No one emails anymore, true or false? You might think it’s true based on the popularity of messaging apps (What’s Up and Facebook Messenger, for example) and of course texting. But don’t dismiss email as a powerful marketing tool for your spa or massage practice, at least not yet.
Here are just a few demographic and business to consumer statistics from Hubspot research to back up why email marketing should be part of your 2020 marketing strategy
- 73% of millennials prefer communication from businesses to come via email
- More than 50% of U.S. respondents check their personal email account more than 10 times a day and it is by far their preferred way to receive updates from brands.
- 59% of respondents say marketing emails influence their purchase decisions
- 59% of marketers say email is their biggest source of ROI
Email the right way
These statistics indicate email is not going away and it continues to be a powerful way to reach consumers with messages about your treatments, retail offerings, special promotions and loyalty programs. However, email marketing is not without its challenges. Inboxes are overflowing with offerings from all kinds of businesses and you need to be sure that yours “cuts through the noise” and gets read.
There are a number of things to consider in putting together an email marketing campaign that gets results. Here are some of best practices you’ll want to follow:
Get permission: No one likes spam. You earn the goodwill of your contacts by asking them first if they can be added to your email outreach list. You can include a signup on your website as one way to get addresses. If you do purchase an email list, keep in mind that the CAN-SPAM Act sets certain guidelines for sending commercial email. Among the guidelines, you email must “include a clear and conspicuous explanation of how the recipient can opt out of getting email from you in the future.”
Customize content: One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to treatments and products and neither does email marketing. Know your various customers so that you can tailor your email messages. Millennials, for example, respond to short messages and want to know benefits. Baby boomers on the other hand want to know what they are getting for their money and how your offering fits their need. Boomers are research oriented so selling to them with facts is important. Transparency is key to Gen Xers. Be “authentic” when marketing to them.
Craft compelling subject lines: A compelling subject line can be the difference of an email being read or deleted. Compelling subject lines can be:
- Teaser: Feel like a million bucks
- Command: Take advantage of our new Valentine’s Day promotion
- Announcement: CBD massage is now on our menu
- Question: Tired of lower back pain?
Add visuals: Images and video help increase clicks. 65% of users prefer emails to contain mostly images, compared to 35% who prefer text, says Pinpointe marketing. Video in particular can boost open rates by 19%, click through rates by 65% and reduce unsubscribes by 26%, says Campaign Monitor.
Include call to action: Include a strong call to action button in your email. It directs readers to take the next step.
These are just some of the things you’ll want to consider in developing your 2020 email marketing campaigns. Spend time to identify all your targets and craft emails that they will open and take the next step.