With all the advances in digital communications, email remains the old dog that keeps learning new tricks. Love it or hate it; most professionals continue to rely on email for sharing and exchanging information. Yet, when it comes to email marketing many may associate it with full-fledged newsletters, a tactic that you may have determined is not necessary for your business, and not worth your time or resources. However, there are many other ways beyond newsletters to use email marketing technology for your benefit.

If you use email to communicate with clients and team members, email marketing technology has additional features and benefits such as information that shows you how recipients interact with your email, that make it an even more valuable communication tool.

Why Email Marketing?

If you do not sell products and have no desire to build an information marketing empire, why bother to use email marketing?

• Visibility. You can use email marketing to stay top of mind with current, past and prospective customers. A monthly newsletter is a good way to share business news, industry changes or trends, client successes and industry news that impacts your target audience.
• Special events. Use email marketing to alert your clients and prospects to special events. This can be in addition to formal written invitations or other digital promotions. The benefit of using email marketing is that you can see when email has been opened.
• Pulse check. Use email marketing to send surveys to learn more about your clients’ needs and wants. This can be a great way to find out if there are gaps in your services or explore ways to grow your business with your existing customer base.
• Promotional campaigns: Let clients know of upcoming promotions or special offers. Whether you are promoting a new service, limited time offer or your work with a non-profit, email marketing is an efficient vehicle for spreading the word.
• Invitation emails: These keep clients up-to-date on upcoming special events. These can be sent weeks or days before an event occurs as a way to encourage a customer to attend.
• Nurture relationships:  One of the biggest benefits of email marketing is the ability to build and nurture relationships. Email marketing can be like having a series of coffee dates with a client or prospective client. After each encounter they learn a little bit more about you and your business. Each “date” moves the relationship forward.
• It is measurable. Sure you could send 1:1 emails the good old fashioned way but one advantage of using an email marketing service is that you can measure your results. You know when your messages are connecting and when they are not. You know what links are clicked and how quickly your messages are opened. More importantly you can take action on what you know to improve your results.
• Compliance. Another good reason to use an email marketing service is compliance. If you’re marketing to a list there are rules, such as having permission and providing a way to opt-out. Email marketing services make it easier for you to comply with the applicable laws without a lot of hassle.

You can leverage email marketing and email marketing services as a communication tool, whether or not you have a desire to sell. Email marketing is a good way to not only send a message but measure its effectiveness.

Do you have any tips on using email marketing? Let us know in the comments!