Email marketing is still an effective way to reach out to customers who want to stay connected to your business.
So why not use it to promote your storytelling?
Sure – email is an effective way to let your customers know that you have a sale going on, a webinar they might like to watch or an upcoming event they might want to attend. But it is also the perfect venue to share all types of stories – those stories about why you do what you do, stories about how your business is growing and stories about employees/customer interactions that have made a positive impact on the way you do business.
It’s Personal
Email marketing puts your storytelling into a more personal space for your customer – their email in-box. This is a direct line of communication between you and your customers (and prospects who have opted-in).
Always remember that the recipient’s time is precious to them – no one wants to waste time sorting through advertisements in their email. Keep your focus on delivering useful, insightful and timely information via your business stories. Customers will discover that you aren’t a spam-bot – you’re a person doing what you love and sharing that experience.
Forward Motion
Great content makes email move. If the person receiving your email likes the stories you are sharing with them – chances are they’ll forward them to a friend or family member who has the same interests.
An interested recipient is more likely to click the link you include to your website or social platforms to learn more about you. And when it comes time for you to offer a product or service – the people who have opted-in to your email list are more likely to want to buy from you than the business that has not taken the time to consistently provide great content.
Getting To Know You
Successful email marketing is about building trust and engagement and you can do that through interesting stories that showcase what you do, why you do it and who you do it for: the customer. Give people stories that not only let them see the benefits of supporting your business, but keep them wanting to hear more about you, the small business owner.
As we move forward into 2016, start thinking of all the creative ways your business stories could fire up your current customers, attract new prospects and really grow your email marketing.
