If you peruse the internet today, you will find a plethora of articles and videos on how to get where you want to be with no work. Take a pill and presto you are in perfect shape. The message is the same with your marketing efforts. However, nothing can be farther from the truth. The fact is we are conditioned to want it easy. In real life it takes some hard work and fortitude. Just face it and pay the price. If you do that, you will reap success in your efforts. So you have a new or ongoing business. Great! How can you take advantage of what email marketing offers? ​

Start where you are with what you have. Email marketing takes credence in that it is one of the oldest forms of digital marketing out there. Its demise has been predicted yet it remains as relevant as ever—as long as you respect your audience and do your homework. A customer’s email address and consent, is your gateway to build a lasting relationship and earn their business. It boils down to taking a couple of afternoons and really thinking about what you have to offer to your customers and what you are prepared to do in order to win and keep your customers business. Map out your strategy and execute on that. Talk to some of your current customers and ask why they bought from you? It’s that easy – just not that simple.

Build your foundation. If you cut through all the flotsam out there you really only need to start with three automated messaging strategies. Keep it simple but effective. Put it in place and pay attention to the metrics. As far as which email tool you use out there, there are at least 20 options ranging from near to free like Mailchimp and Awebber to large enterprise solutions like Salesforce and Adobe. That will be a topic of a future discussion. Just pick one based upon your budget and start.

Strategy 1: Plan for Acquisition. Once you connect with a customer how are you going to build your communication with them? How many “touches” or “interactions” do you need with a prospect before they become a customer? Think about how you like to interact with a business or service? Is it one touch or several? Speak in terms of what your customer’s needs are. Remember you are solving a problem for them - sell the benefits not the features– they are not concerned that you need to pay your mortgage or cover your kid’s tuition either. If you don’t believe me, think about the last time you purchased something from another business - how concerned were you about their needs?
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Strategy 2: Plan for Onboarding. Great, your prospect has become a customer! Now seal the deal and provide a connected experience as they use your product or service. What is the lifecycle of your product or service? What are the key times you should connect with them? Help them in this “honeymoon phase” to become one of your five star customers!

Strategy 3: Keeping the fire lit. All relationships get stale from time to time. Build in a couple of messages when you customer’s interest will lag. Get them reinvigorated in your product offering. Remind them why they become a customer and how you are still there being there for them.
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Now set aside a couple of afternoons and get started – there is no time like the present – get that foundation built!