Email is an extremely vital communicative tool for all businesses whether large or small. In this modern day and age, email is widely used as a form of business communication as it only requires an active internet connection and is inexpensive compared to traditional paper-based mail. As emails are soft copy documents, archiving and retrieving email communication is easy to do. Any staff member of the business can send and receive email with their own dedicated email account.
In this article, we will discuss proper email usage in business, avoiding mistakes in email marketing, and why businesses needs their own email addresses.
Proper Email Techniques for Businesses
Function
Internal emails that function within a business can be an effective communication tools for sharing basic information or sending important messages to all staff in the company. Email can be used for proof of message being sent and received and as a marketing campaign tool.
Format
Business emails must be concise and straight to the point. Fancy graphics, fonts, and images may take up bandwidth and might break your email’s formatting when viewed on different email programs. Make sure your emails have proper grammar and correct spelling to avoid looking unprofessional and escape embarrassment. Attachments must not be too large and be prepared in a format that is easily accessible.
Etiquette
The context of the email is very important and the subject must accurately represent the content of the email. Business emails should be brief, positive, and professional.
Considerations
Using email in business communication may be easy but is certainly less personal than face-to-face communication. Consider the recipient and how they would like to be contacted, especially for important clients and business partners. Even though email can be quite casual to a certain degree, it also acts as a permanent record and should be treated carefully.
Effects
When email was first introduced, it was viewed as a revolutionary tool in business communication as information can be quickly passed along with instantaneous efficiency and effectiveness. All of a sudden staff members were able to access information from anywhere at any time on nearly any device capable of email storage and retrieval. As a result, the use of email has definitely increased productivity and also can be a quick way to increase sales through targeted online marketing initiatives.
Avoiding Email Marketing Mistakes
Email marketing is pretty much the norm for businesses today and it does have the potential to reach hundreds, even thousands of prospective customers. However, with email marketing you must avoid some crucial common mistakes.
Not Getting Permission
It’s too easy to collect email address from various sources such as business cards and contact lists but without first getting permission from the recipients might result in your emails being viewed or flagged as spam which will give your business a bad impression.
Not Providing Subscribing Options on your Site
If your website doesn’t strategically provide a few options to let visitors easily subscribe to your mailing list then you will have a hard time gathering contacts. Good placement for subscription offers on your website include sidebars, below blog posts, slide-out boxes, or event triggered pop-up boxes (note: some people find these annoying and just click off them, so use with caution).
Not Sorting your Mailing Lists
Once you have gathered enough people for your list, you would want to sort out your contacts into separate categories. There’s a higher chance for conversion and engagement for sales if you sort your contacts by product interests, locations, or buying behaviours. It’s all about targeting the right people with the right email.
Not Regularly Sending Emails
While it’s possible to go over the top in sending emails, there’s also the danger of not sending emails regularly enough to subscribers. Start with a regular schedule of once or twice a month and depending on the result, you may want to increase it more. Also, never forget to reply to subscribers that get in touch with you directly!
Why Custom Email Addresses are Important
Having a custom email address for your business helps to create a professional image and boosts your business’ credibility. With custom email addresses, you can set email aliases for the various departments such as [email protected] or [email protected]. This provides clarity to your customers when they communicate with you to avoid clutter, confusion and misunderstanding.
When you have custom email address you have full control over them. You can easily add or remove email addresses as employees come and go within your company.
Lastly, custom email addresses also help you to build your brand. It makes your email more memorable and trustworthy in your customer’s inboxes. For example, [email protected] has better credibility than [email protected]. Making the best impression is absolutely vital when you send email communications to customers and can really give your business a competitive advantage.
Importance of a Professional Email Signature
Some companies let their staff create their own email signature, and while this may be fun it does nothing to cement your company as professional and legitimate. There are a lot of programs that allow you to create a dedicated company signature that is easy for all employees to download and keep updated. Some important aspects to include in your signature are your company logo, link to your website and any social media links. Having a set email signature across your company helps to provide instant brand recognition and increase your professional image.
Below is an example of a great and not so great email signature:
At Fireworks, we recommend Google Apps for Work for emails, to find out more give us a call on 1300 660 160.