Email. Remember when that died a few years ago? Well, it is back. And I mean, it is really back. More small businesses are relying on email than ever. And a lot of that has to do with Gmail. When mail was becoming a dinosaur, Gmail relaunched their email service to include easy navigation between real people emailing you, company promotions, and website updates.
The effect was a cleaner, simpler, easier to navigate gmail email box, filled with cool email icons.
You no longer risked missing grandma’s email, and at the same time, you could always find a promo from Macy’s People began reading newsletters and promos again, as opposed to when spam was so heavy they auto-deleted everything. Gmail gave businesses a new found life.
Read these business articles to get tips to help you improve your email communications with clients and customers we learned during rebates fulfillment.
Business Emails Best Practices
Great email subject lines
Your email will live and die by the subject. If your subject is no good, your email will never be opened; which means its contents will never be seen. You need to get that email opened, so your subject should be on point.
First, make sure the subject is accurate. Don’t lie or deceive just to get people to open, they will report your mailer and ISP’s will stop allowing your mailer to pass through. Instead, focus on an accurate but catchy email. Here is a good start for learning more about subjects.
Great sub-headlines
The sub-headline is the headline that is usually first in the email. Many email systems display a bit from the first part of the email. So not only do people see the subject, but they see the sub-headline as well. Make sure you test that, draw them in. In other words, don’t just put anything, actually try here. Be succinct yet enticing.
Consistency with sending
You want to send consistently so people get used to your mailer. You don’t want to collect emails for a year, then out of the blue hit them with a “daily” newsletter. People might not remember where the heck they signed up and they may delete you quickly. You want to make sure they are familiar to you.
If the situation arises whereas you need to mail a list that’s been cold, make sure you put inside the mailer where the person signed up. They may remember and not delete you.
Easy to opt out
Hugely important. You don’t want to send mailers that people can’t opt out of. If you want, sign up for Mail Chimp or Constant Contact as email list managers and they can ensure all the necessary info is there.
Content that makes them want to stay
At the end of the day, don’t mail to just mail. Think about what you are sending. Is it interesting? Enticing? The content of the email is important. What does it offer the person? Are they getting a deal? Learning something?
Being aware of these simple items can make all the difference when it comes to running profitable email campaigns for your small business.
Manage Your Business Emails Better Now!
Who feels that email is the best way to communicate? I am going to go ahead and raise my hand right here. Of course, we all love to chat it up in person and over the phone, but I am talking about the most effective way to communicate during your workday. I know I love the electronic paper trail! But let’s be honest, how much faster is it to send an email and not have to pick up the phone. Even worse, what if the person you are communicating with has the gift of the gab? I’m talking work here people, I don’t mean to sound rude, just being real. We all have a lot to get done by the end of the day. Although an overflowing inbox of emails can be rather overwhelming too. Here are some tricks to managing your emails so you can keep your sanity…and your job.
Create Folders
Nothing will bog you down more than a messy email inbox. No matter what type of email you have, there is a way to create and organize folders. This way, if you are looking for a specific client or project, you can search for it without losing your mind.
Get Rid Of Junk
Maybe there is something wrong with me, but I know if I have a ton of unread emails, I can’t sleep at night. First of all, delete your spam and anything that is in the way right when you see it. It takes minutes, sometimes even seconds. Something else you might want to consider…unsubscribe to anything you are do not want to be on the list for. You will feel 5 lbs thinner, trust me.
Use Certain Times Of The Day
I know, I know. Don’t bite my head off here. I am busy too and know this seems near impossible. BUT, if you log in to your email first thing, you can get rid of the junk and get through any unread emails. Next, you can respond to important ones and drop them into the designated folders. Go about your day and then set aside some more time after lunch. Rinse and repeat. End of the day…repeat. Do you catch my drift? I sure hope so.
Get yourself and your emails organized. You will move so much faster and be that much more productive!
How To Write Better Emails
Like many of us, you probably do not think that you need help in this department. Most likely you do. Email has been around for a long time and is still the most popular form of communication in business. Guess what else? Very few of us know how to send a good email message. Most of us are drowning in emails daily. The outcome is that we end up ignoring a large portion of these messages. Keep yourself from the bad message category by keeping in mind these very simple rules.
Keep it quick and snappy
keep your word count low. Here is a great example: Receiving an email with nothing but a question mark followed by a forward. I’ve stopped in my tracks to respond to those types of emails. This does not mean to send only emails with punctuation in them. It means to be quick and clear. Try to keep your emails under 150 words. Sending back up is no problem, it is what you are communicating that must be cut and dry.
Be Direct
Get to the point. Delete adjectives and adverbs. It is unnecessary to add words that make your emails so lengthy. If you are unable to Keep your email short, then include a brief summary at the very top indicating the action that is required. Again, be direct.
Reply Quickly
A speedy response is very important. As we all are aware, email capabilities are on phones these days. Sure, there are some folks who are not constantly scrolling through their phones, but they are not necessarily doing business. If you are making deals and a question goes unanswered for several hours, then that deal might disappear. You can rub some people the wrong way by slowly responding (*This is dependent on the urgency of the request).
Proof Before Sending
Read it over. This won’t be as annoying if you keep it short in the first place. At the very least you will catch a spelling error or typo. You might even realize that the email is hard to understand. Now, go ahead and read it again.
Add Email Address Last
Ever send an email too soon? Or perhaps to the wrong ‘Joe’? It happens, people, it sure does happen. Save yourself from unwanted stress by following this last simple rule. Add the email address at the very end. This gives you a moment or two to be sure it is the right person, their correct email (if they have multiples) and a completed message. No one wants to send half of a sentence!
Trusting The Experts With Outsourced Check Issuing
Small business owners have the curse of believing that they are more capable of handling a variety of things than what they may really be. This is a curse because it can cause them to miss out on opportunities to outsource work to other people who may be better at handling it. Outsourced check issuing, for example, may be one area to consider calling in the experts.
Knowledge Is Power
Companies that work on check issuing are specifically qualified to deal with this particular aspect of the business. They have the knowledge and experience to deal with the challenges that come with managing a payroll. Entrepreneur.com lays out the case for turning to these companies rather than doing this process by yourself in this quote,
Plus, without the proper knowledge of payroll procedure and access to a sound payroll program, it’s easy to make mistakes. Employees as well as federal, state, and local tax collection agencies need to be paid in full, on time, and in the proper manner. Usually, late payments are cause for monetary penalties.
Avoiding such penalties should be a top priority for all businesses. Such penalties can sink a growing enterprise.
The Best Candidates For Outsourcing
The businesses best positioned to use an outsourced service for their check issuing are those that have variable payrolls. This means that their payroll changes from week to week or even from month to month. If there are employees who work varying hours each week, things can get confusing for an internal payroll department to handle.
These businesses can benefit the most from outsourcing their payroll to a provider. However, of course, anyone can enjoy the benefits of a payroll processor if they choose to use one.
Tax Time Doesn’t Have To Be A Headache
An outsourced provider of payroll services often also provides services that can help a company with their taxes when tax season rolls around. This matters because again making errors on one’s tax forms can be a very costly experience. Instead of having this potential problem, it is better to trust an outsourced provider to get it right for you the first time.
