Different types of email marketing
To a lot of people, the term “email marketing” automatically conjures images of an email intent on one thing – selling, selling, and more selling. In actual fact, there are a number of types of email communications you can use, some of which are not directly sales related but can certainly contribute to their bottom line in other ways. Here are a few ways that I have found email marketing to be effective in communicating and yes, selling, your products or services.
eAnnouncements – Quick Announcements
Often called postcard emails, these are simple, brief announcements to inform customers of a special offer, a popular new product or quick fire sale. These types of emails are typically restricted to a single call-to-action and should be easy for the recipient to scan in a few seconds.
Email Newsletters or eNewsletters
The primary purpose of an email newsletter is to build upon the relationship you have with your customers. Of course, this might (and should) indirectly result in an increase in sales, but the focus should be on providing relevant, useful content your subscribers might be interested in.
Often the content isn’t directly related to your products either. For example, an online grocer might send a monthly newsletter featuring a few recipes, a story on the benefits of organic produce and a column with exercising tips. To get the creative ideas flowing, here are two quick examples of great looking email newsletters and there are plenty more that we can create specifically to match your brand or advertising strategy.
eCatalog Emails
A catalog based email is fairly self explanatory, being an electronic version of a print brochure listing particular products, with the primary goal to encourage customers to purchase. You may here catalog emails referred to as as newsletters or e-newsletters, and admittedly the lines can get blurry sometimes. But, catalog emails typically list a product or service and may include a price.
ePress Releases
If you have a list of media contacts that have given you permission to contact them, email press releases can be a great way to attract news coverage. Of course, there are a number of services that can distribute your press releases to the media, but maintaining a specific list of media contacts can be a great way to send targeted, personalized press releases only to those contacts who will be interested.
One size does not fit all
When considering which types of email to promote to each of your clients, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to take a one-size-fits-all approach. Some clients will be much more suited to email newsletters than one-off announcements, while the reverse might apply to others.
The best thing about email is that it’s so measurable. Try a newsletter for next marketing campaign for a month or two and then look at the results. Mix up the the topics you cover to see which garners the most interest. Try a different layout for each issue. As long as you stick to the expectations you set for your client’s subscribers, you can use your marketing creativity to find what works best.
Next Steps
If you are thinking about launching an email marketing campaign, and now is a better time than ever, ask me about our FREE newsletter and subscriber setup. That’s right, FREE, and their are no monthly fees. If fact, you are charged only when you send your eAnnouncement, eNewsletter, eCatalog, or ePress release. Within a few hours you can have your email marketing campaign running and reaching your audience for pennies.
Contact us and we will set up your test email marketing account today!