The most frustrating part of running a business can be when your leads run dry.
No matter what services or products you provide, or what your business entails, some prospects are bound to lose interest. In today’s digital age, you must continually work hard to engage with potential customers and tailor your business to meet their needs.
So when a prospect loses interest, and is no longer eagerly awaiting your next email or interaction, don’t throw in the towel. You can rekindle your relationship with cold prospects and turn them into loyal customers once again, by harvesting the power of email marketing.
Here are five ways to help revamp your email marketing strategy and recapture interest in your business.
1. Start with a Follow Up
If you are not quite sure how a warm prospect went cold, send a thoughtful and personalized follow up email to touch base and rekindle the business relationship. Be sure to address the person by name, and make an effort to pick up where you left off.
If someone stops interacting with you or demonstrates a loss of interest, don’t give up on them completely. Some interactions require more effort than others, and some of your past prospects can just be busy or caught up with work.
To remain organized with your email marketing strategy, create a list of potential clients or customers and record the dates that you last interacted. If you haven’t heard from someone for a certain time period – like 30 to 60 days for example – make an effort to reach out to them and you might be able to reignite their interest.
2. Get Personal and Remind Them of Your Value
If you constantly send the people on your email list generic sales pitches for your products and services, it’s no wonder that some of your prospects may have lost interest.
It’s important to remember that email marketing is not solely about growing your email list and sending calculated messages to people every other day. It’s about building a relationship based on trust and responding to their needs through your content.
This is why you need to get personal in your marketing emails. Reintroduce yourself to prospects, offer a helping hand instead of a sales pitch, and keep your emails concise and to the point. According to a Pew Research Center mobile technology study, more than 52% of cell phone users use their phone to send and receive email.
This shows why it’s important to think outside of the box and come up with catchy, mobile-friendly subject lines to get people to open your emails; but don’t just stop there. Share brief, personal stories about how your business is growing, the obstacles you’ve had to overcome, and success stories from others in your network. Let your prospects know that you are grateful for their interest and remind them that they can depend on you to deliver value and solve their problems. Invite them to interact with you on social media and reach out to you with any questions, comments or concerns that they may have.
3. Revamp Your Newsletter
When was the last time you critiqued your marketing newsletter? It may be time to update your template and improve your content.
If you don’t have a newsletter, you should definitely consider starting one. Your newsletter acts as a prime source to share updates within your business, and is a crucial aspect of your email marketing strategy.
You can start improving your newsletter by giving it a template makeover. A well-designed newsletter will increase open rates and readership. Re-identify your target audience by catering to their needs in your content; readers should gain something by reading your newsletter. Your content should be high-quality and seek to engage, educate, inform and entertain.
Finally, announce your restored newsletter with a catchy headline that lets people know you have new material and a new, cohesive look for your brand. Some prospects may have simply forgotten about your business and it’s important to remind them that you are still around and freshening things up.
4. Offer a Freebie
Everyone loves free things. Offering a freebie is a great way to thank your prospects, build trust, stir up excitement and showcase the value your business can offer. There are plenty of ways you can market quality freebies through email marketing.
The most popular freebie is a helpful eBook or how-to guide that offers a viable solution to a common problem. You can also host a giveaway exclusively for those on your email list. Other freebies include a free consultation with you, or a free product or trial to a service that you offer.
In order to determine how you can better serve potential customers and address their needs, you can also create a brief survey for people to fill out in return for a freebie. The survey results can be extremely useful in helping you determine what you need to do to keep prospects happy and engaged in your business.
5. Define a Call to Action
If you want more business, the best way to secure it is to simply ask. People may not be responding to your email marketing because you haven’t given them a clear call to action.
Sending inspiring stories and helpful tips to your email list every once in a while is great, but readers will simply skim through your email and move on to their next message if you don’t include a call to action that prompts them to do something.
At the end of your emails make sure you let people know how to reach you, along with the next steps they should take. Below are a few examples of how to phrase an effective call to action:
- Don’t let _____ continue to cause an issue. Call us today at 555-555-5555 for a free consultation. We’ll take care of you.
- Space is limited and I wouldn’t want you to lose out on this amazing opportunity. Secure your spot by signing up now!
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Your call to action should always be clear, direct and communicate the value that the reader will gain by following through with the next step.
Conclusion
Don’t ever consider it a complete loss when you lose touch with someone who once seemed interested in your business. These five key email marketing tactics will prove to be instrumental in your efforts to wake up cold prospects.
By utilizing the power of email marketing, you will increase your chances of turning an old lead into a new loyal customer or client.
How do you use email marketing to re-engage with prospects gone cold? Please share your thoughts in the comments!
*Editor’s note: Has your marketing strategy gone cold? Applying the lessons you’ve read about email marketing will definitely get you back on the right track, but after you’ve attracted leads, you’ll need to pitch and propose your services.
You can do this after signing up for Bidsketch’s proposal drafting app. We’ll even let you try it for free during our 14 day free trial offer!
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