The Value of Email

Email is one of the most valuable communication channels with consumers. You can tell whether your message is real, relevant, personal, and meets the expectations you have of the sender. And when the email doesn’t meet those standards, we can hit the opt out or spam button - and we don’t have to explain ourselves to anyone.

A typical Internet user receives an average of 41 email messages a day these days. How can we make sure that yours gets read and acted on? In a word, personalization.

Personalization Tips

These three personalization tips will allow you to build a stronger and more personal relationship with your readers which in turn will allow you to sell more wine.

Use a person’s name. People always love the sound of their name. It’s human nature. And it’s no different in email. So make sure you use it. You can add a first name to the subject line. “Mitch, Our Spring Release is Available.” You can use it in the opening of the email. “Dear Mitch:” It even works in the close. “Mitch, if you’re ever in the area drop by our tasting room, I’d love to meet you.”

Use relevant information. Relevant information takes on all forms. You could use wine club login information as relevant and include it in emails. “Your username is user12 and your password is x9w3P1. Keep this in a safe place to make your next order online.”

You might have other information about your customers that is relevant. You might have information in your database about last purchase. A 2004 Pinot Noir bought on Feb 17 for example. You might make a note of the date they joined your wine club. Information like that tells your customers that you think they are special enough to add that relevant information to communication with them.

Use practical information. Some very practical information could be found surrounding the signup to the newsletter itself. “You signed up to this newsletter on January 12, 2004 under the email address user12@isp.com.”

This personal information will help people feel comfortable and remind them why they really wanted to be on your list in the first place. In order to do email marketing well, you have to remember at the end of each email you send is a real live person. Talk to them in familiar way and let them know you care about them and make it easy for them to get to know you… and trust you.

Trust and familiarity sells more wine. Just think of your best customers to know this is true.

To a Great Year!

Mitch Tarr, CEO; ZinMarketing, Inc.

Mitch Tarr is an email marketing guru and the CEO of ZinMarketing Inc. a winery marketing agency dedicated to helping wineries profit from the proper use of email marketing. Mitch has honed his Internet marketing skills over the past 10 years in some of the most competitive online industries there are. He brings these skills to the wine industry through his articles, reports, ezine, and website - ZinMarketing.com.

This entry was posted by admin on Thursday, April 17th, 2008 at 8:34 pm and is filed under Clients, Direct Sales, Email, The Industry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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