Email Marketing Pt. I - Why use Email Marketing - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

J. Sullivan · 11-04-2009, 02:19 PM

I've got a series of posts on email marketing that I want to share with you guys so this is pretty much just a quick primer on email marketing.

Email is the number one form of communication behind talking.

I made that statistic up. Did you 83.4% of all statistics are made up on the spot?

But I bet for a second you believed it. Everyone uses email. And by everybody, I mean everybody. Your mom has an account, your Gram Gram has an account, your Great Uncle Jeff who hasn’t been right since the accident with the donkey has email.

And they all check it at least once a day. Email is one of the most accessible forms of communication.

Here's a real stat though.

“According to the Direct Marketing Association, email delivers the highest return-on-investment of any other marketing vehicle, averaging $57.25 for every dollar spent. That's why the vast majority (80% in a recent survey done by JupiterResearch) of companies increase their email marketing budgets with each passing year. It's also why, no matter what business you're involved in, you should leverage the email channel to its fullest.” - Jennings.

Email is easy.

This one is irrefutable. If you can tie your own shoes you can shoot off an email. Granted, using email for marketing purposes is a little more difficult, but not much. It's a simple system, one most of us have been using for years. I would be willing to bet that 37% of kids in high school know how to write an email but couldn't address an envelope. Made that stat up too. Still believable though, isn't it?

Email is instant.

No matter how long your email is, you hit the click button and that baby is on her way. No delay. I mean it really cruises. In less than 5 minutes (and that’s a bit on the long side), you could write up some marketing material, and blast it off to all corners of the world. What else gives you that advantage?

Email is reliable.

Unlike the USPS, your email isn't going to get lost in the fray. Your pictures aren't going to get crumpled, and the ink isn't going to run if the mail gets wet. The stamps don't fall off, the dog can't eat it, and so forth. I know you get the point. You know, with all certainty, that once you click that send button, it's going to be in the persons mailbox. Unless of course you get marked as spam. That's a whole different article though.

Email is measurable.

If you have a little geek in you (or know a little geek), you can measure the results of your emails. How many people open them, how many people actually read them, and how many people click the link or take action.

Everything about the digital world is measurable, and that's what makes it so powerful.

How would you know how many people read your direct mailer, or just pitched it in the trash?

How about watched your TV ad/ heard your radio ad and took action?

Saw that truck lettering, trailer, or yard sign and called you up?

With email you have the answers. Split test away, find out what mailers work the best, and adapt your marketing to max ROI.

The reason you can split test as much as you want is because of the number one reason email rocks out loud….

Email is free to send.

This is the tipping point.

I mean all the other parts add up, but then you throw in free and the game is over.

You literally have absolutely no cost involved with sending email.

None. No cost. Think about that.

Stamps and envelopes cost money. Phones cost money, and so do minutes. Yellow Pages, billboards, newspapers, postcards, etc all cost money.

Free marketing.

Let that one sink in.

I have yet to meet a business owner that didn't love free marketing.

The Wrap Up

Email Marketing just makes sense. Why wouldn't you want unlimited access to customers when it won't cost you anything?

Breakdown

Everybody's got email.
It's easy
It's instant.
It's reliable
It's measurable.
It's free.

That's all for now, the next Email Marketing posts will have more specifics on ways for Contractors to use it to make money. Tell me what you think fellas.

Justin

MagicPoolSvcs · 11-04-2009, 02:59 PM

I think email marketing is great.
We send out about 100 emails a day, and get a 1% return rate.

We land a few jobs a week because of it.

neolitic · 11-04-2009, 05:03 PM

I call it spam.
So do 87% of all recipients.

Bartic · 11-04-2009, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neolitic

I call it spam.
So do 87% of all recipients.

Agreed. Also there is the ethics of email harvesting. Where do you source emails from to make sure you are hitting your target audience and even your geographic location? I like the idea of newsletters monthly or biweekly to past customers but email marketing in my books just sounds like spam.

J. Sullivan · 11-04-2009, 05:26 PM

Boys boys boys,

HUGGEEEEEEEEEEEE Difference between email marketing and spam.

Email marketing isn't buying a list and blasting out a canned message to random strangers. Cmon, you should know me better than that. Everyone hates spam, and I would never suggest you use spam as a marketing tool. But I bet $100 bucks you are on a mailing list that you signed up for.

That's email marketing.

Email marketing is permission marketing. You collect the list yourself from people who are telling you they want to hear from you.

But you'll have to read Part II for more details, I'll post it after dinner.

Staging · 11-04-2009, 06:12 PM

Well dinner is over here in florida. I'm still waiting

Darwin · 11-04-2009, 06:14 PM

Spam just sounds bad. It is what it is. A few mass spammers have given this free tool of marketing -email- a bad name to play with.

On the flip side, great post. Some good 'stop-and-think-for-a-moment" stuff.

MagicPoolSvcs · 11-04-2009, 07:29 PM

My take is be respectful, keep your email short and simple.
Also, include on the subject what you do.

" Residential Pool Service In Longwood "

If they want to open it, they can.

Believe me, it works.

Home Services · 11-04-2009, 07:55 PM

A question about email marketing...

One of my companies deals almost exclusively with seniors (65+). We sell & install (if needed) walk-in bathtubs, a somewhat high ticket item ($6,500 - $20,000). We also do other home & bathroom safety modifications.

Also, due to the nature of the product, most of our customers are "one-time" sales (how many walk-in tubs does one home need - you get the idea).

One other thing, we also target the kids (45 - 65 yo) of these seniors. It helps us sell their parents when we can get them involved -in other words, we have 2 seperate targets, seniors & kids of seniors.

My question: What is the best way to email market to these 2 very select groups & how do we get email lists without the apperance of spamming? Thanks in advance, any advice is appreciated.

J. Sullivan · 11-04-2009, 08:04 PM

Alright gents, a quick little response before the Phillies Yankees Game.

BTW, if you're a Yankees fan, go and jump off a bridge.

@ Staging

haha I'll have the post up in a jiff, and I'll personally send you a PM so you can check it out when it's live

@ Darwin

Email marketing is a whole different beast than spam, you've got that right.

The whole reason spam is spam is because you never asked for it. It just showed up in your email inbox. It's the junk mail of the internet

Email marketing is a whole different beast. It's all about permission marketing.

@ MagicPool

You've hit the nail on the head. Keeping the email short and sweet and having a call to action in it is key.

A catchy title also works wonders.

@ Home Services

Too answer your questions:

1. Run a split campaign. Tailor your message to both demographics. However you're not going to have an incredibly high return on the seniors email. Even though some of them are on the interwaves, most are stuck on the shore with snail mail. Pound the kids more.

2. Don't buy lists. Ever. The ROI on using a third party list is complete ****. I don't know if the forum will let me say ****, so substitute "icky poop" if it censors me.

Besides, Email Marketing is never about buying and using a 3rd party list. 3rd Party list = SPAM

More to come....very very soon.

Home Services · 11-05-2009, 06:36 AM

Thanks J. Sullivan (web dude),

For the 2 demo's that we need to target, what would be your advice on effective harvesting? Thanks again

P.S. Sorry about the Phils, I hate the Yanks also (STL Cardinal fan), but the Yanks Manager Joe G. is from my home town of Peoria, IL, so I'm happy he got one - just wish it would of been with any team other than Yankees!

J. Sullivan · 11-05-2009, 08:07 AM

@ HomeServices

So we don't derail the thread, I'll PM you some info.

And I'm a Sox fan, so I root for two teams:The Red Sox and anyone who plays the Yankees.

**framerman** · 11-05-2009, 09:22 AM

In my opinion, saying email marketing is pc. What the general public thinks, is that it is spam. Unwanted emails.

I am certain I am on many of these email lists, but if you think that was voluntary, think again. 92.37% of the people were blindly signed up through miniature type, deception, redirection, or coercion.

It's spam. Just as much as someone calling you on the phone is telemarketing.

silvertree · 11-05-2009, 09:29 AM

Its spam!

I will just have to pass on all that extra work I get for free. You gotta have some ideals.

And yeah I can get peoples email addresses, like "Sign here for our FREE kitchen planner guide".

SPAM

Rio · 11-05-2009, 09:43 AM

In this case, one person's spam is another's ham................... in other words, just because you don't like it doesn't mean someone else will. I think the one of keys is to not send it out randomly.

J. Sullivan · 11-05-2009, 10:28 AM

Kent my man, you know I love you. I completely and wholeheartedly take blame for not being more clear. This post really should of been No. 2 in the series.

Email Marketing and Spam really and truly are two different animals. If you'll give me a just a couple minutes of your time, I'll break it down quickly (I'll go more in depth in the next segment, sorry fellars I'm working like a dog)

SPAM = Unsolicited Email. Email you didn't want, don't want, and never want. It's eJunkMail. Basically is some douche buys a list of names from another douche, and then shoots you emails about whatever. He doesn't know you, you don't know him, he doesn't care about you, and you don't care about him.

The whole point of SPAM is to get the message to as many people as possible, and hope for a conversion at some point.

Spamming is absolutely hands down the most useless form of marketing in the history of the world.

Email marketing is eMail you want to get, or at least said it was okay for you to receive. One of the examples I'll use in my upcoming post is Borders. I'll do a quick rundown here, just to whet the whistle.

I went in to Borders, and signed up for a membership card, because I could get a discount and I buy a large amount of books. Little Johhny MusicSnob over here asks me if I would like to receive email coupons.

Well hell ya dawg. I love saving money.

So Johnny MyMusicIsCoolerThanYourMusicBecauseNobodyElseListe nsToIt signs me up. That night in my inbox is a message from Borders.

"Thanks for signing up and dealing with the ToolBag at the counter, here's 20% off next time you're in the store."

Am I going to buy a book from Borders that I wasn't planning on buying before? Maybe. But I know when I need a book I'm going there, because I save 20%

Once a month, maybe more I receive an email from them telling me about new books, DVDs, and CDs that are available, plus all their specials. Then they give me a 10-30% off coupon if I go in the next two weeks.

Do I do it? Almost every time.

Would I of shopped exclusively there if they hadn't offered me the coupon, or told me about the new books, or kept building a relationship with me?

Probably not.

Do I consider it Spam?

Absolutely not. I love and look forward to getting the emails. And if at anytime I decide I don't want to get them in the future, I click the included unsubscribe link and I never hear from them again.

That's a little taste of Email Marketing, and I have more for you guys to come. I hope this quick primer kinda opens the minds to what I mean. I would never advise anyone to SPAM a list you buy, you'll look like a dick and won't convert anyway.

More to come soon, same Bat time, same Bat channel

TotalHome09 · 11-05-2009, 10:30 AM

I don't agree it is spam, if addressed correctly from the beginning. I have happily signed up to recieve a FEW newsletters and special offers for things I am interested in. If a homeowner is INTERESTED in having some work done, or a past customer may be INTERESTED in some future work, opting in would be of a benefit to them. Opting out easily needs to be addressed as well. Think like a homeowner.

cbscreative · 11-05-2009, 02:35 PM

I was waiting for Justin to post again before commenting on this thread because I expected he would be posting like he did. The illustration of the difference was exactly what I expected. I knew what he meant when he started this thread, so I would not have expected him to be promoting spam. In fact, I missed the potential for the alternative view simply because I knew what he meant.

I abhor spam probably more than average. But I also know the hidden cost to business from the nuisance it is. To most of us, it is just an inconvenience, but to a network admin or a business owner with sizable office staff, it is a LOT more than that. Sure it's free for these scum to send out their sludge, but someone else is picking up a sizable tab to combat it. I absolutely HATE spam with intensity!

Email marketing IS different, and so I was glad to see Justin explain the difference to clear up the misunderstanding (I hope it cleared it up). You should ONLY receive mail when you have AGREED to it, and only FROM the person or company you agreed to receive it from. If you have a web site and are not taking advantage of email marketing, you are most certainly leaving money on the table.

Email marketing is NOT just about selling. It is about giving something of value. If your email marketing is only trying to "sell" your opt-out rate will be high. It's exactly the reason most web sites fail. Most web sites are more geared toward selling rather than connecting with the customer and solving their problems. If the same thinking goes into email marketing, then it does become more like spam.

I'm off to read Part II so I don't end up saying something that has already been there (unless I already have).