Creative Email Content Ideas for High Impact and Results

Coming up with valuable content for your email campaigns can be challenging. Once you've determined your campaign's goals, message and frequency, how will you draw readers in and engage them?

Here are some ideas for developing creative, valuable email content so you can connect with your audience:

•Share your expertise
You are an expert (at least your customers think of you that way). Share your expertise by writing articles, tips, or by answering customer questions.

•Use facts & testimonials
Facts about your products or your industry, quotes from customers, stories about their experiences and even advice from your customers can be effective.

•Include links
Links give your audience the opportunity to interact with your message. Point them to a web page, blog, email address or a PDF.

•Offer discounts & coupons
Discounts, coupons, contests can work for the right audiences.

•Encourage exclusivity & VIP status
Upscale hotels often offer special privileges and rewards to their most esteemed, frequent customers. People love exclusivity: remind customers of how special they are to you, treat them like VIPs and watch your ROI grow.

•Hold giveaways
Give away a free product or service to everyone who responds or to one contest winner.

Remember: your email has to contain something that's worthwhile or useful to your audience. Some respond to coupons and discounts while others care about information and knowledge. Determine what motivates your audience and is useful to them and that could be a key to your email success.

Holiday Business Marketing Tips for a Holly Jolly Season

The holiday season is the busiest selling time of year for many companies. Experts (National Retail Federation) predict that sales increases in November and December will be greater (3.9%) that last holiday season (3.5%)!

If your business earns a majority of its income during the holidays, here are a few marketing tips to help you maximize your holiday success:

1. Pursue repeat business from existing customers by offering them specials, free shipping and secret sales.

2. Bundle products or services to create holiday "packages" to sell more.

3. Now's the time to post your holiday tips, advice or gift ideas on social media (use lots of pics and video). This timely info will get you noticed on your social sites.

4. Attract new customers by offering holiday specials on daily deal sites such as Groupon and Amazon Local.  Extend discounts on high margin products or services.

5. Target local customers through print ads in newspapers (always include a coupon!). For easy local online advertising for small businesses, check out Google Adwords Express.

6. Send a press release to local media with your business' holiday related tips. Follow up with a phone call to the editor/reporter you emailed the information to and you'll increase your odds of getting it published.

7. Give affordable gifts to your best customers or throw an open house/holiday party for all your customers and business partners.

Need more marketing ideas or help putting together your business' holiday campaigns? Contact me to set up a complimentary consultation to see how I can help!