Even Brick and Mortar Businesses Can Use Email Effectively
| Category: Viral Marketing | Date: 2001-04-04 |
Using the Internet to promote your business is not just for Internet-based businesses. Its also a great way to promote your business if you have a store front or work for commissions in a larger organization. Lets take the steps one at a time.
First, determine something of value that you will give away as a free prize that requires an email address. For our example, lets assume you own a small deli. Offer a free lunch or dinner up to a particular value each day or each week based on a drawing of all business cards or pieces of paper that are submitted with an email address. Clearly state that winners will be notified by email with a numbered notice that can be used to redeem the free meal. Let the patrons also know that you will use their email address to keep them current on whats happening at their favorite deli-- yours.
Next, when someone uses the notice to claim their meal, have them fill out a super simple form that asks for their name and what they thought of the meal, as well as permission to use what they said as a recommendation.
Now heres the good part. Every so often, but not more often than about once a month, send out an email newsletter to all the email addresses you have accumulated. Use the newsletter to inform your customers of specials or changes. Also, print a few of the recommendations from the free meal winners. Make sure you provide them a way to cancel the subscription to your newsletter. You want happy customers, not unhappy ones!
Youve just created an effective and inexpensive marketing campaign that will bring old and new customers back again and again. You also have a way of explicitly targeting your actual customer base with specials and other deals theyll love.
The power of the Internet is not just available to fancy "dot com" companies. Any business, especially yours, can take advantage of this technology. Isnt it time you did?
About the Author
Al Baker
abaker@QBRT.com
URL
http://QBRT.com
abaker@QBRT.com
http://QBRT.com
First, determine something of value that you will give away as a free prize that requires an email address. For our example, lets assume you own a small deli. Offer a free lunch or dinner up to a particular value each day or each week based on a drawing of all business cards or pieces of paper that are submitted with an email address. Clearly state that winners will be notified by email with a numbered notice that can be used to redeem the free meal. Let the patrons also know that you will use their email address to keep them current on whats happening at their favorite deli-- yours.
Next, when someone uses the notice to claim their meal, have them fill out a super simple form that asks for their name and what they thought of the meal, as well as permission to use what they said as a recommendation.
Now heres the good part. Every so often, but not more often than about once a month, send out an email newsletter to all the email addresses you have accumulated. Use the newsletter to inform your customers of specials or changes. Also, print a few of the recommendations from the free meal winners. Make sure you provide them a way to cancel the subscription to your newsletter. You want happy customers, not unhappy ones!
Youve just created an effective and inexpensive marketing campaign that will bring old and new customers back again and again. You also have a way of explicitly targeting your actual customer base with specials and other deals theyll love.
The power of the Internet is not just available to fancy "dot com" companies. Any business, especially yours, can take advantage of this technology. Isnt it time you did?
About the Author
Al Baker
abaker@QBRT.com
URL
http://QBRT.com
abaker@QBRT.com
http://QBRT.com
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