Published: December 24, 2015
Categories: News | Tags: ,

Email marketing is not dead–as long as you’re doing it right. Email is still a very powerful and viable option for generating leads and cultivating relationships with current and potential clients. But it has to be done right. So how do you do it “right?” Here are a few tips for success: 1) Don’t spam. This is the cardinal sin of email marketing. Don’t just put a boring newsletter together and email it to everyone on your list. And certainly don’t put a catchy headline that generates a great open rate but fails to deliver with the email’s content. Those are two great ways to generate a lot of “Unsubscribes.” 2. Tailor content to your audience There’s no reason you should send out the exact same marketing emails to current and prospective clients. They each want something different from you. Your current clients are looking for their connection with you to be deepened. Your prospective clients are still looking for a reason to do business with you and not someone else. Tailoring your content and sending out just two lists could make a huge impact. 3. Test, test, and test again Don’t be afraid to test varying subject lines, send times and images in each of your email marketing sends. It’s important you understand exactly what people are responding to so that you can deliver more of that and less of what they don’t want. Don’t send something just to send it. 4. Make it fun Our inboxes are already riddled with boring stuff. Make your emails a breath of fresh air by writing compelling content that people will actually want to read. Spotlight a particular place–whether it be a city to visit, a restaurant with an incredible signature dish at that destination, or a site to see. Highlight a current customer who had a terrific trip and share their testimonial. Offer travel tips, promotions and fun anecdotes. Write your emails to your customers with as much gumption as you would start a dinner conversation with them. 5. Find the balance At first, it can be difficult to find the right amount of sends for your customer. Maybe they want to see something from you once a quarter. Maybe they want to see something bi-weekly. Ask your customers what they want from you and test appropriately. If you get on a bi-weekly schedule, however, make sure that you have something compelling to share that often. If you have doubts, then start with once a month or every two months. You can always increase, but decreasing can be confusing to your recipients. Got more email marketing tips? Tweet us: @oagentlink!