Opt-in Email Marketing And Transparency

In sending out your email marketing newsletters, you want to be sure that you are creating a sense of security in your contacts. You want them to feel as if they know you, that they have a good read on who you are and what you have to offer. This sense of security and trust is one that will deepen your relationship and create a more lasting bond. Loyal customers are the best type of customers to have, they are easier to market to, they make repeat purchases and they recommend you to others. Anything you can do to support your image in their eyes, whether through the content of your email newsletter or what you tell them about yourself, can only benefit you in the long run. The fact that your marketing is done through an opt-in email marketing campaign is a good start. This lets your contacts know that you are very concientious about your email practices and want to ensure that your list is composed only of those interested in receiving your communications.

Ensuring that your contacts feel that you are available to them is a big thing. If you can avoid sending your email newsletter from a do-not-reply address, it is a good idea to do so. That way, people can simply hit reply to communicate with you, something that feels personal for them. If you do need to send from an email address they can't reply to then make sure that your contact information is prominently displayed so that there is no confusion as to how to contact you. Being available for people is a big part of the game, as is being fairly transparent. Transparency does run the risk of being a buzz-word, but it is also something that will help to demonstrate your honesty and integrity. If you are honest about what you can do as well as what your limitations are, you can sell yourself much more effectively. Obviously, you want to very clearly speak well of what you can do and the advantages of your (as opposed to your competition's) way of doing things, you just don't want to exaggerate. When you tell people what you can't do, they are actually more likely to believe you when you tell them what you can do.

Customers are used to being able to leave reviews online. To take things one step further you can also allow people to leave suggestion for you. Rather than a locked box on the wall, your suggestion box will be open, and people can see what others suggest. If you take the time to respond to suggestion, and perhaps even create something to suit the parameters of suggestions you see frequently, you will not only increase your sales, but you will certainly endear yourself to those who wanted something from you and had that honored.