Today I have asked one of the customers why they're "not sure" about sending out email newsletters and I have heard that "it's not their style".
So newsletters are not your style but generic advertising in newspapers is?
Email newsletters and email marketing are a great, GREAT tool, here's why:
- Focused advertising - you're not spamming anyone, as it's relevant information that visitors subscribed to receive because they're interested in jewellery design or anything you'd like to share, as opposed to any other form of advertising that depends on people noticing your ad and responding to it.
- People sign up so they have already expressed interest in receiving information from you; by overlooking that you're ignoring their interest. It's as if someone gives you their address to receive a brochure and you don't send it out.
- Referral factor - if someone likes it (because it's relevant and different) they'll push it to friends/other people, an email is really easy to forward - nothing beats the word of mouth referral!
- Cost-effective - you can market to a growing number of people at a fairly low cost (the price is usually for putting a newsletter together, it does not depend on how many people are signed up) - incomparable with any other form of advertising
-The newsletter can be any shape or form - it could be your way of sharing your passion with your customers, it can be just sharing your knowledge (to a degree) and new designs.
- Could help you establish your company as anything you're aiming to be, show off the side of things you think is worth sharing, establish yourselves as the source of information or innovation - a trusted source therefore.
- You can show your customers what it is that makes you better/different than other companies within that sector. You can use it to link to events/news in your local community, to show new designs/creations, anything.
Email newsletters and e-marketing are a great and powerful tool. You have it available. It's cost-effective focused advertising. So why not use it to your advantage?
As recent figures show there is still a lot of abuse going on in email marketing among UK businesses. 31% of the companies are breaking the anti-spam laws when sending out their email newsletters and building mailing lists. Your customers' trust is priceless, so make sure you don't lose it by not respecting their rights. Nothing annoys more than spammy emails, that you are unable to unsubscribe from.
This is something that your webdesigner should always advise you about, however:
- make sure every form on your website, that collects the visitors' data, includes an opt- in or opt-out option
- make sure every email that you send includes the usubscribe information and that this is clearly visible. moreover, make sure it works (and it's free)
I went to post office yesterday to pick up my Bruce Springsteen tickets (oh yes) that have arrived from France. The lady behind the counter refused to hand over the letter, as my driver licence clearly stated my name is Susan Engel and not Mademoiselle Engel. And Mademoiselle Engel will have to show up with her own identity document to pick up the letter. Another clerk had to explain to her what Mademoiselle means to the amusement of everybody in the Post Office. Well, it was pretty funny.
Made me think though, this is something i would not expect in the Post Office, they're bound to know this stuff, right?
When people come to you and your website, they expect you to KNOW. They expect you to be the expert on the subject. The web's greatest function is to inform and to educate. People use internet and your website to find things out and be able to make an informed decision. If you sell diamond rings tell your visitor what each ring is exactly, it's not enough to have a pretty picture. Tell them about the 4C's and conflict-free diamonds. If you're selling watches, tell them exactly what's inside, what's the guarantee, if it's water resistant, etc. Explain what tourbillon is, or point in the right direction. Explain about financing options you offer. Ensure them about the conflict-free diamonds you provide. That's what people are coming to your site to find. Specific information. They very rarely will come to your website to read about your company's history.
It's our job to make sure your product is found on the world wide web. But once the visitor finds it, it is your job to convince them the product is worth looking at.
Be the expert they expect you to be.
We have been working in the luxury market for years now helping the customers market their product to their target audience. And we see the change.
The wealthy used to be a fairly homogenous group, usually higher educated, usually in similar society circles, usually with similar pasttimes, usually with similar tv/newspaper habits. Which made this group quite straightforward to advertise to. If you wanted to advertise diamond rings you went to engagement/wedding magazines.
Not so any more, now wealthy come in all shapes and sizes. You still have your traditional wealthy. But then you get the City CEOs with their bonuses, you get the stock market players, you get the YouTube inventors and Lotto winners with sudden disposable millions. And because of price competition and higher incomes there's more and more 'regular' people who can afford the luxury product. Suddenly marketing the luxury product is not so obvious any more.
We have noticed that the best way to cater sucessfully to different audiences is to cater for their specific needs. The most obvious of the stories: you don't go convincing a dynamic young professional woman to buy herself a diamond engagement ring. Instead you create the 'single' ring. TO OFFER HER SOMETHING SHE WANTS. Another result of trying to capture wider audiences is the introduction of non-luxury goods as 'luxury items'. We see 'designer' lines of silver jewellery, something that was not considered luxury some time ago.
