Email marketing
Email marketing means sending news, offers and stories to customers by email. It is cheap and leaves room for pictures and longer text, but emails compete in a crowded inbox, so many are never opened.
What email marketing is
A business collects email addresses with consent and sends a newsletter or a single campaign through an email service. Email suits content that needs space, such as a new menu, a season's story or an event. For short, urgent messages a loyalty card message usually works better. Rewardly lets you export your customers as a CSV file for an email service, and Rewardly vouchers are delivered to buyers by email.
How it works for a café, salon or restaurant
- A café sends a monthly email with the new seasonal menu and the story of its roaster.
- A salon emails a short guide to caring for a new colour after the appointment.
- A restaurant announces its New Year's Eve dinner by email weeks ahead.
Each email gives readers a reason to visit, not only news to skim. An email list also belongs to the business, unlike followers on a social network.
What to watch
Send only to people who agreed, and make unsubscribing easy. Write a subject line that says what is inside, and measure the visits or bookings each email brings rather than opens alone.