If your business is retail focused, lead gen focused, membership focused or community focused – you should have an email strategy. Email solutions range in complexity. Depending on your business and end goal, the solution and strategy will vary.
How can an email strategy help my business?
If your business is retail focused:
Chances are you are collecting your customer’s email addresses when the make online purchases. If your business isn’t online, you can still make email a very successful tool by collecting information at your location. Sending your customers coupons, newsletters and purchase details will keep them engaged with your brand. Having an editorial calendar for your emails will help keep your business in front of mind to them. Holiday emails with specials, birthday specials, new item emails – they all help!
If your business is lead gen focused:
If you aren’t staying engaged with your leads, you risk losing them to a competitor who does stay in touch. Email is a low cost method for staying engaged with your prospects. Send a welcome email, a few days later check in with them again. Keep them engaged through the entire lifecycle when they are a lead and continue the interactions past the lead stage once they become a customer.
If your business is membership focused:
What is a community if there is limited engagement? Of course, engagement on your site, or within your membership is important, but staying in touch outside of the actual “community” is also key. Your website, or the community, may not be at top of mind 100% of the time. But with the overall percentage of smartphones on the rise, chances are that your members have their email in their pocket most of the time. Sending periodic emails to them will ensure that your community is top of mind more often.
What kind of solutions are there?
Effective Edge Media has experience with several email service providers (ESPs) and email related vendors over the years. ConstantContact, MailChimp, ExactTarget, Unsubcentral – Just to name a few. Depending on your business needs, we will recommend the best solution for you, and manage it through and through.