Many small businesses that are not in e-commerce or selling products often believe they don’t need to worry about email marketing. However, that simply isn’t the case.
Email marketing offers a simple way to stay in touch with customers and potential customers. Whether it’s a monthly newsletter where you share what’s new with your company or product sales and specials, email marketing is a powerful tool to grow your small business.
Why service-based businesses need email marketing
When a visitor lands on your website, they’re often not quite ready to make a purchase. They need more time to research and learn more about their options. And, they might need a little convincing that your business is the best choice.
An email sign up allows them to stay in touch, keep you top-of-mind but avoid making a purchase or scheduling a phone call. It’s like holding onto a business card after a networking event because you just never know when you might need that product or service later.
Ideas for what kind of content to share via email marketing
Getting started with email marketing feels a lot like getting started with anything else new for your business. It’s another thing to add to your to-do list, master and stay up to date with. Take it easy and just aim to email your list once a month. Email marketing does not need to be complicated.
Here’s a look at a few ideas to help guide you in getting started with email marketing for your small business.
- Share blog articles as you post them to your website. Read more about creating a blog distribution strategy from our blog post SEO Isn’t Everything: Creating a Content Marketing Distribution Strategy
- Offer seasonal information and content related to your business.
- Write case studies and share new portfolio content that shows how good you are at what you do.
- Draft FAQs that help potential customers choose to work with you.
- Set up a welcome series that offers your most relevant content and information every few days to showcase your company’s breadth of services and expertise.
Getting started building an email list
One other detail you’ll need to think about is how to build your email marketing list. You probably already have the means to get started with growing your list, you just need to engage on a few channels you already have.
- Add an email sign-up form to your website, ideally in the footer so it’s on every page.
- Reach out to existing LinkedIn connections who fit your customer profile and ask if you can add them to your list to receive relevant content via email.
- Place a sign-up form on your social media accounts and post an invitation to join your list about once a quarter.
- Create a lead magnet with in-depth relevant content related to your products or services.
Email marketing is a tactic all small businesses should be using, no matter what industry you serve. If you’re still unsure about how to get started, contact us.