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E-mail is one of the most widely used tools in marketing today. It costs less than
conventional marketing channels, is extremely flexible and can reach out to large
number of prospects. No wonder then, that it’s an extremely handy tool when it comes
to yacht marketing as well. But, how do you make your voice heard among so many
competitors vying for attention? Here are a few tips that can help you do that.
- Know your prospect: Gather information about your prospects, their
preferences, likes and dislikes, preferable time for contact and so on. Knowing
your prospect allows you to modify your e-mail message to suit prospect preferences.
For example, you know a Sam is only looking for yachts built in the last 2 years.
You can personalize your e-mails to Sam, so that it doesn’t list yachts that are
over 2 years old.
- Add value: E-mail marketing is not purely advertising. Successful
e-mail marketing requires you to build a relationship with the prospect. Otherwise,
they can opt out of your e-mails with the click of a button. Provide something of
value to the prospect through your e-mails. It could be an offer for upgrade, interesting
articles on yachting or tips related to their areas of interest such as sailing,
yachting clubs and so on.
- Stay connected: Keep in touch with your prospects regularly. Whether
you e-mail them monthly, quarterly or fortnightly, the key is to be consistent.
Don’t send an e-mail and disappear for months together and then come back and bombard
their inbox with your messages.
- From & subject lines: Research shows that a person typically
takes 3 seconds to decide whether they’ll skim through an e-mail or delete it. The
subject line of your e-mail assumes more importance because of this. Have a crisp,
clear subject line that will appeal to the prospect. Avoid using words like ‘Free’,
‘Act Now’, ‘You’ve been selected!’ etc that tend to trigger spam filters. Use of
symbols such as dollar sign or exclamation point is also a no-no. Ideally you should
state your company name in the ‘From’ field and use a relevant subject line. For
example: From: See the Yachts Subject: 15 New Weekender Yachts Listed.
- Use of images: A text only e-mail marketing copy can look boring.
Cut down on text and add relevant images. When the fate of your e-mail is decided
in 3 seconds, you’ve got to make it look appealing! Add photographs of great looking
yachts and sailing boats that lend some color and vigor to your e-mail.
- Spelling & grammar: Check your e-mail copy for typos and grammatical
errors. A message saddled with spelling and grammar errors reflects poorly on your
brand and thus defeats the purpose of marketing.
- Use short sentences: Keep your sentences short and simple. Don’t
write too much just to sound like you know a lot. Come straight to the point and
deliver your message clearly.
- Easy unsubscribe: Make it easy for your prospects to opt out of
your e-mails. By making it easy for your prospects to unsubscribe, the message you
are sending across is that you are a company that respects their online privacy
and rights. You could of course ask why they are unsubscribing and make a note of
it. It would help in deciding if your e-mails need to improve in any particular
area. For example, you find that many prospects opting out are citing irrelevant
content as the reason. Now you know that either you need to take a second look at
your content or your target audience.
- Go Viral: There’s nothing more effective than word-of-mouth marketing.
Make it easy for your readers to tell their friends about you. In fact, encourage
them to do so in your e-mail itself. You could make it more appealing by providing
incentives such as a certain amount or percentage off on the next charter if any
of their references signed up for your e-mails.
- Provide alternate contact information: Tell your readers where
else they can find you. Provide links to your website, blog, your page on social
networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.
Employ these techniques effectively and you are ready to sail in the world of e-mail
marketing.
SeeTheYachts.com is a one stop shop concept for yacht and boat brokers, manufacturers
and their sales staff to manage and market their inventory. We want to create a
simple yet effective online experience to help drive sales and promote you and your
brand. Beyond a listing portal, we offer the following integrated marketing solutions
to showcase your sales, including: broadcast email campaigns and tracking, website
development, custom print design tools that you create and manage customer relationship
management (CRM), and much more.
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