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Florist Tech: Getting Into Your Customer’s Inbox |
| Written by Amanda Ryder | |
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Now, more than ever, Canadians see their inbox as the number 1 source for news and as a way to keep in touch. Starting up an e-newsletter is the perfect way to reach out to these online consumers. You can remind them of upcoming holidays, highlight new promotions and deliver helpful care and handling information. As a result of this relationship, your shop will be the first one that comes to mind next time they need to place an order. Although kicking off your own e-newsletter campaign may seem like a daunting task, it doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips and information that will help you get started. Get collecting The first step to sending out an e-newsletter is to gather the e-mail addresses of your customers. Keep in mind that under anti-spam rules in Canada, you can only collect personal information such as e-mail addresses with consent and can only use that personal information for the purpose for which it is collected. This means that if a customer gives you an e-mail address to place an order, you need their permission before you add that address to your marketing list. One easy way to obtain e-mail addresses is to politely ask customers if they’d like to be added to your shop’s e-newsletter list as you ring through their purchase at the point-of-sale. Entice them to give up their e-mail addresses by explaining what they will get out of your e-newsletter – flower tips, news of upcoming promotions, possible discounts, invitations to special events, etc. – and let them know how frequently they will receive this information (usually twice a month at the most). Consumers are bombarded with e-mail requests from retailer after retailer and are hesitant give up that personal address. One method of getting around this is to create a monthly draw or a special coupon in exchange for an e-mail address. You should also place a link on your website where people can sign up for the e-newsletter. Create a style Once you’ve decided on an e-newsletter management program (you can find many different companies online or through your web provider), you need to outline what you want your e-newsletter to look like and what type of information you want it to contain. The goal is to keep it short (usually no longer than 500 words), simple in appearance and easy to read. People are time-starved and quickly flip through their inbox so you need to catch their eye without overloading them on text. Pay attention to what you use in your subject line – this can make or break whether or not a reader chooses to open the e-mail. Try something catchy that references a subject in the e-newsletter. Avoid the generic “e-newsletter” subject line or the word “free” as some e-mail providers block these words. Use your logo at the top of the newsletter so the reader can quickly identify where the message is from. Keep in mind that some of your customers may still be using dial-up connections so try to keep the size of the e-mail to a minimum to allow the e-newsletter to load more quickly. If you are talking about a number of topics in your e-newsletter, use headings to break up the text. To keep your e-newsletter consistent in appearance, you might want to consider using the same headings in each newsletter so the reader can go directly to a favourite area. Fill it with great content Your e-newsletter needs to be filled with content that’s relevant to your customer. Avoid marketing jargon and use a straightforward and open tone when writing. Think back to some of the common questions your customers ask you and feature a short article or question and answer section. Provide care and handling tips or introduce readers to new and interesting varieties or products that you will soon be featuring in your store. Set up a survey to help give you insight into what your customers really want. Show off new designs, link to your blog, introduce your staff members or share the story of what a day in the life of a florist is like – the possibilities are endless. Avoid duplicating information from previous e-newsletters and before you send out the e-mail, take a step back and review what you’ve written. Get another staff member to take a look at the copy to make sure you aren’t blasting out any spelling or grammar mistakes. When you finally send out the e-mail, send a copy to yourself so you have it on record. In the end, if you want your campaign to succeed, you need to put forth the effort. Develop a schedule, stick to it and entertain your readers, and customers will no doubt, stay tuned. |
