Your emails reflect YOU or, at least they should

anonymous-mask

 

I am often surprised by how completely charming a retailer or a small business owner can be in person only to discover their email newsletters have the personality of a face mask.  Stiff, generic and hard to like.

Often the emails are simply boring.  One wonders why they bothered.  Worse, there is absolutely no personalized message contained in the email…just a bunch of links to other sites.  No calls to action.  No original content.  Just a regurgitation of stuff.

It’s as if the business owner is hiding behind their counter, afraid to say “Hello” and let their email audience really see how charming they can be, how charming they are.

If you want to maximize your email marketing efforts, you need to take some steps to get them to stand out.  I’m not just talking about an enticing subject line or a great headline.  I’m talking about the essence of you and the personality of your business.  You need to step out from behind the mask.  How?

5 Steps To Make Your Email Marketing More Effective

Here are five simple steps you can take to punch up your email communications and give it a personal touch. To create a personal bond…one has to get… personal. Let them get to feel as if they “know” you.

1.  Be yourself - Email marketing is not the time to by shy.  Offer a personalize message rather than the canned version.  Use their first name in your communications.  Use a photo of you.  Spice up your email message with your own words and flair…just as if they were walking into your store or you were meeting them for the first time, because that is what is happening.  It’s just happening virtually. Be certain to suggest they give you a call or email you directly if they have any questions, because you are there to serve.  Right?

2.  Use your own photos – Don’t use stock photos you found on the Internet.  Use photos of your people, of a satisfied customers, of you, of your business full with satisfied customers, of your new products, of your cat or dog mascot, of a cute dog one of your customers, of your recent vacation, etc.  You get the idea.  Be personable and they will respond in kind.

3.  Be original – Ask yourself what you can offer your email subscribers others can’t?  Is it your original point of view?  Your expertise in your industry? Expressing an original opinion is a good thing.  As always you want to stay clear of controversial topics like politics, but there is nothing wrong with you starting a conversation around an original point of view.  Try it in your next email newsletter.

4.  Say Thank you – As another extension of what you’d do in person, don’t hesitate to thank your email subscribers for listening, for taking time to read and act.  Recognition of someone’s good acts never goes out of style.

5.  Repeat 1 through 4 – Stay with it.  Don’t assume the first time you do any of these steps you’ll receive immediate feedback.  You won’t.  Just stay with your program.  Wrap your emails in TLC and you’ll see rewards in your business.

How else might you add some spark to your email marketing efforts? Share below in the comments section.

You might also be interested in reading a few other posts about email marketing.

Has Become Email Passe`?

5 Steps To Make Your Email List Hum

Frequency

Email Marketing: Best Practices

If you found this post interesting, join our list of readers and feel free to pass this along.