In this day and age, it has become mandatory for businesses particularly those that are trying to establish themselves in the industry, to create an online presence. People nowadays have easy access to the World Wide Web thus making a quick check on a company, institution, or even a person can be done by a few clicks on one’s mobile device or computer. To most, to be a legitimate business, you must have a website. If you don’t, then you could easily be dismissed as a fly-by-night operator. While having a website is important, it does not guarantee success. You need to get people to visit your site, appreciate its content, and ultimately buy your products or avail of the services you offer.
But how do you get people to visit your website? This is where email marketing campaign comes in. It is a powerful form of direct marketing that can do wonders for you and your business without costing you an arm and a leg on your finances. With email marketing, you can reach out to your prospective and existing customers by sending them carefully directed email messages to establish and maintain a connection with them. Besides, emails have become a well-accepted and widely used form of business communication.
There are numerous considerations about implementing an email marketing campaign but these are the essential ones that can help your online selling business in the Philippines:
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Specific. You need to clarify the main purpose of your email. Do you want to introduce your business? Do you want to know what your customers think about your product or service? Do you want to inform them about your new product offerings? Do you want them to follow your social media accounts? What do you want your audience to do after reading your email?
The purpose of why you are sending out emails must be established even before writing your first word because this will dictate the tone of your message. You also need to consider your target readers – their age, location, and history with your company – so you can focus your efforts and enhance the chance of success. Being specific will help you decide whether one standard email is what you need or a set of customized emails for each particular group would be a better way to go to achieve your goal.
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Measurable. Email marketing campaign does not end with hitting the send button. It is actually just the beginning. It should be your concern that the purpose, for which you sent the email in the first place, must be achieved if you are to consider the campaign a success. Were you able to attain your objective?
You would also like to know how many contacts were able to read your email, how many of the emails bounced back, how many readers, after receiving the email, unsubscribed. These are usual information that most email marketing tools provide. There are a lot of these tools out there and your choice primarily depends on what suits your needs. If you are not sure which one to take, go for the trial period so you can get the feel before actually buying. The information you get from these tools can help you look into your material to see where you can improve to make it more effective.
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Time-bound. Your campaign must have a start date and an end date. It cannot be a continuous barrage of emails that will soon become annoying to your readers, which can seriously damage your reputation. Establishing initial and terminal points enhances the organization of your entire campaign because it allows you to plot the timing. Determine when and how often you will be sending your emails. It may be acceptable to see newsletters weekly or twice a month but sending promotional materials that frequent can be seen as too aggressive.
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Personal. While marketing campaigns are generally business in nature, it does not prohibit you from injecting your personal touch in your emails. You can achieve this by carefully constructing your message, selecting the words and considering how your readers would feel. A more personal approach can make you sound relevant to your readers and it likewise increases the chances of your email getting read at all.
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Digestible. The material you will be sending must be easy on the eye when looking at it and understandable when reading it. People by nature love to look at visually appealing things. They are drawn more to colors but too much of bright colors can be unsightly as well. The words used must be carefully selected and the thought properly organized and developed. You would not want your own words to be the hindrance to your readers’ understanding of what you are trying to tell them. You may ask help from your friends and family to review your material before sending it out so they can give you insights on what to improve. Ensuring that your material is in its best form and construction can be painstaking but it is all important because it can spell the success or failure of your entire campaign.
Make sure that your material is concise. It does not have to be long; it just has to be complete. Besides, your readers do not have all the time in the world to read lengthy write-ups.
If you are really determined of ensuring the success of your campaign, you can conduct a test on small groups, perhaps with the top two versions of your material. See how each group react to the material and know which one works better. Once you have determined the best choice, roll it out to the rest of your contacts.
At the end of your campaign, review the results. You may get more than a handful of insights as to where you need to improve on the next time you conduct another campaign. Remember, you can do this as often as you want but be mindful of your readers. If you receive feedback from them, whether in the form of a complaint or suggestion, listen and assess their reaction. They may be telling you something you can actually act on to better your campaign approach or your online business in the Philippines. A simple question could mean that they need additional information on something or you might have missed including some details that may be useful to them.
With people spending more and more of their time on the net, communicating through email continues to become a reliable tool to reach out to potential customers. It is less time consuming and cost-effective way to ensure that you maintain a channel through which you can establish new business relationships and maintain existing ones. Just know how to properly use it so you can maximize its benefits.
