andrew
Email Marketing for the Offline Business.
The September issue of my printed, and snail mailed “Big Ideas Marketing Strategies Newsletter” was dedicated to email marketing for the offline business (as you already know if you are a subscriber).
The newsletter goes out to local businesses I work with in McKinney and Collin County Texas area… and a few out of state clients.
One thing I touched on was doing a “Recommended Services” add in to your email newsletter.
It went something like this;
Let’s say you own a Landscaping business in McKinney, Texas.
If you happen to be my Landscaping guy… you obviously know my house is needing a bit of painting (not much - just the facing on the chimney).
If you were paying attention while trimming the shrubs on the north side of the house… you would have also noticed the mortar between the bricks is cracking a bit - yep, first signs of having some foundation problems.
So I am obviously in need of a Painter, and someone probably needs to come out and take a look at my foundation.
I don’t know any Painters in McKinney, Texas… and I do not know anyone who works on foundations (actually I do, but to make a point we will say I don’t).
Sure, I could pull out the Yellow Pages (that I never use any more), or call one of the companies in my ValPak mailer, or an advertiser on the TV… but I do not know who I can trust.
I’d rather have someone I know recommend someone to me.
That’s where the Joint Venture “Recommended Services” strategy comes into play.
My Landscaping guy - when he sends me my “Winterizing” my yard email… what if he just happened to have a McKinney House Painter he recommends at the end of the email? (if my Landscaper sent me an email).
Or a McKinney Foundation company?
I like my Landscaping guy… so chances are really good I’d give them a call.
And the House Painter… he could do the same for the Landscaping guy, he could recommend the McKinney Landscaper to his current customers - same thing with the Foundation company.
But, I’d bet money they can’t pull it off and won’t do it.
Why?
Because chances are none of them have the email address of their current customers.
Think about it.
If the Landscaper had an email list of four or five hundred customers… and he “Recommended” the Painter to those customers, I’m sure a few of those people would give the Painter a call.
Same with the Painter.
If he had an email list of a few hundred customers and recommended the Landscaper… I’d dare to say he would get a few calls as well.
If you only get one thing out of this article let it be this;
Mr. Landscaper… you are not a Landscaper.
You are a Marketer who happens to market and sell Landscaping services.
McKinney Painter… and Foundation company, same for you.
Start thinking like a Marketer…. think like an Amazon!
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Thanks for the post. I agree with you that email marketing has a big role to play in both online and offline business. in fact so many people are opting for this type of marketing to give their business a boost.
Graham “Ultimate Footer Ad” Coxs lastest and greatest blog post..Why You Don’t Need A Big Email List…
You tell em Andrew !
Business people must realize that marketing is a primary task of any healthy business.
The beautiful thing is we can provide services for the business owners who decide to step into the future (instead of becoming dinosaurs) and justify a nice fee because we get results for them.
I’m following you now too.
We pioneers and movers and shaker need to stick together.
Take Care, Rick
Andrew, very true. Referrals can be the lifeblood of a business and as you say; it would only take one quality recommendation to come off to make this quick and cheap marketing idea worthwhile.
Thanks for the comments Guys.
I talk to these offline business folks every day - problem is they are so busy cutting grass… painting houses, selling cars - you name it, that they do not have the time to do the Marketing stuff we take for granted.
It’s like anything else… and one of those sayings I love to say; You don’t know what you don’t know.
A lot of businesses could truly quadruple their business by simply doing what I wrote about in the article above.
I do not want to make this comment another ‘post’… so I’ll just stop it here.
Thanks again for commenting.
Andrew
Very interesting angle on service industry marketing via email. The service professionals could really fatten their pocketbooks if they continued to look for createive opportunities to market themselves and their colleagues. It is always good to remind everyone the value of referrals. We are finding out how valuable they are in retaining customers. People tend to stick around if they were a referral to begin with.