The key to every small business is to consistently execute strong marketing strategies. Email marketing continues to be a popular marketing strategy used by many companies, especially small businesses. Email marketing allows you to connect with customers by providing them with personalized messages and offers, as well as valuable and useful information. Below, we have listed the top 6 tips to improve sales and boost subscriber engagement with email marketing.

#1 Create A Welcome Email

When you get a new subscriber, they are going to expect to hear from you. Send a welcome email to your potential customer as soon as they sign up. A welcome email is a good way to say thank you for signing up and to introduce yourself and the company. Use your autoresponder to help you create and set up your welcome email. Data shows that at least three times more sales are produced as a result of first purchase automation which is the first email that is automatically sent out to the customer right after they made a purchase. This email is the say thank you, ask the customer for feedback, and ask for product reviews.

#2 Create Exclusive Offers

Keeping your loyal customers engaged and rewarded is very important. One way to keep your loyal customers engaged and rewarded is by creating a loyalty program. Your most loyal customers are those who return regularly to your site and result in a purchase being made. Once you have identified them, send out an email to this selected group explaining that they are receiving this email because you know that they are loyal customers. You can promote exclusive offers only to loyal customers to encourage them to go back to your website to purchase more. 

#3 Send Promotional Emails To All Subscribers

Send promotional emails to all subscribers. Send seasonal or holiday-themed promotional emails. This is a fantastic opportunity for subscribers to take the step towards becoming loyal consumers. It gives them a chance to see what your company is selling during that time of the year. Especially around the holiday season, one of your products could be the perfect present. The holiday season tends to generate about 25% of all yearly retail sales. 20% of that is from email marketing. 

#4 Create A Referral Program

92% of potential consumers trust the recommendations of their peers more than advertisers or influencers. Creating a referral program could greatly increase your business and is a very powerful tool. A referral program offers rewards/incentives to existing subscribers to refer their friends to your site. Subscribers can forward a link to their friend and any purchases generated as a result of those links can then trigger an automated reward email to be sent to the original subscriber.  Word-of-mouth is its own type of marketing and it helps to boost trust in your brand and build your reputation.

#5 Send Product Notification Emails and Encourage Wishlists

If an item is suddenly out of stock, it’s a great opportunity for you to encourage shoppers to sign up for email notifications so that they can be notified when the item is back in stock. You can also encourage customers to set up a Wishlist. Occasionally, you can send automated emails, to remind the subscriber about the products on their Wishlist to prompt them to make a purchase. If you have acquired emails for notification purposes, remember to ask customers if they would like to also receive your email newsletter, resulting in attracting new customers and growing your email list. 

#6 Ask For Customer Feedback/Reviews

Don’t be afraid to ask loyal customers to review your products or service. Reach out to customers via emails and ask them to leave a review of their purchases. It is important that any review requests are sent after the customer has received the products and had time to use it. Set up an automated email to be sent a week or two after the product(s) have arrived. You can include a short survey in the email that includes a short comment option and/or provide direct links to Yelp, GoogleMyBusiness or other review sites for your customers to leave a review. 

Email marketing is a great way to improve sales and boost subscriber engagement for your small business.  If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out…We’re always happy to help!

Danielle Foley, Owner
Foley Marketing Advisors
dfoley@foleymarketingadvisors.com