Why You Should Use Email to Boost Your Business

It’s been said that without advertising a terrible thing happens.

Nothing.

However, if you’re a small business owner, advertising can take up a good part of your operating budget (and that’s not nothing). Fortunately, we have good news. If you’d like to get solid traction for your small business, email marketing can be an incredibly effective method — and low-cost as well. In fact, more than half (53%) of solopreneurs use marketing and social media tools, including emails to run their businesses. 

Whether it’s sending out coupons, alerting customers about events, or promoting blog content, email can be versatile and useful.

Why to Consider Email Marketing 

Even if you complain about the “flood” in your inbox, or make a habit of deleting spam, know that email can be one of your most effective marketing tools.¹ Here are a few reasons why:

• It can significantly increase your sales. Take a look at your email list. Chances are, the addresses belong to existing customers or people who are interested enough in what you do to share their contact information. These can be the best people to connect with when you have new products, special promotions, coupon codes, and more.
• It can build relationships with leads. As we mentioned above, your email list typically includes two types of people: customers and people who might become customers. Email can nurture relationships with people who aren’t yet ready to buy but want to learn more about your business and help turn them into customers.
• It can create loyalty among current customers. Sure, you want to acquire new customers, but you probably want to retain current customers too. Email can help. Try sending emails that promote events, share helpful tips and information, or even ask for feedback. It’s an opportunity to stay in touch with customers and offer them value, even after a sale.  
• It’s easily measurable. Unlike many traditional advertising methods (such as billboards and magazine advertisements, for example), it’s generally easy to measure the effectiveness of email marketing campaigns. Most email service providers offer tools to measure how many people open your emails and how many engage with it (such as clicking on an offer). And that’s just scratching the surface. You can use this information to tweak your email content and design to get greater results.

Six Benefits of Email Marketing 

If you’re wondering what information you might include in your emails, we’ve got several ideas to get the ball rolling.

1. Marketing emails can promote a new product or service.

If you’re a new business owner, or you just launched a new service or revamped your product, it’s time to tell your customers about them. Send out an email with the good news.

• Financial advisors and accountants: Use email to tell your clients about industry news or services you currently offer. Or if you’ve hired someone new, send an email to introduce them.
• Barbers and hair stylists: Now offering beer or wine with a fresh cut? How about a new line of hair products? Tell your clients in an email.
• Landscapers: While your customers may not always need big-ticket services, many could use spring and fall clean-ups. Email is a great way to remind them to get on your schedule. Or maybe you offer landscape design ideas, in addition to your usual lawn care services. Share the good news via email, and remember to talk about the benefits of your new services.
• Online retailers: If you’ve launched a new product, whether it’s a kitchen utensil or a swaddle blanket that helps babies sleep better, it’s important to tell your customers right away. Use email to share the news.

2. Email can highlight and promote your content.

Maybe you don’t have a new product or service, but you have great information to share. Whether it’s a blog, a video, or just a list of tips and tricks, spread the word via email. Here are a few ideas to try:

• Send out a regular e-newsletter. Compile recent blog articles and distribute them via email. This can bring visitors to your website and engage them in your business.
• Promote featured content. Maybe you’ve put extra time and effort into your latest blog post or how-to video — it’s all the more reason to send out an email blast with a link to your new content. 

3. It can promote special offers.

Digital coupons can be a powerful way to get customers to spend at your business. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• If you own a brick-and-mortar store: Send out an email promoting an in-store sale or clearance event.
• If you offer services rather than products: Try promoting a discounted service for a short period of time. Tell your customers about it in an email and you may see your bookings rise.
• If you own an e-commerce store: Use a digital coupon code. You can even get creative with this by offering codes for holidays, special family and friends’ events, and more.

4. It can remind customers about forgotten items abandoned in their carts.

Life can get really busy, which can lead to a lot of abandoned carts. It also can take time for customers to make buying decisions, which is why they often add products to their carts, hoping they’ll still be there the next time they log on.

Email is a great way to re-engage customers and entice them to check out right away. Sometimes all you need is a second chance at convincing your buyer — and voila, they’re yours!

Some ideas to help convince customers to finally buy:

• Add a sense of urgency. Maybe you have only two products left in stock. Use an email to tell your customer that if they don’t buy now, they may miss out.
• Sell them on the benefits. Sometimes customers just need a good reason to buy. Use an email to tell them how this product or service can benefit them.
• Offer an emailed discount. Perhaps the price is holding them back. Consider offering free shipping or another money-saving deal to encourage a purchase. 

5. It can help you gather customer feedback.

Usually, customers appreciate giving feedback. If they see room for improvement, it gives them the opportunity to weigh in, and if they’re already pleased, they can leave a glowing review.

After you’ve sold a product or service, email your customers to request their feedback. Alternatively, you can ask them to leave an online review, whether it’s on Amazon, Yelp, Google, or on your business’s website.

Not only are customer reviews a chance to see what your customers want —they can also promote your business.

6. It can be a light lift.

There are a number of platforms and tools that can automate much of your email marketing. Many of these use artificial intelligence (AI) to help create, schedule, track, and manage your email efforts. We have a growing library of articles focused on using AI to help specific types of business. You can see them all here.

Ready to Try a Few Emails?

The best way to see how well email marketing can work for you is to try it. Our partner UENI also offers some great advice on how to run your first email marketing campaign.

The good news is that the process of setting up email marketing plans doesn’t require a lot of time and money. The even-better news is that we have a helpful guide to get you started, and it’s just one click away.

1. https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/why-email-marketing-is-still-your-businesss-most-powerful/480014 ↩︎