• by Whitney Hutchinson , May 12, 2008

From insurance and real estate agents to the florist down the street and the local café, small businesses are all around us. Recently I've had a lot of inquiries about how, if at all, a small business should utilize email marketing.

First, unequivocally, small businesses should utilize email marketing. It's inexpensive, relatively easy to execute, and a great way to keep in contact with your customer base. The key for the small business owner/marketer is to create a plan, keep it relevant and don't overcomplicate things.

Many small business owners will harvest business cards and then just blast away with poorly planned-out emails.  It's vital that you have some plan, goals, and objectives around a contact plan.  It's difficult to think strategically in a fluid, "I do it all" type of business, but even small businesses should realize that the consumer today expects better and your brand is at risk if you misuse the channel.

One of the hardest things to do with email is to develop goals and objectives. Why?  Even some of the most sophisticated marketers struggle with setting objectives for a program, so why would it be easier for a small business? It starts with reach, feedback, cost savings, customer loyalty -- and building in some way of measuring whether you delivered this over a period of time.

Once you have a plan and a supporting calendar, you can start building out your creative. There is a mass of free information in the marketplace to help you learn best practices: the Email Experience Council (www.emailexperience.org), Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma-org), past Email Insider columns, your Email Service Provider (ESP) -- or just break down and buy your "Email Marketing for Dummies." Just remember to keep it simple.  If you try to do too much, you'll create a ransom note design that won't do you justice.

It may be that you build a one-size-fits-all template to use for your newsletter and promotional messaging. Or better yet, tap into one of the many tools available specifically for small business email execution. Many of them have ready-made creative templates you can use or adapt. Whichever way you go, make sure the template supports your brand, and that the creative is easy to navigate and read. Also ensure the body content and calls to actions are relevant to your customer base and support your business objectives.

If you don't already have a database and/or want to expand your list, start thinking of ways to collect email addresses. Your Web site, in-store point of sale (the fish bowl on the counter), phone calls and direct mail can all be great touch points for acquiring email addresses. Think creatively about where you might collect addresses and then simply ask your customers or prospects for them. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that.

Next you need to find a solid deployment solution. As I said previously, there are quite a few solutions out there specifically for small business. These companies can assist you in deployment, database management, creative and measurement. Most are extremely cost-effective and can be a great starting point for your program.

Lastly, don't forget to measure and optimize. Strive to test as often as possible -- that's the best way to improve performance on an ongoing basis, which is ultimately the goal.

So let me leave you with this thought, Mr. or Ms. Small Business Owner: Email is a great tool for you! Start with a plan, utilize turnkey execution, ask for email addresses when you talk to customers, and measure the results of your efforts. Remember not to over-mail or under-mail, and only send relevant and timely information. Most importantly, keep a focus on your customers and what they want and need from you. With that focus, you can't go wrong.