Email Marketing and You: So Happy Together

This post is contributed by one our our Grow Smart Business Expert Network members, Monika Jansen. Monika is Principal of Jansen Communications, is a marketing communications consultant with over ten years of marketing and corporate communications experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors.

So… marketing.  It can be the equivalent of a four letter word for those of us without huge marketing budgets or a dedicated marketing department full of gung-ho, seasoned professionals.  Who has the time, the energy, or expertise to put together a well-rounded marketing program and then continually tweak it?

The truth is, you don’t need a lot of money, a lot of time, or an entire group of people devoted to marketing to effectively promote your business.

So where to begin.  You have a website, right?  OK, good.  It’s amazing how many small businesses don’t, because that’s the easiest way to level the playing field between you and the big guys.  Have you thought about starting a FaceBook page for your business, joining the Twitter bandwagon, uploading audio or video files to a MySpace page, or starting an e-newsletter and/or a blog?  Great!  Have you done any of those things yet?  Why not?  Oh, yeah, time.

Well, no need to do everything at once, right?  Let’s talk about getting an email marketing program set up, aka, an e-newsletter.  As a consultant, this is one of my favorite tools to use on behalf of my clients.  It’s easy to set up a template, fill it with content, and send it off.   Trust me, it really is easy.  I use Constant Contact, love it, and recommend it.  Ask for Brett Lemoine.  He’s super cool, friendly, helpful, and very responsive.

There are three keys to a good e-newsletter: a healthy number of viable, active email addresses; a catchy subject line, and interesting content.

1. All legitimate email marketing campaigns should be permission-based.  Meaning, don’t buy a list.  Your email will look like spam, and sending out unwanted emails to people you don’t know could very well tarnish your reputation and diminish your brand.   Always send to people you know and always offer an option to unsubscribe.

2. If you want people to read your e-newsletter, don’t title it “August 2009 Newsletter from ABC Clothing, Inc.”  Doesn’t sound very interesting, and the delete button is right there.  Click, it’s gone.  Go for something that’s a little zingy.  How about “Ten Trends to Try This Fall”?  Or “Rejuvenate Your Wardrobe For Under $150″?  Or “Exclusive Trunk Show with Oscar de la Renta”?  They’ll definitely read that last one.  At least, I would.

3. Interesting content that keeps your readers engaged to the very end can be hard to think up sometimes, but it shouldn’t.  Talk briefly about your company’s news, fun projects you just completed that could be relevant to your readers, sales, promotions, or new products.  But also include useful information related to your industry.  If you’re a banker, talk about interest rates and credit scores.  If you’re a landscaper, include tips on dealing with deer.  If you’re a caterer, include a list of produce that is in season that month.

Three other small things I should mention before I go: ask someone to proofread the newsletter before you send it out.  Sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s worth repeating.  Don’t think your e-newsletter should be long.  If you can read it in under five minutes, it’s the right length.  And last but not least, include graphics or photos if you can.  They make a big difference.

ABOUT THIS GROW SMART BUSINESS CONTRIBUTOR:

Monika Jansen, Principal of Jansen Communications, is a marketing communications consultant with over ten years of marketing and corporate communications experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors.   As a consultant, she works closely with her clients to put together marketing communications programs that combine integrated online strategies with traditional marketing tools.   Her expertise includes branding, corporate communications, website content, email marketing, social networking and blogs, sales collateral, grant writing, and annual reports.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 10th, 2009 at 11:00 am and is filed under Marketing, small business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.


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