An encore posting of a popular marketing column from the past. All the way in 2013, this case, but still relevant today and worth remembering, especially as social and mobile and other hot, new things, make email look old and fusty. It’s anything but!
This week’s Marketing Tip O’ the Week is about as simple as they get:
Build your email list! One of the easiest ways to do this is[level-members] to put a jar (do I have to mention that a giant wine glass would be better?) on your counter and ask for business cards. Keep a pen and pad handy for those who would prefer to give you a personal email address.
Entice them with the offer a monthly drawing for a free bottle of wine.
Announce the winner in your monthly email newsletter, along with info on the bottle they won, what foods it pairs well with, and why you stock that particular wine.
Added bonus: while you’re building your email list – we’ll talk more about how to use it to generate revenue – you’re also getting your winner back in the shop to pick up their prize. Hand them a recipe that goes well with the bottle and you’ve got a great excuse to ask them to come back in to tell you how they liked the pairing.
You’ve now generated not one, but two more shop visits in the short term. And long term, you’ve continued to build your email list.
Your list has the ability to strengthen the relationships you’re developing with occasional customers. It keeps you top of mind even when people aren’t necessarily thinking about wine, and that can help smooth cash flow ups and downs by creating a steady stream of traffic even in seasons when business might typically be slower.
We’ll cover email marketing in greater detail in the coming months.
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