Email marketing can be used successfully in a number of ways to increase your sales, build your brand and help with customer retention and repeat business. A well crafted, well designed email to your customer base or client list can work wonders.

Here we discuss five ways you can use email marketing to improve your business.

1. Newsletters

Keeping in touch with your customers and clients through regular emails not only helps build your brand but also your reputation and their trust in you.

Keep a consistent look that includes your logo, brand colours and overall layout and you will become more and more memorable in the minds of your customers. Don’t be tempted to change your newsletter look every month. Speaking of which, a monthly newsletter is usually enough unless you work in a very fast-paced industry, in which case once a week MAXIMUM will be ok.

Your content should contain news about your company that your customers will find informative but above all useful. Information on new staff, especially customer facing staff, is a good idea, as are announcements about new services or products and any successes you have enjoyed.

You could also include an introductory paragraph from the Managing Directory or similar directly addressing the recipient. Personalisation works very well.

2. Special Promotions / Coupons

Email marketing is the perfect way to announce a special promotion and offer coupons to your customers.

Holiday promotions, such as discounts for Christmas or New Year sales, can be announced this way. If you want to clear leftover stock to make way for new products then a ‘massive sale’ email marketing campaign will help you get rid fast!
If you want to entice people into your high street properties and shops then emailing them a coupon they can print out and present for a discount or benefit when they buy is a great way to do it.

3. Event Announcements

Throwing a party, holding a seminar or organising an exhibition? Tell your customers and clients through a specially designed and copywritten email. Include dates, location, price and, of course, what the event is for and what they can expect to gain from it.

This sort of campaign could be a series of emails in the build up to the event, gradually announcing such things as guest speakers, special guests and the like.

4. eCards

This may sound like a silly idea but think about it for a second. Do you send your customers and clients Christmas cards every year? How much does that cost you? An eCard would reduce that cost to virtually nothing.

With the cost factor almost removed, you can now think about expanding the cards you send out. Why not send an eCard to your customers at Halloween, Easter, Valentine’s Day? Every card could be themed, contain a nice message for your customers AND include a call to action that could gain you more sales. Brilliant!

5. Business Updates / Press Releases

Email marketing can also be used to issue business updates, such as a change in phone number, office move or new website. The speed of delivery will ensure your change in circumstances reaches your customers and clients quickly, reducing the risk of confusion and lost calls / mail / contact!

And if you’re issuing a press release, then emailing it out to a press distribution list will save you time, money and deliver it faster and more directly, increasing the chances of you getting the coverage you desire.
When it comes to email marketing, the options are endless, these are just five. Pick the ones that suit your business best.

Author Bio: Ian Grainger is writing on behalf of Extravision, specialists in email marketing.

Category: Marketing
Keywords: email marketing, email ideas, email types, newsletters, ecards