In a competitive market, finding new ways to reach your customers in a cost-effective way can sometimes be hit-and-miss. Being able to track and measure your advertising means that you can save money by eliminating costs that are not returning the best value.

Email marketing is one of the most common forms of measurable advertising that is suitable for any size of company. Used correctly, email marketing - known for its cost effectiveness and powerful measurability - can be very effective while poorly produced email marketing can have negative effects.

To a lot of people the term “email marketing” automatically conjures images of email intent on one thing: selling. In actual fact there are a number of different types of email communication, some of which are not directly sales-related but can certainly contribute to your bottom line in other ways.

When considering which types of email to promote your products and services it’s important to remember that you don’t need to take a one-size-fits-all approach. Some customer types will be much more suited to email newsletters than one-off announcements while the reverse might apply to others.

Different types of email marketing you can offer

Quick Announcements

Often called postcard emails, these are simple, brief announcements you might use to inform customers of a special offer, a popular new product or quick-fire sale. These types of emails are typically restricted to a single call-to-action and should be easy for the recipient to scan in a few seconds.

Email Newsletters

The primary purpose of an email newsletter is to build upon the relationship with your customers. Of course, this might (and should) indirectly result in an increase in sales but the focus should be on providing relevant, useful content that your subscribers might be interested in.
Often the content isn’t directly related to your products either. For example, a produce store might send a monthly newsletter featuring a few recipes, a story on the benefits of organic produce and a column with exercising tips.

Catalog Emails

A catalog-based email is fairly self explanatory, being an electronic version of a print brochure which lists particular products with the primary goal being to encourage customers to purchase.

Press Releases

Email press releases can be a great way to attract news coverage. Of course, there are a number of ways that can distribute your press releases to the media but maintaining your own list of media contacts can be a great way for you to send targeted, personalized press releases to only those contacts who will be interested.

Some of the most successful email campaigns contain…

Information specific to your area of expertise
Case studies and examples of work you’ve done with other clients
Industry news
Information about product developments and new services
Special offers and discounts
Information relevant to clients’ needs

Avoid cutting corners

Use a professional designer. Your email design needs to be as attractive as possible because viewers are more likely to connect emotionally with the content.

Use colour, space, high impact images and a clear hierarchy of information to attract and keep the viewer’s attention…without getting in the way of key functionality.

Accessibility - email readers all display emails differently so ensure your designer has tested your template(s) in all the widely used email systems.

Protect your sending reputation. If you abuse email marketing or attempt large-scale email marketing without professional advice you are at risk of damaging your reputation with spam filters.

Be legal. You must follow certain regulations regarding email marketing.

For more advice on how email marketing could work for your business contact Toby Hutchings from Evoke Creative on 07 834 3366 or email toby@evokecreative.co.nz