5 Benefits of Email Marketing for Small Businesses
By Andy Tretow - eGuide Content Marketing Manager
Do you have a growing audience or email list that you send business updates, holiday greetings, or promotional emails every month? If not, you may want to consider rethinking your plan because you are missing out on the opportunity for growth with an already targeted audience. There are hundreds of benefits to email marketing for your small business but we have narrowed it down to our Top 5:
1. Increase Brand Recognition
First and foremost, the most important part of email marketing is brand recognition. This is your opportunity to have your business right in front of the face of your potential client or customer. By adding a weekly or bi-weekly email your potential clients will start to build familiarity with your business and brand. Getting yourself and your customers into this rhythm will build brand trust and thus make what you are selling more appealing vs direct competitors.
Pro Tip: Authenticity is key. Flash sales are for businesses that undervalue thier customer. If products or services are always being sold at a discounted rate, then you’ve trained your customers to expect the “sale”. We recommend a content strategy that puts what your target market is looking for combined with something that enhances their experience (think look books, white papers, or free swag with purchase). This will create a newsletter that your audience is excited to recieve.
2. Increase Traffic to Your Website
Email marketing is another direct avenue to getting people to your website. Having helpful information, intriguing deals, or product previews will lead people to want more. Increased traffic means more opportunities for your business to reach current but new audiences as well. A few simple email blasts could lead to more sales, a new client, or even to the new hire that you have been looking for.
Pro Tip: Don’t send users to your home page. Think about where the links in your newsletter are leading, and ensure that the pages that will be visited are optimized for SEO.
3. Stay Top of Mind
It might seem simple but one of the top benefits of email marketing is just staying involved with your email list. Whether it be wishing everyone a “Happy Holidays”, sending a reminder about an office hours change, or alerting everyone of an new product or service you are making sure that you are seen and heard from. Once you get into a good rhythm and you solidify a loyal customer base, you might even have people waiting for your annual message to appear in their inbox.
Pro Tip: Show a little personality in your emails. As a small organization, showing off your culture is as important as the products and services you offer.
4. Low Cost and Maximize Your ROI
When you are running a small business, every penny counts so you want to make sure anything you are spending your hard-earned money on will be worth it. Email marketing offers one of the best returns on investment (ROI) there is. In fact, according to a study done earlier this year, for every $1 you spend on email marketing, you will earn an average return of $36. If doing it on your own seems daunting, you can use platforms like MailChimp or Constant Contact which are very user-friendly and cost-effective.
Pro Tip: Considering a drip campaign can create more of a curated experience that can increase your engagement and click-through rate. Think about how your customers would like to hear from you from the first purchase to the next one.
5. It’s Personal
This set of people are those who are dialed into your brand and are arguably the most supportive of it as well. You are able to connect with your audience more directly than any other medium you have available. By building your trust with these people they will become one of your biggest advocates because you are able to “talk to them directly” and present the best version of yourself and your business.
Pro Tip: Consistency is key. Any good email marketing strategy resonates best when your readers know when to expect your message. Find a cadence that feels right, and stick with it.
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