The strength of its relationships with local customers is the one thing that helps every local business survive. When a company focuses on customer relationships, it is far more likely to be successful.
Email marketing gives an excellent opportunity for your local business to grow. You can nurture and build stronger relationships with your existing customers. In addition, you have opportunities to reach new customers and show them your products or services.
In this blog post, I’ll show you how to set up and use email marketing to grow your local business.
Create an Email Marketing Account
To start with email marketing, you need an account with a reputable email marketing platform. Some popular options include Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Sendinblue. These platforms are user-friendly and offer various features that make it easy to manage your email campaigns.
- Choose a platform: Visit the website of your chosen platform and sign up for an account. Most offer a free trial or a basic free plan to get you started.
- Verify your domain: To ensure your emails land in your customers’ inboxes and not their spam folders, set up SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) records. These are email authentication methods that help protect your domain from being used in email spoofing and improve deliverability.
- Import your contact list: If you already have a list of customer emails, import it into your new email marketing account. Make sure you have permission from your contacts to send them marketing emails.
Pick a Schedule
Before you send any emails, you need to decide how often you’d like to send emails and when you’ll send them. Most small businesses choose to send emails weekly or monthly. Each email will typically be 150 – 500 words, and you can include images.
Choose a regular date and time to send your emails. This helps your readers get used to reading your emails, and they’ll start to look forward to them. Consistency is key. It shows your customers that you’re reliable and keeps your business fresh in their minds.
What Should You Write About?
The common misconception is that email marketing should only be for promotions and special offers. While it’s an excellent platform for this, you can also share many other things with your readers. You could include:
- Company or industry news: Keep your customers informed about what’s happening in your business and industry.
- Tips or ideas: Share valuable insights or advice related to your business. This could be anything from how to use your products more effectively to general tips in your industry.
- Behind-the-scenes look: Give people a glimpse into the day-to-day operations of your business. This helps humanise your brand and builds a stronger connection with your audience.
Write Your First Emails Upfront
Try to write your first few emails before you send the first one. By writing in advance, you’re giving yourself a small buffer in terms of time. You can write as many emails in advance as you like and schedule them to be sent out on a specific day and time.
Some business owners schedule one day per month to write and schedule all of their emails in advance. This approach ensures you always have content ready to go and reduces the stress of last-minute writing.
Encourage Sign-ups
Now that you’ve got an email list, you’ll want to encourage your customers to sign up. Add a sign-up form in a prominent place on your website. You should also add your newsletter details on your business premises, business cards, invoices, etc. The more opportunities you give your customers to sign up, the more people will join your list.
Consider offering an incentive for signing up, such as a discount on their next purchase or a free downloadable resource. This can significantly increase your sign-up rates.
Keep Writing
Once you get started, the most important thing to remember is to keep going. Don’t be disheartened by the early days when your email list is just beginning. Over time, more people will join your list, and you’ll grow.
Remember that each email you send is a chance to help strengthen and grow relationships with your local customers. Consistency and persistence will pay off as you build a loyal customer base that looks forward to your emails.
In conclusion, email marketing is a powerful tool for local businesses. By following these steps and committing to a regular email schedule, you can enhance your customer relationships and grow your business. Happy emailing!
