Small businesses must have cost effective means to communicate with customers - an essential part of marketing. Technology such as autoresponders support this need, especially the ability to automate business email marketing. However also using tools such as the AIDA model (AIDA stands for Attention Interest Desire Action, as explained by David Mercer in his book Marketing) when planning email marketing campaigns can help improve marketing effectiveness.
Capture the Customer’s Attention
A – Attention. It’s important to ‘grab attention’. Most people receive too many emails to read every day and so emails are filtered (either automatically or by reader defined rules). For an email to be opened, it must grab the attention of the reader, whether that’s because the sender is important or because the subject line is intriguing or of particular interest to the recipient.
A relevant, attention grabbing headline used as the subject can increase open rates. For example, by using the recipient’s name: ‘Bob, your requested technology report is attached’.
Build Interest in The Email Campaign
I – Interest. Once an email has been opened it must maintain the reader’s interest – boring or irrelevant emails are likely to be closed and deleted without being read to the end. Interest can be built by understanding the audience: What do they want to know? What words will keep the audience reading through the email?
For example, giving more information about the subject: ‘Hello Bob, thank you for requesting the latest Technology Trends report which includes ...’.
Use Emotion to Tap into Desire
D – Desire. Writers of emails must know what they want the reader to do and must build the reader's desire. This means writing in a way that always has interests and emotions of the reader in mind. The writer should attempt to ‘step into the shoes’ of the reader and write what the reader wishes to know.
For example, building excitement: ‘We’re sure that this recent technology trend will enhance your business – we’ve increased sales whilst reducing costs and you could too’.
A Call to Action is Essential in Marketing
A – Action. All marketing communications should include a ‘call to action’. Invite the reader to take an action and if possible, add urgency too to help ensure that action is taken immediately. For example: ‘For a personalised quote Bob, call me now on (telephone number)’.
Although technology such as email and in particular autoresponders meets the need for small business to communicate cost effectively with customers and potential customers, proven marketing techniques must be used too. The AIDA model can be used when composing any email as part of a business email marketing campaign to help all small businesses be more effective.
Dawn Brewer - I have a portfolio career - as a writer, management consultant, instructor and coach - after twenty years in the corporate world. My ...
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