Which would you rather participate in, a one-way lecture or an engaging conversation? Unless you are anti-social, the answer is an engaging conversation. That’s what engagement marketing is all about. Engagement marketing is using technology to build relationships through continuing communications and interactions between your business and your customers. E-mail marketing is a critical component of an engagement marketing strategy, as e-mail will engage your customers on a variety of levels.

In fact, e-mail is one of the first forms of Social Media. Fifteen years ago, e-mail allowed people to send information to multiple people at once, to have group conversations, and to forward and share e-mails within groups of people. Connecting to people with a focus on the relationship happens through engaging communications, and engaging communications are what drive valuable relationships. Today, with new social networks coming online every month, e-mail is still the go to form of communication for business professionals (94% of internet users leverage e-mail).

Technology makes it easier for businesses to derive value from customer relationships.
E-mail is one of the best technologies for connecting with your current customers in order to build a steady stream of repeat and referral business. E-mail has high potential for engagement, due to the fact that so many people regularly engage in e-mail conversations.

If you do it correctly, e-mail will work to help you grow your business. If you do it incorrectly, people will think it is spam. People hate spam, and spam reports will shut down your e-mail communications. To avoid spam, be sure to deliver your professional e-mail communications to an interested audience (opt-in) containing information they find valuable.

The basic e-mail marketing best practices your business should consider:
1. Set proper expectations with your audience (how many, how often, what information are you sharing).
2. Deliver on your promises (provide relevant content).
3. Abide by the CAN SPAM Act.
4. Gain permission from your list (opt-in).

Seek the advice of professional e-mail marketing service firms, like NeoCloud, if you have any questions related to your e-mail marketing strategy. Remember that it takes time to develop relationships, both online and offline. On average it takes 7 touches to acquire a new customer. E-mail is a great tool for making some of those touches.