How to Do Email Marketing for Local Businesses

Hey there, local business owner, have you ever wondered how to make your mark in the neighborhood and keep those valuable customers of yours coming back for more? 

The answer is email marketing. 

Once you know how to do email marketing, it’s your secret weapon for turning casual visitors into loyal paying customers, one email at a time. With email marketing, you’ve got the power to keep your patrons in the loop about your latest offerings, specials, and events, all while building trust and staying top-of-mind.

But your a busy person, why should you bother? Well, sit tight, because we’re about to break it down for you. We’re talking about boosting customer loyalty, filling up your appointment book, and solidifying your spot as the go-to spot in town. Sounds too good to be true? Find out for yourself. 

Let’s explore the concept of email marketing and see if it is a good fit for you (spoiler alert, it definitely is).

Understand Your Audience

Before you can learn how to do email marketing, first things first: you’ve got to know who you’re talking to! 

Take a moment to identify your audience—the folks who walk through your door or visit your website. Are they young professionals looking for quick car repairs? Pet parents in need of grooming services? Once you’ve got them figured out, it’s time to get personal. 

Segment your email list based on their needs and preferences. That way, you can send tailored messages that hit the spot every time.

Here’s an example: 

Segmenting Your Email List for a Dog Grooming Business

Once you’ve identified your audience—pet parents in need of grooming services—it’s time to segment your email list to better target their specific needs and preferences.

1. New Customers: Create a segment for new customers who have recently visited your grooming salon for the first time. Send them a welcome email introducing your services, your team, and any special offers for first-time visitors.
2. Regular Customers: Segment your list to include customers who visit your salon regularly for grooming appointments. Send them personalized emails with grooming tips, product recommendations, and exclusive loyalty rewards to show your appreciation for their continued business.
3. Seasonal Promotions: Tailor your emails to reflect the changing seasons and holidays. Create segments based on upcoming events, such as summer grooming specials, holiday-themed grooming packages, or back-to-school grooming discounts.
4. Pet Health and Wellness: For pet parents who prioritize their furry friends’ health and wellness, create a segment focused on educational content. Send them emails with grooming tips, dental care advice, nutritional recommendations, and information about upcoming pet health events or seminars.
5. Special Occasions: Finally, create segments for special occasions such as pet birthdays or adoption anniversaries. For example, you could send personalized emails offering discounts or freebies to celebrate these milestones with your loyal customers.

Build a Strong Email List

Now, let’s talk about growing that list! A good place to start is by capturing emails from every corner of your business—your website, phone calls, and even face-to-face interactions. Offer up some incentives to sweeten the deal, like exclusive discounts or freebies. 

Just remember to play by the rules and stay compliant with email marketing regulations (we’re looking at you, CAN-SPAM Act). We can’t emphasize this enough, because the last thing you want is to be blacklisted or relegated to the spam folder for all eternity. 

Also see: Simplify email marketing with these dos and don’ts for SMBS

Craft Compelling Emails

Alright, it’s showtime! It’s time to dazzle your subscribers with emails they’ll actually want to open. 

Start strong with clear, attention-grabbing subject lines that make ’em curious. From there, personalize your greetings and content to make each email feel like it was made just for them. 

Don’t be afraid to sprinkle in some eye-catching images of your services and flaunt those glowing customer testimonials. 

Last but certainly not least, serve up valuable content, whether it’s handy tips, seasonal advice, or irresistible special offers. With emails this good, your subscribers won’t be able to resist clicking that “Open” button!

Set Up an Email Marketing Schedule

Like a well-oiled machine, your emails need regular attention to keep your audience engaged. That’s why you need to decide on a schedule that suits your operation—whether it’s a weekly check-in or a monthly newsletter. We don’t recommend sending emails any more frequently than a week, as you can have too much of a good thing. You don’t want to come across as annoying. 

Now, we get it, you’re a busy business owner, you don’t have extra time to tend to email campaigns. Well, the best way to keep things on track is to plan ahead with an editorial calendar to ensure your content is timely and relevant. 

And remember, variety is the spice of life! Mix up your emails with promotions, valuable insights, and updates to keep your subscribers eagerly anticipating your next message.

Utilize Email Marketing Tools

The days of manually sending email campaigns are long gone. Scheduling software and AI automation now reign supreme for mastering email sequences.

Choose a platform that aligns with your business goals—one that’s user-friendly and offers the features you need. 

Leverage automation to send follow-ups, nurture leads, and deliver personalized offers effortlessly. 

Also, don’t forget to keep a close eye on the analytics! Tracking metrics like open rates, clicks, and conversions will provide valuable insights into your audience’s preferences and behaviors, allowing you to refine your email marketing strategy.

Tip: With Broadly Campaigns, you can create custom text and email campaigns to engage and retain existing customers. Easily send texts and emails to promoters, detractors, and leads using templates curated for your industry.

Test and Optimize Your Emails

Put your emails to the test and ensure they’re hitting the mark! Leverage A/B testing to experiment with different subject lines, layouts, and calls to action to figure out what resonates best with your audience. 

Don’t be afraid to dive deep into the data to gain valuable insights into what’s driving email engagement and what’s not quite making the mark. With a commitment to continuous improvement, you’ll refine your email strategy to deliver compelling content that drives results for your small business!

Integrate Email Marketing with Other Channels

Leverage your social media platforms and website to promote your email sign-up, enticing visitors with exclusive offers or valuable content. 

You can use your emails as a tool to drive traffic back to your blog and social media pages, keeping your audience engaged across all touchpoints. 

And don’t forget about cross-promotion! You can coordinate your email campaigns with SMS and direct mail initiatives to create a cohesive brand experience.

Tips:

• Social media scheduling tools
• Guide to text campaigns
• How to launch effective SMS campaigns

Measure Success

Now it’s time to see if all your efforts have paid off! 

You can do this by defining your key performance indicators (KPIs)—think open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. 

A lot like the concept of a canary in the coal mine, you can use these KPIs to track the performance of your campaigns. 

With a keen eye on your metrics, you’ll feel more empowered to make informed decisions and optimize your strategy for the biggest impact.

Campaign with Confidence with Broadly

Congratulations! You’ve unlocked the insights you need to forge deeper connections with your audience, drive customer engagement, and potentially boost your bottom line. As you continue on your journey, remember the importance of effective communication and the important role it plays in your local business’s success. 

Ready to elevate your email marketing game? Sign up for a demo of Broadly’s relationship management software today and discover how you can take your efforts to new heights!