73% of millennials prefer communications from businesses to come via email, so this shouldn’t be overlooked as a way to drive sales. Not only can aspects of this sales channel be automated to greatly increase efficiency, but it is still one of the highest converting channels because it allows you to get your product right in front of your customers’ eyes.
Building a subscriber list
To build up your subscriber list you should be recording people’s emails whenever you get an enquiry so you can reach out to them again.
It’s also good practice to have a signup box on your site or checkout page if you have an e-commerce website, or use a popup that triggers upon ‘exit intent’ (where the cursor moves towards the tab area at the top, implying the user is about to leave).
Executing your email marketing campaign
Tools you can use for this include Mailchimp, Active Campaign and Drip.
Once you have a subscriber list you can send out automated emails and ‘drips’ (a series of pre-planned, automated messages to existing and prospective clients to encourage sales) to nurture past leads and encourage repeat sales. If they were just leads who didn’t convert, you could tailor a specific message to them, and the same goes for people who’ve already used your services.
For leads who didn’t convert, maybe one month after their enquiry you could ask if they found a solution. Six months later another automated email could ask if they need help with any other jobs.
When it comes to your list of past customers, it’s always a good idea to build up some positive online reviews, so two weeks after you’ve completed your job you could ask them for a review on Google/Facebook. Then six months later you could send them an email about your regular maintenance/deep clean services, and send another one a year after the original job.
Checklist for writing your copy
1. Use a familiar ‘from’ name
If people are expecting an email from your business, this is what they should see in the ‘from’ line. Don’t confuse them by sending it from an address they don’t recognise.
2. Write a short, benefit-focussed subject line
What value/benefit are you offering your customers? Try to keep this under 30 characters so it can be easily displayed on both desktop and mobile devices.
3. Keep the body topic-specific
The copy inside your email should be consistent with your voice and focussed on one topic. Don’t be too formal — it’s always best to address prospective customers with a familiar tone, like you’re addressing a friend.
4. CTA
There should be a call to action that stands out from the rest of the email and provides your audience with a reason why they should take the desired action. Try to use words that provoke emotion or enthusiasm, and it’s always a decent idea to take advantage of some good old FOMO; ‘don’t miss out’, ‘offer ends…’ etc.
5. Add some images
Find some images that are eye-catching, optimised for all devices and relevant to the service you’re selling.
If you need any help setting up your email marketing campaigns, we do this kind of stuff all the time. We can write campaigns based on your voice and target the right customers, getting you the best bang for your buck.
