A couple of months ago, I heard from someone who had taken my PPC class at UCSD Extension five years ago. He had been receiving my email newsletter over the past five years. And even though we had not spoken in five years, he was willing to refer two potential clients to me when the opportunity arose. That is the power of ongoing communication! So, if you are not doing a regular newsletter or other form of ongoing communication, I strongly recommend that you initiate one. Just make sure you do it in the right way... 1) Useful, Interesting Information Be sure to provide useful, interesting information in your communications. I assume that if you are still on my newsletter list, you are finding it useful. None of us want to receive a bunch of promotions. Instead, share some of your knowledge. You are almost certainly an expert in your industry. And before you say you have nothing to share, remember that things that are obvious to you are not to people who are not regularly engaged in your industry. W
hile I think about marketing all day, every day, I realize that most business people only think about marketing every once in a while. So, I provide useful information that gives them ideas or insights into marketing. 2) Get Permission While you can almost certainly include anyone that you know well, it is important to get permission from anyone new that you meet and want to include. According the the CAN-SPAM rules, if someone gives you their business card, they are giving you permission to contact them. However, you may still want to ask. Also, you should use an email system that makes it easy for anyone you email to unsubscribe. There are inexpensive systems like Constant Contact and iContact that make the whole process relatively simple. 3) Include Some Personality If you really want people to know and like you (two requisites for doing business), include some personality in your emails. The last email I sent about my experience with Home Depot really hit home with people. They even shared it on social media and sent me comments about it. Ongoing communications is one of the least expensive and most effective forms of marketing you can do. And if you find it too daunting, let me know. We can talk about how you can get some help.