Over the past several years, I have successfully used email marketing to increase opportunities with government buyers and private sector clients. Last year, I became a certified Constant Contact solution provider giving me access to a broad range of learning tools, expertise and resources which I am happy to share.
When it comes to marketing to the government, let me be very clear on two very important things. First, email marketing is permission based, so you need to ask for permission to email buyers. And, second if someone gives you permission to email them, be thoughtful about the content you send. Honestly, no one and I mean no one wants to receive another pointless newsletter or sales pitch.
First, and foremost – I strongly recommend the use of a professional email marketing template such as Constant Contact. Professional email templates enable you to create branded templates and it also provides important analytics about the behaviors of your intended audience. Constant Contact Offers a free 60 day trial http://www.constantcontact.com/signup.jsp?pn=jkristensenassociates if you are interested in seeing how it works.
Creating content can be a daunting task for many people – so my recommendation is kept it short, professional and relevant to your target audience. You can get clues about what is relevant to government buyers by reviewing their websites and social media platforms. Keep in mind that successful email marketing is also about engagement and relationship building, it’s not about selling. Send content that is of value of your target audience while concurrently raising awareness about your product, service or expertise.
Once you decide to engage your target audience, be consistent. And, by consistent, I don’t mean send more email. Just do what you say you are going to do, and be consistent with your branding and messaging. Pay attention to details including your website and social media. And, if you are asking buyers to call you, visit your website or engage in another call to action – make sure you follow-up!
Finally, email marketing provides reports that enable you to analyze the behavior of your intended audience. Therefore, it’s important to set goals for your email marketing campaigns. Since we already know that email marketing is about engagement, your goals should be focused on engaging your target audience in behaviors meet your specific objectives. Once you have determined your objectives you can use analytics to measure success. This is very important – sending emails for the purpose of just sending something is a pointless waste of time.
For more information, join us for a free webinar on email marketing.
http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=h5gvoqiab&oeidk=a07eczxeplodbc49c9d
