Almost everyone has a “friend” or relative that they only ever hear from during the holidays. They are the people whose only communication consists of those smug “round robin” emails or social media posts, apologizing for their lack of contact – but they’ve just been soooo busy lately. They then go on, painting a lavish picture of all the exciting things they’ve been up to (their careers, their successful children, their exotic holidays) that have prevented them from getting in touch earlier. They don’t ask any questions. They don’t solicit any response. Their idea of what constitutes a successful relationship only moves in one direction – and it’s all about them.
Nobody really likes receiving these haughty missives. They are almost as bad as spam.
OK – this might sound a little cynical, but stick with me. There is a very important point here.
Your email marketing newsletters might be just as off-putting.
Invest in Better Relationships
You will only find true success in email marketing if you invest in your relationships with your subscribers. This means taking the time to get to know them and encourage a two-way dialogue.
Remember: Many technology pundits now consider email to be the first social network. Take their lead and do everything you can to drive engagement.
This means:
- Only sending from an active email address (no more no-reply@)
- Replying to emails in a timely fashion
- Digging deep into your analytics and altering your relationships based on engagement
- Investing in new strategies (and potentially in new technology) to ensure you only ever send engaging, relevant and timely emails
So if you are considering sending an annual holiday round robin email, I would suggest you include the following ideas:
- A Big Thank-You: Thank your customers/clients for contributing to your success. Make them feel like part of the team, and they’ll keep rooting for you in 2016.
- A Big Shout-Out: Highlight some of your favorite customer success stories. Your business thrives on your customers’ successes, and these inspirational stories will inspire others (who identify primarily with your customers) to buy in to your company.
- A Big Offer: Reward your customers with an offer. This doesn’t have to be a discount. How about sharing some unique industry insight or the opportunity to get their hands on a product or service before their competitors?
- A Big Invitation to Build a Better Future: The best product development team might just be the customers you serve, so why not ask for feedback about improving your products or services? This can help to cement the relationship further.
Email marketing isn’t just about you, it’s about the community of people you serve. So isn’t it time you started working for a brighter future, starting with your next email?
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