This post is part of a series on growing your food business. For more tips, explore all of the recordings from the Food Entrepreneur Growth Summit.
We all know how frustrating it is when your content gets lost in the hubbub of social media. Sometimes Instagram’s algorithm seems to be working against you. Sometimes your content gets little to no traction, in spite of all the time you spent creating it.
With email marketing, there is no algorithm to work against (you just need to stand out in your customer’s inbox). This makes it one of the easiest and most effective ways to ensure your customers are getting the information you want them to see!
So… why spend time on email marketing?
According to Cyd Mitchell, CEO of Sugar Coin Academy, email marketing is one of the best ways to keep your customers engaged between purchases and display your brand’s value. It’s also a great way to notify your customers about new products, discounts, and other services you offer.
Email marketing is a great way to stay top of mind to your customers. You’re reminding them that you exist, and that you’re ready when they need you! According to Campaign Monitor, you are 16% more likely to reach your customers through emails than through social media. By not taking advantage of email, you may be missing new customers, repeat purchases, and upsells to existing customers.
Sold on email marketing? Here’s where to start.
First, build your list. We’ve got tips on building your list all over our blog, but in general, you should start by:
- Using emails you have already gathered from past purchases or events - these are people you’ve already been in contact with so they’re an easy customers
- Simply just ask people to join your list - people don’t know what you don’t tell them
- Offer an incentive - providing a coupon code or special offer will entice more people to sign up
Next, it’s time to think about your email content. What should you be emailing your customers about?
Cyd shared a few situations where you may want to email your customers. For instance:
- Inventory updates
- A new product or flavor drop
- New openings in your custom order availability
- Event pre-sales, flash sales or pop-up sales
- Current events and promotions
We love how excited you are about your business — and we know there are a million things you want to email your customers about — but it's important to remember to keep in touch without "overdoing it." As you get started on your email marketing journey, we recommend sticking to a weekly or biweekly email schedule. This will keep your company in your customers’ mind, without clogging up their inboxes.
Castiron makes it easy to build and update your email list, ensuring you never miss an opportunity to sell. Watch Cyd’s presentation from the Food Entrepreneur Growth Summit to learn more about email marketing and how Castiron’s three-click email marketing tools make marketing easy.
