| The smaller your business, the more closely you are | | | | predetermined intervals. |
| likely to be in communications with your customer | | | | In other words, you can craft and draft a series of |
| base. The better you are able to expand upon this | | | | coordinated messages that you want to put in front of |
| relationship, the more quickly your business will grow | | | | your prospects and customers on a regular basis. |
| and prosper. Therein is the most important reason for | | | | Message one might be an introduction to the series, |
| embarking on a small business email marketing | | | | what you intend to tell or show them and inviting their |
| program. | | | | comments. In the early messages you must be careful |
| As they work to build their businesses, entrepreneurs | | | | not to hard sell. This turns people off if it is done too |
| tend to devote the majority of their time to the client or | | | | early in the process and anybody on the list will have |
| clients that have a pressing need at any given time. As | | | | the right and ability to easily unsubscribe from your list. |
| a result, many times happy customers who were | | | | Message two should address an issue that surely will |
| served by the company just a few months ago tend | | | | be of interest to customers of yours. For example, if |
| to be neglected simply by virtue of the number of | | | | you were a dry cleaner, you might suggest some tips |
| hours in the day. When you are devoting 10 hours a | | | | on how to treat a stain when a spill first occurs. By |
| day to your primary, active customer it is difficult to | | | | giving advice that will be helpful to a customer, they |
| take the time to make contact with the rest of your | | | | come away feeling like they learned something from |
| customer base. | | | | having read the email message. Try to think of a good |
| Since referrals from your customer base are a critical | | | | tip or techniques that your customer might find helpful. |
| ingredient in the success of any business, the challenge | | | | Future messages should continue to build a relationship |
| is to find ways to keep your company's name and | | | | between your company and its prospects and |
| image fresh in the mind of as many people as possible. | | | | customers. Of course, it is fine to always include a |
| By using a small business email marketing program, | | | | "soft sell" such as "for more information on this topic, |
| you can setup a system that continuously presents | | | | just give us a call at........". Avoid the hard sell language |
| your company's image and message to your | | | | until the prospect has received at least 5 or 6 |
| customers and prospects as well. Your message | | | | messages over a 15 to 20 day period. |
| could be as simple as a newsletter providing them with | | | | You can build as many messages or newsletters in |
| tips related to your industry, products and services or it | | | | your autoresponder as you wish and, of course you |
| could be to survey them to get their input on upcoming | | | | can add to the list or edit it any time you wish. If you |
| projects. You know, people like top feel a part of | | | | will simply take a pad an pencil and outline the first |
| something and by getting their input, you are giving | | | | 15-20 messages that you would like each prospect or |
| them input to your business and this will tend to endear | | | | customer to see, you can easily come up with a |
| them to you even more closely. | | | | strategy that's perfect for your business. |
| An autoresoponder program is a critical element of | | | | Once you setup your autoresponder message series, |
| any good small business email marketing program. | | | | it will simply run on autopilot and each new name |
| Such systems are readily and inexpensively available | | | | added to your list will be receiving all of your |
| on the Internet and one of these will provide the engine | | | | messages in the order and interval that you have |
| that really drives your marketing campaign on autopilot. | | | | established. |
| Name and email addresses are stored in the | | | | All in all, it really takes very little time to setup a small |
| autoresponder program as well as a series of email | | | | business email marketing program and the results will |
| messages that are automatically sent to your list(s) at | | | | pay of for your company for years to come. |