Talk to me about how YOU use email to connect w/clients, plz

[Miss Smith]

Why, when, and how do you connect with your clients via email? The more details, the better, please. Thanks!

 

[+?+(?_?)+?+]

Talk to me about how YOU use email to connect w/clients, plz

I don't have much detail, but I send my clients an email on their birthday with a discount offer and that's pretty much it. I want to look into doing an e-newsletter in the future though.

 

[NotInsaneINC]

Talk to me about how YOU use email to connect w/clients, plz

I send a followup email after almost every session. It's a place to record any stretches we talked about, etc.

I probably "should" do more newsletters, but I don't.

 

[KU_doc]

Talk to me about how YOU use email to connect w/clients, plz

No e-mail for me.

 

[Scary Halloween Mask]

Talk to me about how YOU use email to connect w/clients, plz

I kinda figured that you didn't use emails with your clients, pueppi. Not sure where I got that idea (maybe you've mentioned it here before).

For our own purposes, we actually were asked by several clients to start a newsletter. The new Spa-Booker Lite software we are (going to start) using comes with email marketing features that I'd like to learn to use; it will also automatically send out birthday emails and all sorts of things if I set that up. We'd been sending out "snail mail" birthday cards, with pretty good responses so far.

I am trying to decide whether I want to continue to do "real mail, personal contact" for those (time-consuming, costs for the cards and stamps), or go ahead and switch to email. I get frustrated with the amount of "junk mail" we get, and don't want to waste time or money "spamming" people's mailboxes and more than I want to Spam their email inboxes; yet I do want to develop better communication practices. Without frustrating them. Or myself.

 

[nisha]

Talk to me about how YOU use email to connect w/clients, plz

I use Constant Contact to send out newsletters and also specials to my clients via email. I noticed your concern with spamming and the laws governing spam are strict, so if you do an email thing, you have to offer an opt-out. That should help alleviate your concerns since a client who doesn't want your newsletters and such has the option to just opt-out off your list.

For clients w/o email or computer access, I send out a printed version. Of my clients, there are only 2 who do not have access to computers or email.

 

[Elora D]

Talk to me about how YOU use email to connect w/clients, plz

I do a monthly newletter with constant contact. When every client filled out their client intake form I ask would like you to reciever our monthly newsletter. When i do events I have a sign up sheet to get the monthly newsletter. I'm very strict with I will only send you 1 email a month. i hate getting 1 a day, a week, whatever from companies. So only 1 a month and i will tell people that too. In the newsletter (sent the first week of the month) I will talk about any specials I have going on, any events i'm gonna be at, anything that i feel they may want to know. I try to keep it short and sweet. I do still send a hand wrote thank you card to every client that come to me. And in the first visit I will send you a business card magnet in the tahnk you card. I also send a hand wrote birthday card with a discount in it. Hope that helps

 

[happymom]

Talk to me about how YOU use email to connect w/clients, plz

Do people pay attention to emails anymore? My opening rate is at about 20%. So I have been connecting with people over Twitter and my facebook fan page. And I have been thinking about having a txt message list.

 

[Geek]

Talk to me about how YOU use email to connect w/clients, plz

Do people pay attention to emails anymore? My opening rate is at about 20%. So I have been connecting with people over Twitter and my facebook fan page. And I have been thinking about having a txt message list.

This is a concern of mine. However, I also don't think people may much, if any, attention to snail-mail marketing (even if it is sent in an envelope as opposed to a postcard; I know that there are companies that will even hand-write my name and address on the envelope, and it is STILL "junk mail" that I don't/won't read). And with the onslaught of social media marketing just growing and growing, I worry that things like facebook and twitter and all those other ones I don't even know about, are also all just going to end up becoming "sensory overload", which people will sooner or later begin to ignore/scan too.

I do still think that word of mouth and being present in the community is the best way to market, hands-down. It is also the best way to keep "them" informed of our goings-on, in general. But for personal contact (appointment confirmations, special events for certain client groups only/birthdays, etc.), I am still trying to decide the balance between my time and energy and money and what will actually REACH folks.

And JLW, just a side note: I think that 20% opening rate is pretty good, actually. If you remember that a 2% return is considered "good" for most marketing campaigns, 20% readership is 100 times better than 2%. I'm not a formulas gal so my thinking may be way off, though, lol!

 

[t.lovaas]

Talk to me about how YOU use email to connect w/clients, plz

My newsletter opening rate is 60%, so in my case newsletters work really well. It's important to create articles that your clients find interesting. Each time my newsletter goes out, which is monthly, between 5 - 10 clients whom I haven't seen in a while will call or schedule appointments online. I think it's a good way to keep me in their minds. I'm still learning social marketing, such as with FB. As it is right now for social marketing, I have around 188 fans-- 8 are clients and 30 are personal friends. The rest are other massage therapists! I have just started a trade with a person who runs a social media marketing business, so we'll see how it goes for my business in that aspect.

If you go with Constant Contact (there are other email marketing sites out there but I'm not familiar w/how they work), you can track who opens your emails, who clicks through any links you provide in the email, how many times the person has opened the email, who "opts out" from receiving your newsletter and who has forwarded your newsletter to friends. All that info can tell you the effectiveness of your newsletter.

The fellow I'm trading with has mentioned about offering a discount for people who use the maps on their phones and yelp to say they are at your business. I'm looking forward to working with him and will share the info with anyone here who is interested as I learn more.

BTW Jessica, that is such a beautiful video testimonial left by one of your clients! Good job!!

 

[Ann O]

Talk to me about how YOU use email to connect w/clients, plz

Thanks for the replies, folks! JLW, I signed up for your blog subscription. Can't promise I'll read it every single month... or at least, maybe not right away, but I'm looking forward to seeing how you progress as a blogger (and getting new ideas!).

I have to send out an email notice today, about our readiness to open up this week. After that, I'm going to try to be more consistent with sending it out regularly-- probably monthly.

 

[jayant]

Talk to me about how YOU use email to connect w/clients, plz

Just wanted to add that my marketing guy says that a 20% open rate on newsletters is the average, so don't let that discourage as a way to bring in clients you may not have seen in a while! If you want to see mine, here's a link to my newsletter archive:
http://rajamroose.com/newsletters