Tag Archives: Business E-mail marketing

October 26, 2015 · 9:59 am

5 Reasons You Should Still Be Doing E-Mail Marketing

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Think that e-mail marketing has fallen out of favor, or become old-hat when compared to modern advances like social media and SnapChat?

Think again.

Many marketers still count e-mail among the very best, must lucrative marketing channels in existence. We’d tend to agree. Not only do we send regular e-mail blasts on behalf of our own brand, but we strongly recommend it to all of our clients.

If you’re skeptical of e-mail’s potential impact, we invite you to consider a few counterarguments. Hopefully, these will convince you that e-mail is still a platform your marketing team should be implementing!

Why E-mail Still Makes Sense

  1. It’s simply the easiest way to reach consumers on their phones. We don’t have to tell you that we all live in an increasingly mobile world, and you probably won’t be surprised to know that, statistically, most people check e-mail from their mobile phones at least once daily. By contrast, SMS tends to be unwelcomed by most consumers, and in some cases actually costs recipients money. Not a good way to make a positive impression.
  2. You can send customers mobile offers. With e-mail, you can easily send your customers coupons or discount codes—offers they can store on their phones and pull out when they come into your store or meet with your sales representative.
  3. E-mail is an invaluable content delivery vehicle. Want to get more traction on company blog posts? More downloads on your latest white paper? E-mail the link. Let people who may not follow your company website know that there’s some fresh content waiting their review.
  4. E-mail doesn’t cost much money. Even if you pay for a premium e-mail distribution service and hire a company like Grammar Chic to do the content writing, you’re still looking at a few bucks per month—a pretty small investment, in the scheme of things, with the potential for significant value.
  5. E-mail is actually a lot more effective than social media. Bottom line: If you’re looking to do just one thing to increase conversions, this is the one thing you need to do.

Invest some time in e-mail marketing—and be strategic about it. You’ll find that it’s well worth it—and if you need any assistance, just give Grammar Chic a call. You can reach us at 803-831-7444, or www.grammarchic.net.

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June 19, 2015 · 11:43 am

E-mail Marketing: Keep it Professional

Contact-Us (E&P)In today’s super-digital environment, an e-mail has roughly the same impact that a business card might have had 10 or 20 years ago: It’s a reflection of your brand and it speaks to your professionalism.

This is true of the personal e-mails you send to clients and co-workers, but it’s also true of the missives sent to your company e-mail list: For better or worse, marketing e-mails really do reflect your brand, which means that there’s more to them than their messaging. The presentation itself must be professional, underscoring, not undermining, the authority of your brand.

But not all marketing e-mails are created equal, and—frankly—not all are as professional as they need to be. There are minor infractions you can make that will subvert your status as a dignified and authoritative pro—and of course, you want to avoid those infractions if you can.

Keeping Things Respectable

The question is, how do you ensure that your marketing e-mails are adequately projecting your professionalism? Start by ensuring that you’re actually using a professional account, which is to say, a business one. E-mailing from a personal account is not only amateurish, but it begs the question: Why hasn’t your company invested in Constant Contact, MailChimp, or another e-mail marketing platform? E-mailing from a personal account suggests that you’re not yet ready for prime time.

Another way to ensure your marketing e-mails are above board: Only send them to people who ask. Have different forms on your site where people can join your e-mail marketing list, and provide opt-out information on your e-mails themselves. Forcing people onto your e-mail marketing list without their permission smacks of desperation.

Lies & Distortions

The message of your e-mail—and your subject line—can also set a tone of professionalism. Then again, they can also contradict it. What matters here is that you don’t over exaggerate, embellish, or outright lie about your company—especially in ways that will be plainly obvious to your readers.

Obviously you want to convey value, but you don’t want to be audacious. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Don’t suggest that you have the cure for cancer or a solution to world hunger. Keep it value-focused and positive, but also earthbound.

Action Focus

Finally: Remember that professional communiqués always have action steps. Your marketing e-mails are not exempt from this. Your e-mails shouldn’t have an “FYI” spirit to them, but rather they should come with clear calls to action. This, you should always tell your readers, is what you do next!

The Grammar Chic, Inc. team stands ready to assist you with any of these e-mail marketing tweaks. In fact, we offer everything from content creation to full campaign management. Learn more: Contact us at 803-831-7444, or www.grammarchic.net.

 

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April 8, 2015 · 4:06 pm

What Every Business Owner Should Know About E-mail Marketing

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E-mail marketing has long occupied a strange place in the content marketing landscape. It is perpetually underrated, perhaps because it’s not as flashy or simply not as new as Facebook marketing, Pinterest marketing, YouTube marketing, and the like. Underrated though it may be, study after study confirms that e-mail marketing is an essential tool for small businesses—and that in fact, it may be the most potent online marketing tool of them all.

Of course it is only potent when used properly, and to that end Search Engine Journal has a great new read: Some essential points about e-mail marketing, gleaned from some thorough HubSpot data collection. The points made in the article are all worthwhile, but, for all the small business owners out there, we will affirm the following points in particular:

  • Mobile matters. How do most people check the bulk of their e-mail? Through their smartphones. Mobile use has increased 400 percent since 2011 alone, making it a must for marketing e-mails to be formatted for mobile.
  • HTML is the way to go. When using an e-mail platform, it’s preferable to use an HTML base rather than a text one, as it allows for e-mails to include bold, italicized, and colorful text; a majority of consumers prefer these more eye-catching e-mails.
  • Consumers are using e-mail filters more and more. Knowing what the filters look for is essential.
  • Consumers don’t necessarily reject all marketing e-mails, but they are picky about what they save and what they delete. Offering attention-grabbing subject lines that convey immediate and actual value is the key. Make it clear that you’re not just talking up your brand; you’re offering something customers might truly be interested in.

For small business owners, e-mail marketing is a must—and you can perfect your e-mail marketing measures by checking out all of this impressive and illuminating data.

You can also hire a top-notch marketing team! Call the Grammar Chic team today at 803-831-7444, or visit www.grammarchic.net.

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