Right marketing tools can help get you into proper inboxes

May 31, 2010

The owner of Local Kitchen & Wine Bar in Toronto says getting on board with a subscription-based email marketing service to manage his mailing lists, distribute his newsletters and crunch some numbers has proven to be a very smart investment. "We didn't do much besides sending an email newsletter and opening the door. It's been hard for customers to get a seat ever since."

He started his email campaign a few months before the restaurant's launch just to generate interest. "Every day people were coming by to ask about us, so we told them to sign up for the newsletter. We got 1,000 subscribers."

Email marketing also delivers the best ROI of any type of communications campaign, he adds. "Cost per email is below 1¢, and you can send out hundreds. Typically a campaign can get you a 5% to 10% conversion. Even if it's only 1%, the ROI is quite high. The Direct Marketing Association says that every dollar spent on email returns $43. This is one tool where a little investment can go a very long way."

EMAIL CAMPAIGN TIPS

1. Personalize your messaging to target audiences when you can.
2. Provide links in your emails to increase user click action.
3. Encourage "forward to a friend" activities (e. g. offer a product discount) so your message can go viral.
4. Test your messages on different readers to make sure they work on all platforms.
5. Write headlines that get noticed -- use the "what's in it for me" principle.


Author:  The Vancouver Sun

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