Today’s customers and prospects are knowledgeable and appreciative when you send informational emails that contain useful and valuable information they will read and use. Product-centric messages are likely to get tuned out so the key is to create email messages that your recipients will eagerly anticipate. Here are a few ideas on how to do just that:
- Make your content educational and informative. If you are a heating and air conditioning provider, give your customers tips on how to save energy or what to do to ensure a clean and well-maintained boiler or central air unit. If you sell apparel, write about the latest fashion trends. If you are a moving and storage company, tell your audience how to pack sensitive electronic s safely and securely.
- Write problem-solving content. Do you know what issues your customers are facing? What challenges they are having difficulty overcoming? If not, check out social media sites, trade publications, industry blogs and online communities to learn what types of information would be of real value to them. Is trade show attendance down and costs to exhibit getting higher and higher? Perhaps an informative email on how to select the right trade show … or how to cut back on spending but still have a successful exhibit would resonate with your customers.
- Divide and conquer. Separate your email database by coding your long-time customers, your new customers, inactive or lapsed customers, prospects you’ve just met, and prospects you’ve been talking with for awhile. This will allow you to target your messages or content to the type of customer or prospect you are addressing. Long-time customers might appreciate a thank you and acknowledgement of their loyalty. A new customer will want to know what your email newsletter is all about – how often it comes; how they can submit feedback; what types of articles they can expect. Sending a recap of what you discussed with new prospects can make them eager to learn more and move them along the sales cycle to the next step.
