Tag Archives: 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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June 12, 2015 · 3:54 pm

When E-mail Marketing Goes Awry

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What’s the most valuable marketing asset you have at your small business? Your e-mail marketing list is, at the very least, high on the list. With your e-mail marketing list you have a database of captured leads—which is not quite the same as having a captive audience. You’ve still got to work and be strategic to get those marketing e-mails opened, read, and acted upon—a tough job, but highly advantageous if you can pull it off.

Sadly, we see a lot of small business owners who don’t pull it off, despite significant investments in e-mail marketing. They approach e-mail marketing with enthusiasm, but not necessarily with proven strategies—and this can lead to some fatal errors.

Don’t Believe the Hype

For instance: Most small business owners know that the headline is all-important. If you want your marketing e-mails to have any effect, you need them to get read, which means including an attention-grabbing headline.

But there is such a thing as overhyping it. Ridiculous, Buzzfeed-style headlines are too readily associated with spammy marketing techniques; when you include a headline that promises earth-shattering results, that calls the integrity of the product into question.

Good headlines are short, snappy, and focused on value, but they’re also honest and not overblown.

Make it Personal

Another common problem: Small business owners get so carried away in e-mail automation that they forget to include a personal touch.

For example: Do your marketing e-mails arrive from “admin” or “noreply”—or do you have an actual name in the Sender field?

And do they conclude with a personal signoff from your owner, marketing director, or CEO?

Remember that people like to interact with other people; an e-mail from “noreply” is hardly an invitation for further engagement.

Give Something Away

Another sign of e-mail marketing overzealousness: Marketing e-mails that announce company news or promote products but don’t actually offer something of value. Remember to ask yourself this about any e-mail you send: What’s in it for your customers?

We had a client recently who wanted to send an e-mail announcing his company’s new website. If your only hook is hey, we have a new website, don’t be surprised if nobody particularly cares. But if you can position that website as an invaluable resource for your customers—now you’ve got something.

The bottom line: E-mail marketing isn’t just a matter of passion. It’s a matter of careful thought. Grammar Chic, Inc. has plenty of experience building winsome e-mail marketing campaigns. To learn more, contact us today at www.grammarchic.net or 803-831-7444.

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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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November 12, 2014 · 10:08 am

Ramp Up Your E-mail Marketing for the Holiday Season

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Business owners, have you ever found yourself thinking: I should really send out a marketing e-mail to all the people on my e-mail list—but is now the best time?

When it comes to e-mail marketing, timing is certainly an important concern—but we’re here to tell you: The time to get busy with e-mail marketing is now.

The holiday season is fast approaching. People are shopping. They’re working to meet their year-end goals. They’re spending money. Their inboxes are becoming full with special offers, promotions, and ads—and you definitely want to have your brand right there in the mix.

How can small businesses make the most of their e-mail marketing efforts over the holiday season? Read on for some tips from the Grammar Chic, Inc. team.

  • Grab your readers with a compelling headline! And keep experimenting with different subject lines right up until the end of the season. Divide your e-mail list into two or three groups, and send each group an e-mail with a different subject line. If one works resoundingly well, it’s worth reusing with the other groups; you might also keep it in mind as a template for future e-mails.
  • Remember, though, not to use spammy words in your subject lines! Our thoughts on typical spam words can be found in this post. Note that holiday marketing clichés—Cyber Monday or Black Friday sales, for instance—will also get your messages tossed in with the spam. Avoid using those terms in your subject line.
  • Make your e-mails top-heavy. Busy shoppers, receiving your e-mail on their iPhone or Blackberry, aren’t going to have the time or the patience to read 500 words of copy. Include the most significant information right there in the subject line and in the first two or three lines of text. The less scrolling people have to do to get to the point of your e-mail, the better.
  • As ever, content is king. The best e-mails will have some eye-catching imagery—perhaps holiday-themed—paired with some brief but value-adding content. Make note of holiday promos and sales, and perhaps link to just a couple of your company blogs, as well.
  • Don’t forget your call to action! It’s always essential, and at the holidays more than ever.

E-mail marketing should really be a year-round pursuit, of course, but there’s no time like the present to jump in or to redouble your efforts. To learn more, contact our team today at www.grammarchic.net or 803-831-7444.

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October 3, 2014 · 2:02 pm

6 E-mail Marketing Mistakes You Might be Making

iStock_000022693501XSmallA few months ago, a new study was released that gained no small amount of traction within the online marketing community. The study essentially alleged that e-mail marketing generates better results and better ROI than social media or really any other digital marketing discipline.

Some online marketers celebrated the study while others thought it a bit dubious, but regardless of the legitimacy or impact of the study, this much seems true: E-mail marketing is something people should take seriously. It remains a vital online marketing strategy, and to ignore it in favor of the bright shiny newness of social media marketing could be folly.

Note, however, that doing e-mail marketing and simply sending e-mails to your clients are not the same thing; likewise, sending advertisements to “cold” prospects, though it may work in some scenarios, is more likely to get your company’s e-mails lumped together with all the spam.

In fact, there are a number of e-mail marketing mishaps that can threaten the integrity and efficacy of your campaign—and a few of them are as follows:

  1. E-mailing too often. You might have expected us to say not e-mailing often enough, and that’s a mistake as well, but when you e-mail the folks on your e-mail list every day or even every week, it can start to smack of desperation—and beyond that, it’s really Plus, it is highly unlikely that you’re coming up with compelling new content on that kind of a basis. Stick with e-mails once, twice a month at the most.
  2. Sending e-mails that offer no value. You want to promote your products and perhaps to offer some kind of a discount or promo code, but even the act of reading your company e-mail should provide customers with some value—else, why will they keep reading it? Make sure to offer some interesting points of content or some company news—just a paragraph or so will do fine.
  3. Sending e-mails that offer no links to external content. Ideally, your e-mail newsletter serves several purposes, and one of them is boosting your existing content. Make sure that each new e-mail includes links to at least a couple of really good, solid blogs from the past month.
  4. Sending e-mails that offer no call to action. You know how we feel about the call to action. If you want your readers to do something after reading your e-mail newsletter, then you’ve got to tell them what it is.
  5. Sending e-mails loaded with spam words. We’ve written about this before. Don’t slip up and use a bad word that’ll land your company e-mails in spam folders instead of inboxes.
  6. Sending e-mails without opt-outs. Consumers like to have some choice—something Apple and U2 recently learned the hard way—so always include a means for users to unsubscribe.

To learn more about the best e-mail marketing practices, of course, you can always contact the Grammar Chic, Inc. team directly. Call 803-831-7444, or visit http://www.grammarchic.net.

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