Whether yours is a product or service oriented brand, customer retention is essential. When executed properly, email marketing can be a very effective tool for making customers want more of what you’re selling. Here are a few ways this can be accomplished.
Promotions & Incentives
Promotions and incentives through email marketing are a great way to get customers back in the door. The hard part is often getting your customers to subscribe to your emails in the first place, so offer an incentive to encourage customers to sign up. Then, send out promotions at a reasonable frequency to reward your customers for subscribing, but avoid offering the same promotion too often. This will lessen the promotion’s perceived value, and customers will be less inclined to take advantage of it.
Announce New Products or Services
Does your company release new products or services occasionally? Make sure to incorporate new product and service announcements into your emails, and consider including an incentive to encourage customers to try out your new offerings.
Loyalty Program
Consider incorporating a loyalty program into your email marketing strategy, or leverage your email marketing to promote an existing loyalty program. You can offer exclusive email promotions to loyalty program members, and award points for purchases associated with these promotions.
Provide Value & Expertise
Share your expertise and provide your email subscribers with not only promotions and incentives, but valuable information. For example, a chiropractor’s office might send out tips to their patients on how to maintain better posture while at work. This is information that is free and helpful to chiropractic patients. Receiving expert advice is just as rewarding as getting a promotion or discount. It shows that you understand and care about your customers’ needs, which in turn makes them appreciative and loyal.
Segment Your Email Subscriber Lists
Not everyone is going to be in the same phase of the sales cycle, and sending out a promotion to entice a customer to save 25% on something they bought last week isn’t going to settle well with them.
There are three main categories to divide your subscriber lists into: prospective customers, existing customers, and loyal customers.
1. Prospective customers should receive emails that encourage them to take the first step to buying your product or service.
2. Existing customers have already experienced your product or service, so emails appropriate for this segment should entice them to buy again, and join your loyalty program if you have one.
3. Loyal customers should be rewarded for being loyal. Send emails thanking them for being such great customers, and provide this group with special incentives tailored to their specific interests that no one else receives.
