6 tips for your email marketing in times of crisis

Even during the partial lockdown, companies can do a lot to improve customer loyalty. Email marketing is one of the best tools. With these tips you can use it purposefully.

Why Email Marketing Is Best Marketing Channel in 2020?

So now it is clear: The partial lockdown in Germany will be extended until shortly before Christmas. This means that many shops, restaurants and numerous local businesses will remain closed. The important thing now is: Don’t bury your head in the sand! Email marketing is now essential to digitize customer relationships and keep the business going. Maja Schneider from Sendinblue has put together tips for you on what you can do and how you should communicate with your customers if you are affected by the crisis:

1. Stay transparent

It doesn’t help to gloss over the situation. Ask yourself what information is currently important to your customers. Tell them honestly how your company is doing, which products are available and what is currently still possible. Also point out how the business model may shift to get the most of the situation. You will be surprised how much solidarity and understanding you will encounter.

Example: Explain which logistics company you work with and why this may result in delivery bottlenecks.

2. Think digitally

Ask yourself exactly what you can possibly offer online. Perhaps this will result in completely new business models such as online advice or courses. Many services can also be digitized: Use live chat functions on your website, offer extended opening times for your hotline or digital waiting lists for products. Use automated emails to help you with processes such as shipping confirmations.

Example: Send an automated reminder email when the product is back in stock.

3. Be proactive

Out of sight, out of mind Not with you! Be remembered and show yourself and your employees from the home office, call for a donation campaign and keep your customers regularly informed about what’s going on with you. Maybe now is finally the time for important change processes?

Example: Show the progress of renovation work in the restaurant and make an auction for an exclusive private dinner for two in the finished restaurant.

4. Set a new focus

Use the time to expand your customer base. Start campaigns to generate addresses, develop automated email routes for lead nurturing and try to reactivate inactive customers. Now is the right time to clean up your email marketing: Which marketing automations need to be adjusted? Are there campaigns that are currently unsuitable and need to be replaced?

Example: Check your welcome e-mails to see if the changed opening times are listed there.

5. Stay flexible

Contact restrictions and requirements change every day. Try not to plan too far in advance and try to be flexible so that you can react spontaneously to current situations. Be creative and try to look for alternatives depending on the industry in order to stay in contact with your customers and motivate them to (future) purchases. For example like this:

  • Sports: Offer online courses, share tips for home workouts, book coaching lessons, offer nutrition plans, promote vouchers
  • Gastronomy: Offer a pick-up service, join forces with other restaurants and offer weekly planning, introduce loyalty points, offer leftovers from the daily special in apps (e.g. Too Good to Go)
  • Beauty industry (e.g. nail, massage, cosmetic studios): Set up an online shop with DIY products, offer online courses for DIY, give tips for home office problems (e.g. back pain, too little exercise)
  • Culture, entertainment and events: online events, car concerts, recordings of musicals / theater, cinema feeling for home, offering behind-the-scenes material, opening outdoor pop-up galleries
  • Tourism: Promote short trips to nearby places, offer early bird discounts, customer-friendly cancellation conditions, tips for individual trips

6. Use offers of help

Not only the government, but also many companies across all industries show solidarity and have founded initiatives to support troubled companies with their expertise or free access to tools. Ask yourself exactly what could help you and do research on the net. Use your professional network, exchange ideas with other business people and the employees in your company and ask your industry association.

Example: Sendinblue has launched an aid program  to  support shops, restaurants, sports studios and other local businesses that are currently struggling to digitize their business model. Online marketing features and tools will be made available free of charge for the next six months.

Conclusion

Use all resources that are available to you. With e-mail marketing you can also strengthen your existing customer relationships online and expand your network. Find new ways to digitally sell your products and promote your brand. The most important thing: stay optimistic and be there for one another.