Sales and Marketing - Jen Jordan

Sales and Marketing - Jen Jordan
Jen Jordan brings a wealth of life and leadership experiences to her writing. After 10 years creating a variety of content for a nonprofit, Jen decided to establish her own writing business. She specializes in creating high quality blog and website content for small businesses. When she's not writing, Jen is a competitive triathlete with a goal of completing a triathlon in all 50 states.

5 Strategic Ways To Boost Your Small Business Email Marketing

5 Strategic Ways To Boost Your Small Business Email Marketing

Though social media has grown in leaps and bounds over the years, most people still use email, making it a consistently effective marketing strategy. Email marketing remains a cost-effective and powerful way for small businesses to connect with current and potential customers. By some statistics, many companies generate about $40 for each dollar they spend on their email marketing budget. That’s a great ROI!

The key to effective email marketing is to use the right strategies for your business. Here are some practical email marketing strategies that can help you increase customer engagement.

1 Clearly define your ideal audience

Most people expect to receive personalized content and offers that provide solutions and resources for their unique needs. Many people are short on time, so they don’t want to read a generic email. They want the content to help them improve their lives, resolve pain points, or make decisions.

By defining your ideal audience, you can customize your content and build stronger relationships with your current and potential customers.

2 Add a Lead Magnet to your emails

A "lead magnet" (sometimes called an opt-in bribe) is something attractive and desirable that you give away for free in exchange for someone’s email address. It doesn’t have to cost you anything. Most small businesses offer low-cost or free materials like PDFs, MP3 files, videos, how-to guides, and other materials that you can create yourself.

Some popular lead magnet giveaways include:

  • E-books
  • Tip sheets, guides, or how-to resources
  • Case studies
  • Webinars
  • Free trials or sample materials
  • Assessments or evaluations
  • Coupon

3 Create an email marketing plan for your small business

While there are scenarios where that "random" email is effective, small businesses need to have an email marketing plan. A detailed plan guides you through the entire marketing process and identifies the "why" behind each email you send.

While every email marketing plan looks a bit different, some critical ingredients of an effective marketing plan include:

  • Types of emails to include in your email marketing campaigns
  • Timelines for emails
  • Specific strategies you plan to use to grow your email list

4 Comply with the CAN-SPAM Act

Did you know that email recipients have rights protected by federal law? One of those rights is to only receive emails to which they subscribed.

The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act went into effect in 2008. It requires all marketing emails to include the company address, name, and a visible link that allows recipients to unsubscribe from the list. Another requirement of the law is that the email subject line must accurately describe the content in the email.

Make sure you’re using an email service provider that helps you comply with the CAN-SPAM Act. The FTC can seek penalties of up to $16,000 per email that violates the rules.

5 Include calls to action in your emails

You might think of calls to action as something nonprofits do to get people to donate money. But small businesses should include a clear and visible call to action in marketing emails! Some standard calls to action can include invitations to "sign up" or "buy now."

Here’s a list of potential calls to action you can add to your next marketing email:

  • Subscribe
  • Receive a coupon
  • Join free
  • Get started
  • Enroll
  • Buy today

When readers see these kinds of messages, they know the specific action you’re trying to get them to take after reading the email. A compelling call to action is very specific and brief. It creates a sense of urgency, motivating the reader to act as quickly as possible.

There are many other strategies for creating effective marketing emails. Still, these five steps will have you well on your way to boosting your email marketing list and getting a better return on your investment.

Works Cited

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business

https://nealschaffer.com/email-marketing-tips/

https://www.verticalresponse.com/blog/6-proven-local-email-marketing-ideas-for-small-businesses/

https://flodesk.com/blog/small-business-email-marketing/

https://www.mailmunch.com/blog/email-marketing-for-small-businesses

https://databox.com/email-marketing-for-small-business