Research shows that the average office worker receives over 100 business emails each day. This means it is increasingly difficult for companies who use business email to communicate with their customers to get their message across. The main risk here is that their emails will get lost in the mix, although there’s also a good chance they will be seen as spam and deleted without being read. There are ways in which businesses can avoid this and learn how to find new customers without spamming them!
1. Make Getting an Email Worthwhile
People are more likely to read a business email when there is something in it for them. Businesses should use their website to find new customers and encourage people to sign up for newsletters, news alerts and product information. And, those signing up should be given the choice of what they want to receive and how often. Emails should then be kept interesting and engaging, with plenty of graphics to catch the eye and opportunities to link back to the company website.
2. Promotions and Special Offers
These opportunities to link back to the company website should include promotions and offers, potentially ones that are exclusive to readers. Very often, online businesses will offer an initial discount for people signing up for a newsletter. The risk here is that they will unsubscribe once this has expired, so it’s important that companies offer ongoing incentives to keep people reading.
3. Offer Opt-Out Options
If businesses are contacting people from a list they’ve bought, they should let them know this is how they got their name and why they think the recipient might be interested in hearing from them. People don’t like to receive unsolicited emails, even if they’ve opted into a list when signing up for something else, so it’s important that firms give them the chance to opt out of receiving further communication.
4. Personalise Emails
For businesses with a wide-ranging customer base, not everyone will be interested in receiving the same information and this can make it hard to find new customers. To keep recipients engaged, it’s important that senders personalise emails as much as they can, making offers as specific as possible, and including targeted information and advice.
5. Create the Right Impression
Thanks to advantages in technology, it is fairly easy for businesses to design attractive and eye-catching emails, including newsletters. Those who don’t offer these are less likely to have their emails opened than those that do. Which is why companies should think carefully about the impression the emails they are sending out will create. This includes making sure that branding is consistent and that there are no spelling mistakes.
6. Be Consistent
People don’t want to be overwhelmed by emails. At the same time, they want to receive them often enough that they don’t feel out of touch with a company in which they are interested. Businesses should make sure, therefore, that they are consistent as to when and how emails are sent out.
7. Go Beyond the Business
Depending on the business, there may not always be something to share. In these cases, firms need to look beyond the business itself to the sector they work in. This way, they can keep the content of emails fresh and keep recipients interested in receiving them.
