How Small Business Proprietors Can Use Email Marketing

By Author: Jen Silva
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For small business owners, marketing and promotion are essential to boosting sales and increasing the customer base. However, for many small businesses, this all-important tool is shortchanged due to the cost. Email marketing is a great way to market your products and business without incurring expense. Email is free, quick to use and can be very effective. Getting your customer's email address at time of purchase is commonplace and provides you with warm leads to build your email list. There are many different ways to use email marketing to bring return business and build an excellent relationship with your customers.

Give Your Customers Added Value

In today's economy, everyone is looking for added value in thier purchases, whether for a product or service. Small business owners can address this need with a quick, newsletter-style email. This can include tips on maintenance and upkeep of a product, ideas for new uses or news about improvements to a product.

Keep Your Company On Your Customer's Mind

Periodic emails are a great way to keep your company's name fresh in the mind of your customer. While ...
... you don't want to annoy your customers with too-frequent emails, a periodic email campaign can be an informative, non-intrusive way to make sure your customers remember you. An email that is friendly, informative and has a point will keep your company's name in your customer's memory. This works much in the way that magnets, calendars and pens have done, without the cost and with much more value.

Build Repeat Business With Targeted Sales

Your email marketing campaign is a great way to build repeat business by informing your customers of special sales and deals. Most consumers are looking for a great deal and it serves a small business well to make customers aware of the great deals you have to offer. Without having to advertise, you can let your customers know about sales, special offers and seasonal deals. You can also use email to send customers coupons to use on thier whole purchase or certain products or services. Many consumers are more likely to make a purchase for which they have a coupon. The inclusion of coupons also makes it more likely that your customers will watch for and read your emails. Repeat business is essential to any small company and emailing sales and coupons is a great way to bring your customers back for another purchase.

Build Your Customer Base By Getting Your Customers To Advertise For You!

Word-of-mouth is commonly known to be one of the best ways to build your customer base. Small business owners can encourage thier customers to spread the word by offering an incentive for referrals. This is easily done through email. You might offer a free product or service, a buy-one-get-one deal or a certain percentage off of a purchase in exchange for the email address of a friend who might be interested in your product. If you're uncomfortable with soliciting email addresses, you can offer customers a referral code instead.

Build Repeat Business With Timely Reminders

If your product requires regular maintenance or servicing, email marketing is a great way to ensure that your customer not only remembers to do it, but comes to you for the maintenance. Many large auto dealerships use email for this reason. The same method can work for you. If you own a service company, such as lawn maintenance, carpet cleaning or pet care, emails are a great way to remind customers that it's time to give your company a call!

For the small business owner, email marketing is an inexpensive and effective tool.
About Author:
The author is a contributor and specialist of small business programs and products on subjects such as email marketing programs. Please visit http://www.email-marketing-options.com to read reviews of email marketing providers.