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Keep It Quirky: 5 Small Business Owners Share Their Best Email Marketing Tips

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By Andrea Forstadt

Actionable advice on capturing subscribers, attention and loyalty through more meaningful messaging.

Email is ubiquitous. It’s the one marketing tool that spans the globe, is relatively low in cost, is powered by automation, offers customization and is measurable in terms of success. It also has the highest ROI of any other type of marketing. Ranking as the preferred method of brand communications across all demographic groups, email marketing is a no-brainer for businesses of all sizes. Crafting the right message requires skill, however. As these five business owners will attest, it requires a thoughtful, nuanced approach that is informative and engaging. Here, they share their advice for making emails matter to those that matter most: your customers.

A smiling man wearing glasses, a plaid shirt and an apron stands in a bike shop with rows of bikes behind him.
John Robinson, owner of Johnny Velo Bikes in Columbus OH, suggests creating engaging and entertaining email content and collaborating with other businesses in your area. — Johnny Velo Bikes

John Robinson, biking advocate & owner, Johnny Velo Bikes

Who we are: We are a local, family-owned bike shop in Columbus, OH, that serves all forms of cyclists in sales, service, and disco dance-offs.

We use our email strategy to build a customer-based following. We strive not to make it about listing products for sale, and instead to provide quirky and funny information that keeps people intrigued and engaged. I think about the emails that I click on and ask myself, “Why did I click on this? Was it the subject line, company, or the pretext that intrigued me?”

We utilize software that interfaces with our POS system and has certain scripts attached to it, based on what people buy. For instance, if you purchase a bike from us, you will receive an email the next day thanking them for your purchase with information about helmets and accessories as well as a link to our favorite biking routes, based on your skill level. Thirty days later, you will receive an email reminding you about bringing your bike in for its 30-day tune-up.

To build an email subscribership, we feature links on our website where people can sign up for our newsletter. We also add every email address into our POS email database when a customer shares it upon making a purchase. This database integrates with our email marketing software. We used Mailchimp for our first three years, and it was extremely easy to set up, design and send emails. We switched about a year ago to Klaviyo, which allows POS integration and email flows that can automatically keep our best customers engaged.

It’s all about engagement. Make your emails fun. Be real, write in conversational form and make each email something they want to open. Tell a story and work on ways you can engage other small businesses in your area. Follow Johnny Velo Bikes on Instagram & Facebook.

Children create art in an art studio with plentiful windows and natural sunlight.
Sunflower Art Studio’s owner, Lika Gitis, believe that when emails are simple and approachable, the can maintain a personal touch and a real connection with her customers. — Sunflower Art Studieo

Lika Gitis, owner, Sunflower Art Studio

Who we are: A community children’s art school, teaching Boulder, CO-area kids since 2000.

I think that emails are very important, as they provide a simple and approachable way of communication. As most of my clients are parents of my students, it’s important to maintain a personal touch and a real connection. I feel that social media doesn’t provide such an individual approach.

To grow our mailing list, we have a subscription button on the website that provides a discount. We also use Sawyer Tools, which collects new emails at registration — with clients’ consent, of course.

We have been using Mailchimp for years because of its all-in-one emailing platform. It builds beautiful emails, edits pictures and text, has merge tags and lets you see how your emails were opened and seen.

I think that emails are great in small amounts. I don’t like to be spammed, so I don’t spam my clients. I think that if used for announcements or newsletters, once every couple of weeks or monthly, those emails will be enough to keep your audience involved and informed. I also feel that short emails with pretty pictures and action buttons work best. Follow Sunflower Art Studio on Instagram & Facebook.

An image of a yellow smiley face is surrounded by the phrase The Hell Yeah Group loves you.
L.A.-based The Hell Yeah Group creates share-worthy weekly newsletters to engage readers and grow their list of email subscribers. — Hell Yeah Group

Paco de Leon, founder, The Hell Yeah Group

Who we are: We are based in Los Angeles, CA, and help creative professionals with their relationship with money.

Every week my business publishes an email newsletter. We use the newsletter as a way to add value for our readers and help them get to know our company. The main tactic for growing our list is to focus on making a newsletter so good that people feel compelled to share it. I measure success by the amount of replies I get from readers (a handful each week) and inquiries about my bookkeeping service (a few each week). Emails that provoke people to think differently, offer another perspective, or disturb or agitate a long-held belief tend to do the best.

Finding the right email platform depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you plan to run drip campaigns to segmented lists, ConvertKit is a great option. If you just want to send out simple broadcasts, Mailchimp or Email Octopus, which is what we use, work well.

My advice on email best practices is simple: Spend time looking at your email from the reader’s perspective. Make it worth their time and attention. Each subscriber is a person with feelings and fears, who have others who love and care about them. Treat your readers like humans. Care about them. Make your emails worth their time, energy and attention. Follow The Hell Yeah Group on Instagram.

Image of strawberries plants in a row of crops.
Tanaka Farms’ email strategy centers around building awareness of specials, services and activities to community members and visitors. — Tanaka Farms

Joni Newman, marketing & social media, Tanaka Farms LLC

Who we are: Family owned and operated 30-acre farm located in Irvine, CA, featuring a fresh produce market stand, CSA program, u-pick activities and more.

We use email newsletters to reach out to our customers with events, sales, specials and other activities here at Tanaka Farms. We also send out special promo codes and discounts to our email subscribers. We have a fairly large subscriber list, and have found that we see a marked increase in sales whenever we promote something through our newsletter. We have email newsletter sign-up sheets at all of our cash registers, and we also have a pop-up window on our website to sign up for our newsletter. In addition, we have links on our social media accounts to sign up. We use Constant Contact for our contact management. It is a robust platform with many features, including tracking, analytics and reporting. It is also fairly intuitive to use.

We try not to spam our customers and only send out newsletters when we have something of value to offer. We generally stick to a bi-weekly schedule, with the occasional “quickie” thrown in between. We have found that by not sending them out too often, and always offering our subscribers something of value, we have a high open and click rate compared to the national average.

We also make sure our newsletters have a very consistent look and feel. We include vibrant photos and links back to our website to provide more information or to purchase tickets to one of our many activities. Follow Tanaka Farms on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter & Facebook.

Product image of three varieties of essential oils.
Guru Nanda’s email marketing strategy and messaging centers around the brand’s commitment to authenticity, quality and good karma. — Guru Nada

Puneet Nanda, chief essential oil, Guru Nanda

Who We Are: Buena Park, CA, makers of top-quality, ethically sourced healing products that incorporate Ayurvedic values at every level.

We love to use emails to form a connection with our customers. Guru Nanda products follow the practices of authentic Ayurveda, ancient Indian healing. Each product is rooted in my passion for the ancestral wisdom of my Indian culture, and I love using email to share more about this.

We send and manage our promotional emails using the email marketing software platform Klaviyo. We find it to be very user-friendly, as it offers helpful reports for tracking our success. In terms of database growth, our website has an automatic pop-up window that offers customers a discount on their first purchase when they subscribe to our list. We also offer monthly discounts to our subscribers. Both efforts have seen strong results each month.

My best advice for email marketing success? Keep it short and sweet! Have a marketing calendar and build your emails and social media around that to maintain cohesive messaging. Follow Guru Nanda on Instagram & TikTok.

CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.

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CO—is committed to helping you start, run and grow your small business. Learn more about the benefits of small business membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, here.

By Andrea Forstadt

Sourced from CO

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5 Email Marketing Tips during the Pandemic

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Most ecommerce companies rely on email marketing.  But the Covid-19 shutdown requires an evaluation of email frequency and tone, among other tactics.

In this post, I’ll address how to manage email marketing during the pandemic.

Frequency

Depending on the product or service, adjust the frequency of marketing emails. It could be an increase or decrease based on consumer needs and demand.

Monitoring engagement rates can also help determine the frequency. If open and click rates are increasing, consider sending more often. Also, track email segments and adjust accordingly. Repeat customers may require more communication than occasional buyers.

Tone

Consumers are looking for deals. They also want the content and offers that they have grown to expect. However, consider adjusting the tone of your email marketing messages to reflect the pandemic.

  • Be authentic and empathetic.
  • Increase personalization for the needs of each customer.
  • Inquire about customers’ well-being, such as “How are you holding up?”
  • Set realistic expectations for shipping and delivery.
  • Offer flexibility in order methods, delivery, and payment.
Stitch Fix communicated shipping delays to consumers in a transparent manner, helping to build trust and loyalty. To email read, in part, "...we wanted to let you know that we are experiencing delays in our fulfillment center right now."

Stitch Fix communicated shipping delays to consumers in a transparent manner, helping to build trust and loyalty. To email read, in part, “…we wanted to let you know that we are experiencing delays in our fulfillment center right now.”

Retain New Customers

Many consumers are shopping online for the first time or more often. Remember new shoppers in your promotional emails. Try to build loyalty to convert a one-time buyer into a frequent customer.

Here’s an example of what not to do. I recently needed to purchase new running shoes. My regular online store did not have my size in stock. I found a new site, however, with my size. The site was more expensive. Given the circumstances, however, I was willing to pay more.

When I received my shoes, the price on the box was marked down to 50 percent of what I paid. I felt overcharged.

Remain Visible

To save costs, many retailers have cut marketing budgets and reduced communications to customers.  This may relieve short-term pressure. But it likely produces long-term damage in terms of awareness, market share, and loyalty — all of which are key to future success.

Maintain as much email marketing as possible. Try to be top-of-mind to your customers. It will pay off.

Use Downtime

The demand for ecommerce is generally increasing as brick-and-mortar stores close and consumers are stuck at home. Try to make good use of the downtime, however, to launch new projects. Examples include:

  • Survey your customers. Many consumers now have idle time, likely increasing response rates to email surveys. Also, knowing what your customers are thinking and experiencing could help adjust your business immediately. Providing a forum for feedback could help build customer loyalty.
  • Implement new email tools. Explore new email tools that could enhance or streamline your marketing efforts. I addressed some of my favorites at “17 Free Email Marketing Tools.“
  • Clean and update your email list. Accurate data is essential for email marketing. Consider, also, improving data collection and management.

Prepare for Upturn

The pandemic will eventually pass. Consumers will resume normal habits and routines. Brands will race to restore lost revenue. This will likely translate to increased competition for consumers’ inboxes. Your current email marketing tactics could determine how quickly your business bounces back.

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Sourced from PracticalEcommerce

 

 

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Cut Through The Inbox Clutter With These 14 B2B Email Marketing Tips

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Sourced from Forbes

Email is a great marketing tool, especially in the business-to-business (B2B) world. But professionals may receive hundreds of emails every week, and they simply don’t have the time to read every one of them.

If you want to reach your contacts through email marketing, you’ll have to secure their attention long enough to avoid immediate transfer to the dreaded “trash” folder. We asked a group of Forbes Agency Council members how to stand out among the many emails in a professional’s inbox. Their best answers are below.

1. Hyper-Personalize Your Messages

Only reach out if you are willing to be hyper-targeted and personalize your message to the target recipient. Thereafter, don’t ask for anything up front. Focus on providing value and sharing. This builds trust and credibility. Remember, it’s a mini relationship you are building. – Zamir Javer, Jumpfactor

2. Write Your Subject Line Last

When I write my emails, I always write my subject line last. I work with nonprofits and social enterprises. Because of that, I like to create emails that are very personable and feel more like a letter you would send a friend. I even include a handwritten signature at the end of every email. Once the email is complete, I pull the best line from the text and use it as my subject line. – Genia Stevens, Belwah Media

3. Stay Away From Image Overload

Make them personal. Sometimes a plain text email, addressing the recipient by their first name, will perform much better than a graphics-heavy email with 18 clickable links. In addition to getting noticed and read, it has a better chance of actually making it to their inbox. Too many images or sales-heavy words can land you a spot in the dreaded “Promotions” folder. – Bernard May, National Positions

4. Don’t Templatize Your Personalization

Treat people like real people, not businesses or business contacts. Don’t try to “trick” them into thinking your email is personalized by using templated content and customizing the name of the recipient or company—make it truly personal. Generic personalized emails are today’s mass junk mail. The gig is up. The recipient knows it wasn’t written just for them. – Kelli Corney, Mightily

5. Get Right To The Point

With over 400 emails flooding my inbox each day, I’m quick to delete just about anything that looks like spam—which means that on more than one occasion, I’ve deleted emails that did, in fact, present some kind of lucrative opportunity for collaboration. It’s the emails that get right to the point in the subject line that grab my attention the most—subject lines like “new potential client opportunity.” – Michelle Dempsey, Very Well-Written Marketing

6. Appeal To The Few People Who Need You Now

Email marketing will not work miracles. Don’t expect it to. Write subject lines that will appeal to the few customers who need what you’re offering now. If they open your email and glance at it for a second or two, you’ve earned a brand impression. Be brief and clear about the value proposition and call to action. Have a plan to follow up with those who click the email but don’t “convert.” – Craig Klein, SalesNexus.com

7. Offer Insights And Speak To Tipping Points

Emails that promote products and services are only useful to people who want products or services promoted to them, which is typically a very small segment of any email list. Instead, offer insights that help your audience achieve their most important goals. Identify tipping points when they know they need better ideas to move ahead, and offer great advice. This helps you top the inbox. – Randy Shattuck, The Shattuck Group

8. Send Something They Want To Read

There are certain emails that I look forward to receiving. I open every single one. Why? Because the information inside is offering real insight that will add value to my life. This applies to seeing a new piece of clothing that I might want, or to the consultant who is sharing their thoughts on our field. In short, you can earn trust by sending quality and keep trust by not sending too often. – Benjamin Collins, Laughing Samurai

9. Leverage User-Generated Content

The power of user-generated content extends far beyond social media. Repurposing user-generated content as part of your email marketing strategy can help capture attention and drive sales, as this content tends to be more authentic, personal and engaging. Not to mention, a consistent and streamlined visual marketing approach across all channels can help strengthen consumer relationships. – David Shadpour, Social Native

10. Don’t Lead With Self-Interest

Lead with the news or a subject line that’s relevant (or humorous) to the receiver, not yourself. Emails with subject lines like, “Got time for a call?” are underwhelming because the self-interest is clear. But when you write to a prospect or contact with a compelling subject line that shows you actually care about their problems or interests, the probability of hitting “delete” decreases. – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications

11. Offer ‘Positive Disruption’

Know your audience and their interests and needs. Be ahead of trends and industry news, and be the first to offer keen insights, opinions and solutions. Positive disruption can spur thinking and charge change. Focus on what your targets need to know and not just what you want to share. No one needs more information, but everyone needs knowledge. Make sure the news you share is worth reading. – Pat Fiore, FIORE

12. Always Frame Your Message From The Customer’s Perspective

Many times, email marketing messages focus too heavily on broad product claims or feature sets. Challenge yourself to look at the communication from the point of view of the customer. What benefit will it bring them? What need will it fulfill? Be specific. You’ll be surprised how this shifts and improves your narrative. – Jenni Smith, EGR International

13. Use A Personalized Video

By using a personalized video with an embedded animation in the email, we are able to break through the noise of the inbox and grab the attention of our prospects. We use BombBomb to create hyper-personalized and relevant content for our prospects and then email them with a few sentences and an embedded GIF preview of the video, which plays directly in their inbox. – Adam Guild, Placepull

14. Say One Thing, Really Well

Your window of engagement is three seconds. Within that time, you must clearly articulate your message and how it will add value to their lives. While you may have a series of new services and helpful tips to share with your customers, push yourself to focus on one core message with one call to action. – Andrew Au, Intercept Group

Sourced from Forbes

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Email Marketing Tips From the Experts

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Email is still the most powerful medium for sending promotions, newsletters, updates and offers to your leads and customers. However, with its popularity comes a lot of misuse and misunderstandings about how to best employ email marketing to achieve your goals.To clear things up and find sage advice, we asked a group of ONTRAPORT Certified Consultants, who work with entrepreneurs and small business owners daily to implement marketing strategies, to give us their best email marketing tips for ONTRAPORT users.

Check out their responses. Apply them to your business, and let us know how it goes in the comments.

Meet the Experts

For Best Results, Make Your Important Emails Actionable

When you’re busy and scrolling through your inbox, you’re likely not looking for emails to leisure-read — more often than not, you only have time to engage with messages that seem important and urgent or have a purpose behind them. If you really want your emails read, Chad Root recommends that you “keep them directly connected to a contact’s ACTIONS. CTA follow-ups outperform general blog notices and newsletters by three times the engagement.”

To encourage engagement, “Always add a verb in the subject heading to get your subscribers in the mindset of taking ACTION. Also, don’t forget to add the P.S. for skimmers.” — Maria Richard

Maintain a One-to-One Ratio: One Intent for Every Email

Too many CTAs in one email can quickly become overwhelming for the reader. Neil Kristianson says a good rule of thumb to follow is “One email — one action. You can’t ask someone to do 10 things in an email and expect them to do any of them.”

Having one focus per email can also make each message feel more personal to your list. Consultant Ali A. Alqhtani says, “I always tell clients to keep it real. Keep it simple. And really just talk to your list with intent, and make it conversational.”

Make the Email Engaging and Readable

Have you ever saved a message in your inbox for later because it seemed like too much effort on-the-go? These are the kinds of messages Brian Bargiel advises against sending in your marketing emails. He says, “Big blocks of text are boring and difficult to read. Furthermore, they look like a lot of hard work to digest. People have really short attention spans, so they need to be able to skim. Think of it this way — so many people can’t listen to a whole song without skipping to the next one. Not to say that paragraphs don’t have their place — I’d save ’em for other places where you have their attention.”

There are times when the most suitable approach to email marketing is being able to relate to your audience on a very personal level. There are many ways to do this, and what better way than to give your own experience in the form of a story?

Tell a story. This starts with the subject of your email. Your average person gets 90+ emails per day. Make your story one of entertainment that will draw them in. Don’t make it just about the thing. Make it relatable and exciting.
– James Simpson

“Tell a story. This starts with the subject of your email. Your average person gets 90+ emails per day. Make your story one of entertainment that will draw them in. Don’t make it just about the thing. Make it relatable and exciting.” — James Simpson

Make Sure Your Email Fits the Relationship

For every email you send, consider your intended audience and write to it. James Simpson says, “Have them nodding their head in agreement while reading it. Make sure you know what phase of business you are in with your customer. If they don’t know you or trust you, then you haven’t earned the right to ask for the sell. In short, provide value through an amazing storyline. Build trust with these ongoing stories, and earn the right to sell to your customer.”

Sourced from ONTRAPORT

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