It’s easy to bore your customers to death with email: just send them the same type of message repeatedly and you’ll succeed. We’re often guilty of this when we send our e-newsletter and little (or nothing) else.
And while a newsletter absolutely has a place as a staple in your email marketing program, it should be far from the only type of message you send your customers on a regular basis.
After your email newsletter (which can be weekly, every other week, or monthly depending on how much content and activity you have), I recommend weaving these three message types into your email marketing stream at regular intervals throughout the year:
1. Announcements, alerts and reminders
Every event, product launch, sale or new venture you conduct should have email associated with it. Anything with a looming date – especially events – deserves registration and/or deadline reminders. Don’t be shy about frequency here – most marketers are actually not sending ENOUGH of these types of messages.
Enlightened Emarketing Tip: The perennial wisdom “Tell them it’s coming, tell them what it is, then tell them again” applies here. So, for each significant launch, event or offer plan a three-part series that a) gives your audience a heads-up as to when your initiative will “go live”, b) tells them when it’s official and c) reminds them before it’s over or expires.
2. Helpful, educational content
This is probably the number one under-utilized email message type by all marketers save independent professionals (like accountants, attorneys, doctors, consultants, authors and speakers). Don’t be the “friend who only calls when you need something”; that is, the company that only sends email when you need sales. While sales and buy messages might dominate the email program calendar for retailers, you’ll develop greater customer loyalty and engagement when you weave content emails in between them. Remember, selling by way of serving first is “in” and paying big dividends because it builds trust – trust you want in place BEFORE you make an offer.
Enlightened Emarketing Tip: Email messages promoting your content direct customers to new blog posts, articles, white papers, videos, presentations, free webinars or all of the above. Those message are an intentional traffic-driver under your control. Plus, content email gives you opportunities to educate your customers on your products before and after the sale, increasing customer satisfaction and repeat sales.