’s the added value – and its something that can logically extend the conversation – leading you that much closer to business transaction.
#3 – Demonstrate you care about your customer by acknowledging your understanding of their business circumstances.
If you are creating social media groups and lists to monitor the communities you serve, you will have an abundance of topics to discuss further, should the client be willing.
Customers like to know you care about them. Even if you just leave a voicemail to acknowledge that, you have made a personal connection that is not possible with email.
If you are granted time for a conversation, you now have the opportunity to learn about new opportunities that you (and your competitors) may not have been previously aware.
You certainly cannot accomplish that with email.
Nominate JeffKorhan.com as a Top Blog
Many of you know I am a regular guest blogger at Social Media Examiner. They have just announced a call for nominations for your favorite blogs that serve the small business community with social media.
I will be honored if you take few seconds to nominate JeffKorhan.com by following this link.
Thank you!
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Until tomorrow, Jeff
