Last week’s blog contained ideas to bolster email engagement. This week’s blog offers more ideas that can help. Before we move forward with more ideas, I want to add a little more information about personal stories and the subject line (the most important line in your email).
Open Up to Customers
In your subject line give customers (especially your most loyal customers) information about your lead story. For example, the headline might read:
- “Four things you don’t know about our winemaker”
- “Why we opted to build our winery in rural New Mexico”
- “The hospitality staff, a great group of people”
- “Meet our winery dog, the most popular person (??) at the winery.”
When you have customers, who are loyal to your winery, they want to get to know you and the winery employees. There are lots of places they can find information on your wine, but even on winery websites personal information about owners and employees is woefully absent. Let your customers take a peek “behind the curtain”. Don’t be afraid to let them know when you have made a small mistake or that something unexpected has happened. Picture yourself talking to an individual customer, one that you like and has been buying from you for a long time. What would you tell them in a one-on-one conversation?
Email Questionnaires
In addition to sending out emails with offers or upcoming sales, events, etc., send an email questionnaire to your customers asking what you can do to better serve them.
Consider sending out these questionnaire emails once every three months to different groups of customers, asking questions that are relevant to the type of customer they are (those who visit regularly, those who purchase at events or those who purchase online). You may also sort them by how much money they spend annually, and, of course, whether they are club members. Keep the questionnaire short with 3 questions at the most. Think about what would be helpful to know about these groups
Call to Action
Finally, every email should include a call to action that will keep customers clicking to the next part of the process. Make it easy for them to buy and remember that most people who purchase online discard their cart when they realize they have to pay for shipping.
Let me know how your emails are working for you. There will be no blog next week as Wednesday is Boxing Day. Have a great holiday week. Enjoy family, friends and the strangers that come into your winery. Lift a glass of good wine. Cheers to one and all.
A tip of the glass from me to you.
E Column
by Elizabeth “E” Slater, In Short Direct Marketing
A recognized expert in the fields of direct marketing and sales in the wine marketplace. Slater has taught more wineries and winery associations how to create and improve the effectiveness of their direct marketing programs and to make the most of each customer’s potential than anyone in the wine industry today.
Follow E on twitter @esavant and facebook.
