iInvent

I'm presently working with a boutique hotel and I will strongly suggest implementing an email marketing plan to keep in contact with customers.

I am working on a new business idea - email marketing services - to retain current customers & create repetitive business. That will be my focus, as 80% of your business comes from existing clients. And we all know the cost of getting a new customer - its pretty high!

I know a lot of people are offering email marketing services.
I'm just wondering, for those of you offering this service, if the market is saturated? Is there an overload out there? Would focusing on a niche help?

Appreciate your feedback, as always!!

Thanks for reading!

Chantal
"Before you try to satisfy the client, understand and satisfy the person."

Alex Makarski

I don't see it being saturated at all. And yes, if you focus on a niche, you can charge more and add more value in the form of pre-built campaigns and done-for-them service.

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." -Confucius

shane_k

I don't see it as saturated either.

Most other marketers are doing websites, seo, mobile sites, selling leads, etc.

Not too many are focusing on email marketing for local businesses.

Which is a good thing because it leaves more opportunity for the rest of us.

Eddie Spangler

Saturated? Hardly anyone offers this service, in fact most small biz owners would probably think you are crazy trying to sell them something that is "free"

This may be a tough sell, only because so much education is required.
Good luck!

ewenmack

While most businesses concentrate most of their marketing
and ad spend on bringing in new customers, few optimize existing customer base.

Therefore your point of entry in the prospects mind is to be the person
who brings in more revenue without spending a dollar more on marketing.

You show them 3 ways you'll increase their profits...

1 increase frequency of spend
2 lift dollar spend of each transaction
3 cut down on ineffective advertising and marketing costs

Show them the money through examples of the numbers.

Average of the first 2 and 20% lift in them.

Then show they can cut their ad spend by the new revenue
and still be at least equal in profit after they take out your fee.

Remember, profitable businesses are in the numbers business,
and you should be able to clearly show numbers.

Best,
Ewen

If you liked what you just read and want some personal input from me, then this is what I've got for you here,...Clients are people under my protection. "you are nothing but a &^$&#**# genius" "Yea if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be putting a down payment on a 48' yacht next month." "Nobody can beat him"

Venkat001

It again depends on the type of the niche. I have seen several areas where email marketing services are still being used but only very few areas are overcrowded. My mailbox gets lot of these messages which are anyways collected by the spam :P

tnleverett

Email marketing is a very good thing to get into. Even at the local level.

The average return per dollar spent on email marketing is huge and the barrier to entry is really low.

Don't worry about saturation! Just make sure you are creating value in what you offer.

In my opinion, you have a great idea here! Just get out there and start selling!

Wishing you much success!

TL

Are you involved in the Network Marketing industry? How are you getting leads? Connect with me on my FB Fan Page and let's chat! www.facebook.com/leadstrategist

iInvent

Yeah, makes sense! I was just wondering why no one really talked about this here - it was either not sexy enough or too saturated

Thanks!!

Thanks for reading!

Chantal
"Before you try to satisfy the client, understand and satisfy the person."

iInvent

Wow, thanks for the info
A bit confused about some terms (20% lift?) you talk about but I'll figure it out!!

Appreciate all your posts btw - thanks!!

Thanks for reading!

Chantal
"Before you try to satisfy the client, understand and satisfy the person."

iInvent

Well FREE is a big word, as I would be using automated services (Aweber or other) and there is a fee to it. But I get what you are saying. Compared to other means of marketing, its almost free

And yes you might do it for free, but its very time consuming to do it manually. I do it right now for my business but I don't have a high volume...yet
My point of view anyways

Thanks for your post!

Thanks for reading!

Chantal
"Before you try to satisfy the client, understand and satisfy the person."

iInvent

Exactly but I was wondering WHY no one was talking about this on here.
I am personnally so tired of SEO (sorry!!!).

Thanks for your input!

Thanks for reading!

Chantal
"Before you try to satisfy the client, understand and satisfy the person."

shane_k

That's like saying that they will think that you are crazy to try to sell them websites which they can also get for "free"

But you do bring up a good point.

You don't want to sell them on the email just like you don't want to sell someone on the website, but what it can do for them.

When I talk to business owner about email marketing services, I focus on what it can do for them.

Things like;

driving customers in on slow days
immediately getting their message out to their customers about any discount sales they might be having
getting branding messages out to customers
using email for surveys to better service their customers

If you can take their average customer who usually comes in twice a month and spends $100, and get them to come in 3 times a month and spend $150, that can make quite the impact on their business.

shane_k

I personally feel the reason is because truthfully it is harder than most other services you can offer.

Pretty much anyone can build a website, or get it outsourced, and there is a lot of information out there about SEO which is also easily outsourced.

Another thing is alot of the services that are offered in offline consullting are things that newbies can actually jump into pretty quickly.

But one thing about email marketing is that you really have to know what you are doing.

You can't expect to just walk into a business and use alot of the same tactics that we use online and have them work.

Sending out daily emails with multiple offers over and over again will not work for offline businesses.

The reason IMers get away with tactics like this is that the anonymity of the internet protects them. A lot of the people who do email out everyday, or multiple times a day are using personas so you might not even really know who they are.

But in a brick and mortar business, if you try and send out offers everyday, or multiple times a day like on the internet, you can expect not only people unsubscribing, but they will also show up in person at the business, and they will be very vocal in their complaints and anger, and this will definately affect that business owner's reputation.

These are things that I had to learn about email marketing when I first started out.

However, when you do focus on building relationships with the customer base, and you start showing them you are looking out for their interests, and start satisfying them, and creating loyalty in them, the will reward you and the business owner by coming into the business and spending their hard earned cash.