A Guide to Email Marketing for Contractors

If you're looking for a new way to reach out to prospective clients, it's time to give email marketing a try. 

Marketing emails -- typically in the form of newsletters, direct marketing campaigns, or transactional messages -- are meant to enhance client-contractor communications and build trust. Whether you want to increase interactions with your target audience or encourage prospects to hire you, few methods are so cost-effective as email marketing. 

Below is some information about why, when, and how you should engage in email marketing, as well as who to target and what to include in your campaigns.

Why?

The first thing many people want to know is why they should take up email marketing. The answer to this question varies depending on the goals of your company. 

If your primary objective is to foster greater trust and brand loyalty among your clientele, email marketing is the perfect way to build that relationship. The more active you are, the more your clients will feel like they know you, leading to further commitment to your name and product. 

If your intention is to make a sale, marketing campaigns offer the chance to distribute information on your business or product to a vast number of people. You can tell them what your company is all about and convince them to buy from you, all without leaving the comfort of your desk. Essentially, email marketing is the most convenient, low-cost way to promote your company's values and services. 

Many email marketing services also offer a number of other important benefits, including result tracking and analysis, more precise targeting of your ideal client base, and a chance to communicate with customers in a more fun and creative way. Email campaigns can be used to share media, conduct polls, provide coupons, and educate clients and fellow professionals on your industry's latest developments.

What?

Once you know the benefits of email marketing, you next question might be, "What should I include in my marketing emails?" 

Most of our email campaigns are designed as weekly newsletters, containing links to our latest blog posts and recent news about our company. We like to produce content that's colorful and eye-catching -- material that we, as contractors, would like to read. If you're a painting contractor, we recommend writing content that pertains specifically to your customers. Help them to understand more about your business, the products you use, and the painting industry more generally. 

Even so, it's not a bad idea to do a little direct marketing now and then. Though you don't want to overwhelm your readers with self-advertising and sales pitches, it's okay to (occasionally) remind them about the services you provide and the reasons why you're a great choice for any home improvement job they might be pursuing.

Who?

Who to target is the next question you should answer. Our response to this is fairly simple: send your emails to anyone and everyone who has expressed interest in receiving information from your company (whether by opting in for emails or by contacting you directly). Of course, this means reaching out to current customers and leads, but we recommend including other contractors and professionals, as well. Remember that part of email marketing is showing that you're an authority in your field; email marketing can serve to increase your credibility and build rapport in your community.

When?

Several studies have been done to determine when businesses should send marketing emails. Knowing what days/times work best for your business is often a matter of trial and error. Nonetheless, statistical analysis has provided some insights on what clients and leads prefer. 

First, it's been shown that emails sent during the middle of the week -- on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays -- are most successful in achieving the desired results. Mondays tend to be hectic, and people are often too busy getting settled in after the weekend. Similarly, Fridays are typically blocked off for meetings and vacation time, so the response rate for Friday emails isn't always ideal. 

Researchers have also proven that marketing emails and newsletters are most likely to be opened if they're sent around lunch time -- somewhere around noon to 1pm. Conversely, early-morning emails are proven to have the lowest open rates. 

Finally, it's important to decide how often you plan to send your emails. This, too, is largely dependent on your business and your personal strategy. Generally, too many emails can be overwhelming to recipients, while too few emails may decrease your credibility as a legitimate and responsive business. Your best bet is to test out different approaches and get a feel for how your subscribers react to the volume of emails you send out.

How?

Conveniently, there are several online resources designed to help business owners manage their marketing emails. 

One of the most popular email marketing sites is MailChimp. With it's user-friendly interface and sleek design tools, MailChimp is a favorite among business owners. The site allows users to create personalized campaigns, schedule automated communications, and target a client base of likeminded people, ensuring your campaigns are sufficiently relevant and effective. 

SendGrid is another useful email marketing tool. The website offers solutions for crafting and automating both transactional and newsletter emails, making it easy to implement these processes into your marketing strategy. It's been incorporated by such well-known companies as Pinterest, Foursquare, and Spotify, and it's a great option for contractors, too. 

Whichever medium you choose, email marketing is the perfect way to upgrade your business and interact more actively with your customers.

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