Welcome to Lesson Six
Lesson 6 - The Importance of Email Marketing
The purpose of collecting email addresses is to send emails.
There are 2 important types of emails to send;
1 – Seasonal Promotional emails
2 – Autoresponder "Birthday Cake Order Prompting" emails – sounds complicated and hard – and it is a little bit of work – but only setting it up the first time, and then it automatically sends emails and generates Birthday Cake Orders, for years & years without any extra effort.
The most important part of the email system you put into place is the Autoresponder.
Using this tool, that your email provider has, an email can be automatically sent to customers who meet certain criteria, such as an upcoming birthday.
It works like this - Offer a ‘Free Happy Birthday Cookie’ to the kids of your customers – your customer needs to tell you the parent email address and each child’s first name and date of birth (including year). Then you can set up the system to automatically send an email a month before each birthday, that says something like this -
“Just a reminder that Jonny’s 9th Birthday is coming up next month, so don’t forget to call in during that week to pick up his free Happy Birthday Cookie.
We are also now making the latest craze in Birthday Cakes – the ………., or can of course make any design you want. Link Here to see the Latest Craze . . . . and also our Kids Birthday Cake Range (Link) on our website.
If you get your order in this week, we can have it delivered, freshly made, to you at home on the morning of his party!.”
Or something similar that works for you.
The system is set up so that it can work out the age of the child (from the year in the ‘date of birth’) and will automatically send your email out, a month (or how many days you set) before the birthday date - every year!
You just set this method up once and it will do that for every new email address you get – set it and forget it, it will bring your customers back for years. Yes, you can even set up a cut-off date so that it doesn’t send out reminders once the child is too old.
This will do one of five things –
- Some customers will place an order for a cake.
- Some will come in for the Birthday Cookie and will also purchase a cookie for their other kids.
- Some will make a purchase of another item too, while they are there.
- Some will just get that one free cookie.
- Some won't turn up at all.
You DO need to specify that the child comes into the store to collect the cookie, and they show you the email on their phone at the time. But give them a week around the date – they can be too busy on the actual birthday day to come in, and may feel cheated if they miss out.
Keep a stock of wrapped (so they last for a while) Iced Happy Birthday Cookies on hand, so they can be quickly given out. Make sure the staff know to check the customer's email showing on the phone, and they are ready to upsell – “and what else would you like today?” Your Staff member should have some suggestions ready if the adult does not seem to have another item in mind - "something for the other kids? or for you? have you tried our new . . . .," etc.
If they don’t collect their cookies - it’s not a problem, if they have placed a cake order or made an additional purchase, you are well ahead, if they get a free cookie and nothing else, you still have a happy customer who is more likely to return.
Have the ones that you give out also as a normal sale item - at a not cheap price - it then gives the 'freeby' a proper value.
Of course, once you have an email list, you can easily send out promotion emails at any time – for a Valentine’s Day Cake, Mother’s Day Cake, 4th July Cookies, Halloween Cupcakes, Christmas Cakes or Cookies, Sporting event themed items, pretty much any event you already (or should) make any special or themed product for.
You will get an even better response from the emails if you include a special offer – such as order (& pay) before (date) for a discount or an additional item or service with the order, Free Delivery, Name/Message added to cake, an extra 4 matching gluten-free cupcakes, etc, - whatever works best for your store & customers.
Instructions for Setting Up an Email Autoresponder for Personalized Birthday Reminders - and more!
If you don't have time to set up your email system & autoresponder yourself, your website designer may be able to do it for you, or a 'techie" friend or relative, or perhaps use the "Fiverr" Service. Send whoever is doing it for you a link to this lesson, so that they understand what you want to do. You may need your website designer to put the email info-collecting form onto your website too. It is worth spending a little time or money to get this going because, used properly, it can make a huge difference to your orders.
In this section, we will guide you through the process of setting up an email autoresponder that sends personalized birthday reminder emails 30 days before the recipient's birthday. Additionally, we will show you how to automatically calculate the recipient's age and include it in the email greeting to say "Happy [age] Birthday!" Let's get started!
Step 1: Choose an Email Service Provider
Select an email service provider with automated campaign features, such as Mailchimp, SendinBlue, or Constant Contact. Ensure it supports dynamic content to personalize the greeting with the recipient's age.
Step 2: Import Contacts
Import your contact list, including birthday information and email addresses, into the chosen email service provider. Verify that each contact's birthday date is correctly formatted.
Step 3: Create a New Autoresponder Campaign
Set up a new autoresponder campaign exclusively for birthday reminders.
Step 4: Set Up the Trigger
Configure the trigger to activate the autoresponder 30 days before the recipient's birthday. Utilize the email service provider's date-based trigger functionality. You can set the "number of days before" to whatever number you like - give them enough time to meet your order schedule.
Step 5: Compose the Reminder Email
Compose a warm and friendly email message that will be sent as a reminder. Use dynamic content tags to personalize the email with the recipient's name and birthday.
Step 6: Calculate the Recipient's Age
To automatically determine the recipient's age, use the following formula: Age = Current Year - Birth Year. Implement this calculation using dynamic content tags provided by your email service provider.
Step 7: Personalize the Email Greeting
Include the recipient's age in the email greeting to say "Happy [age] Birthday [Name]!" Replace [age] & [Name] with the dynamic content tag that reflects the calculated age & name. You can put the personalization in the email subject line or within the body (the main section) of the email. This is where you write the rest of the email message & links about ordering the cake etc.
Step 8: Schedule the Autoresponder
Set the start date and time for the autoresponder to initiate 30 days (or the number of days you want) before each contact's birthday.
Step 9: Define the Age Limit
Specify the maximum age until which the reminders should be sent. Calculate the cutoff age based on the recipient's birth year and the current year. (see the next step.)
Step 10: Add a Condition to Stop Sending
Create a condition in the autoresponder that checks the recipient's age before sending each reminder email. If the calculated age exceeds the specified cutoff age, the autoresponder should stop sending reminders to that particular recipient.
Step 11: Test the Autoresponder
Before activating the autoresponder, conduct thorough testing using test email addresses to ensure it accurately calculates the age and personalizes the email greetings and main message.
Step 12: Activate the Autoresponder
Once testing is successful, activate the autoresponder to begin sending personalized birthday reminders to your recipients, complete with their names & ages in the greeting or message sections.
The Autoresponder Section of your email service will generate 'the code for the form' with all the fields to collect all the information you want, to put onto your website.
Once you have the Autoresponder set up for Birthday reminders, then of course you can also set it up for seasonal reminders - Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day etc, etc. So do a standard "Don't forget we make Halloween Cakes, Cupcakes and Cookies. Put your order in now!" email to go out 2 or 3 weeks before the Event Date.
How to Write an Email
Some people think this is the hardest part - you sit down and think - But what am I going to say?
It's quite easy -
- Define your subject, eg- This is an email to go out on the 6th of October every year to promote Halloween Orders.
- In your imagination choose one of your favorite customers, then just write down a quick friendly message to her about your Halloween range. Keep it short, simple and to the point, finish with a recommendation that she phones, or goes to the website where you have an order form, or pops into your store, to place her order in advance.
- That's it! Then you just use that as the Halloween email to the whole list, every year - automatically goes out each year without you doing anything else! So set that up as your 2nd Autoresponder email, and do the same for Christmas, Mother's Day etc.
- Probably a good idea to just check them before they do go out occasionally - set up another copy of this autoresponder to go out to a test list which is just you, a week before the main one goes out - to remind you to check if it needs updating. But keep a reminder in your schedule as well, in case you miss your own email.
Now for the rest of the General Email Lesson!
Introduction: The Importance of Email Marketing
In this lesson, we will focus on the essential strategy of collecting and using email addresses to grow your cake business. By the end of this lesson, you will have a clear understanding of why email marketing is crucial for your success and how to leverage it to attract more customers and increase your sales.
What You'll Learn
Throughout this lesson, you will discover practical and actionable techniques to build a strong email list, engage with your subscribers, and convert them into loyal customers. We will cover a range of topics, including:
- The benefits of email marketing for cake businesses
- How to entice visitors to join your email list
- Creating compelling email content that drives sales
- Segmenting your email list for targeted campaigns
- Effective email automation techniques
- Measuring and optimizing your email marketing efforts
By following the step-by-step instructions and implementing the strategies shared in this lesson, you will be well-equipped to start leveraging the power of email marketing to grow your cake business and increase your revenue.
Let's get started on this exciting journey to attract more customers and boost your sales through effective email marketing!
Why collecting email addresses is important for cake shops and cake decorating businesses:
Collecting email addresses is a crucial step for cake shops and cake decorating businesses in building a strong customer base and driving sales. Email marketing is a highly effective and cost-efficient way to engage with customers, promote new products or services, and ultimately increase sales and revenue. Here are some key reasons why collecting email addresses should be a priority for your cake business:
Direct communication with customers: By collecting email addresses, you gain a direct line of communication with your customers. Unlike social media platforms or other marketing channels, emails provide a more personal and intimate way to interact with your audience. You can send personalized messages, exclusive offers, and updates directly to their inbox, ensuring your message reaches them without any algorithm or platform limitations.
Building customer loyalty: Email marketing allows you to nurture and strengthen relationships with your customers. By regularly sending valuable content, such as tips, recipes, or decorating ideas, you can position yourself as an expert in the field and build trust with your audience. This, in turn, increases customer loyalty and encourages repeat purchases, as well as word-of-mouth recommendations.
Promoting new products and services: When you have a new cake flavor, decoration technique, or special offer, email marketing gives you a powerful platform to showcase and promote them. By sending out targeted emails to your subscriber list, you can generate excitement, create a sense of exclusivity, and drive sales. Email newsletters or product updates can also serve as a reminder to customers who may have been considering a purchase but haven't yet taken the plunge.
Driving website traffic: Email marketing is an effective tool for driving traffic to your website. By including links to your website in your emails, you can direct recipients to your online store, blog, or portfolio, where they can explore your offerings in more detail. Increased website traffic not only boosts sales but also enhances brand visibility and exposure.
Measurable results and insights: Unlike traditional marketing methods, email marketing provides valuable data and analytics. By tracking open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, you can gain insights into the effectiveness of your campaigns and make data-driven decisions to optimize your email marketing strategy. This allows you to continuously improve and refine your approach, ensuring maximum impact and ROI.
Collecting email addresses is a fundamental step in establishing a strong online presence for your cake shop or cake decorating business. It opens up opportunities for direct communication, customer loyalty, promotion of new products, increased website traffic, and data-driven decision making. In the next section, we will explore effective strategies to collect email addresses from your customers.
Methods for collecting email addresses from customers and potential customers:
For every option here – make sure that the offer of Happy Birthday Cookie is included and that the kids names & date of birth details are included in the form.
- In-store Sign-up Sheet:
Place a sign-up sheet at the checkout counter or near the entrance of your cake shop. Encourage customers to provide their email addresses in exchange for exclusive offers, updates, and special discounts. Make sure to include a clear statement about how their information will be used and protected.
- Online Contact Form:
Add a contact form to your cake shop's website or social media profiles. Include a field specifically for customers to enter their email addresses. Make the form user-friendly and ensure it is easily accessible on all devices. Consider offering a small incentive, such as a free recipe or a discount code, to encourage more people to share their email addresses.
- Loyalty Program:
Create a customer loyalty program where customers can earn rewards or points for their purchases. To join the program, ask customers to provide their email addresses. This not only helps you collect email addresses but also encourages repeat business. Send regular updates to loyalty program members, including exclusive promotions and new product announcements.
- Events and Workshops:
If you host events or workshops at your cake shop, ask attendees to sign up with their email addresses for future event notifications and updates. You can create a sign-up sheet at the event or provide a QR code or URL where people can easily subscribe to your email list.
- Online Giveaways and Contests:
Organize online giveaways or contests on your website or social media platforms. To participate, require entrants to provide their email addresses. This not only helps you collect email addresses but also generates buzz and increases engagement with your cake shop's online presence.
- Email Opt-In on Online Orders:
Include an opt-in checkbox on your cake shop's online ordering system. When customers place an order, give them the option to subscribe to your email list for updates on new products, promotions, and special offers. Make sure the checkbox is not pre-selected and clearly explains the benefits of subscribing.
Remember, when collecting email addresses, it is essential to obtain consent and assure your customers that their information will be kept confidential. Always follow privacy regulations and best practices to build trust with your customers.
Once you have started collecting email addresses from your customers and potential customers, it is important to effectively manage and organize this valuable information. This will allow you to efficiently target your email marketing efforts and maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Here are some tips on how to manage and organize your collected email addresses:
Use an Email Marketing Service: Consider using an email marketing service, such as Mailchimp or Constant Contact, to manage your email list. These services provide tools and features to help you organize, segment, and automate your email marketing campaigns.
Create Segments: Divide your email list into different segments based on specific criteria, such as customer type, purchase history, or location. This will allow you to send targeted emails to each segment, increasing the relevance and effectiveness of your messages.
Regularly Clean Your List: Regularly review and clean your email list to remove invalid or bounced email addresses. This will help improve your deliverability rates and ensure that your emails reach your intended recipients.
Personalize Your Emails: Use the collected information to personalize your emails. Addressing your subscribers by their first name and tailoring the content to their preferences or previous interactions can significantly improve engagement and conversion rates.
Track and Analyze Results: Monitor the performance of your email campaigns by tracking key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. This data will help you identify what works and what doesn't, allowing you to refine your strategies for better results.
Respect Privacy and Obtain Consent: Ensure that you comply with relevant privacy laws and regulations. When collecting email addresses, clearly state the purpose of collecting their information and obtain proper consent. Provide an option for subscribers to easily opt-out or unsubscribe from your emails.
By effectively managing and organizing your collected email addresses, you can enhance the success of your email marketing campaigns and ultimately drive more customers and sales to your cake shop or cake decorating business.
Creating targeted email marketing campaigns for seasonal products can be a highly effective strategy to increase sales for your cake shop or cake decorating business. By tailoring your email campaigns to specific seasonal occasions, you can engage with your customers and entice them to purchase your products.
The first step in creating targeted email marketing campaigns is to collect email addresses from your customers. There are several ways you can do this:
In-store sign-up: Place a sign-up sheet or a tablet near your checkout counter where customers can enter their email addresses to receive updates and special offers. Make sure to mention the benefits of signing up, such as exclusive discounts or early access to seasonal products.
Online opt-in form: Add an opt-in form on your website's homepage or dedicated landing page where visitors can subscribe to your email list. Clearly state the value they will receive by subscribing, such as seasonal promotions or new product announcements.
Social media promotion: Leverage your social media presence to promote your email newsletter. Encourage your followers to sign up by highlighting the benefits they will receive, such as seasonal recipes or decorating tips.
Once you have collected a substantial number of email addresses, it's time to create targeted email campaigns for your seasonal products. Follow these steps:
Segment your email list: Divide your email list into segments based on demographics, past purchasing behavior, or interests. This will allow you to send more personalized and relevant emails to each segment.
Create compelling content: Craft engaging email content that highlights the seasonal products you want to promote. Include mouth-watering images, detailed descriptions, and any special offers or discounts.
Use enticing subject lines: Your email subject line is the first thing your subscribers will see, so make sure it grabs their attention. Incorporate seasonal keywords or limited-time offers to create a sense of urgency.
Include clear calls-to-action: Make it easy for your subscribers to take action by including clear and prominent calls-to-action in your emails. Whether it's to order a seasonal cake or explore new decorating techniques, make sure the next steps are crystal clear.
Track and analyze: Monitor the performance of your email campaigns by tracking open rates, click-through rates, and sales generated. Use this data to refine your future campaigns and improve your overall email marketing strategy.
Remember, building and nurturing your email list takes time, so be patient and consistent with your efforts. By creating targeted email marketing campaigns for your seasonal products, you can effectively reach your customers and drive more sales to your cake shop or cake decorating business.
Measuring the success of your email marketing efforts is crucial in order to determine the effectiveness of your strategies and make necessary adjustments to improve your results. By tracking key metrics and analyzing the data, you can gain valuable insights into your email campaigns and optimize them for better customer acquisition and increased sales.
Here are some important metrics to consider when measuring the success of your email marketing:
Open Rate: The open rate indicates the percentage of recipients who opened your email. A higher open rate generally signifies that your subject line and sender name were compelling enough to grab the attention of your subscribers. To improve your open rate, try experimenting with different subject lines and personalization techniques.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): The click-through rate measures the percentage of recipients who clicked on a link within your email. A higher CTR indicates that your email content was engaging and motivated readers to take action. To boost your CTR, consider using clear and enticing call-to-action buttons, relevant and valuable content, and mobile-friendly designs.
Conversion Rate: The conversion rate measures the percentage of recipients who completed a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form, after clicking on a link in your email. A higher conversion rate indicates that your email successfully persuaded subscribers to take the desired action. To improve your conversion rate, ensure that your landing page is optimized for conversions, and provide incentives or exclusive offers to motivate recipients to convert.
Unsubscribe Rate: The unsubscribe rate indicates the percentage of recipients who opted out of receiving future emails. While some unsubscribes are inevitable, a high unsubscribe rate may suggest that your email frequency, content, or targeting needs adjustment. Monitor your unsubscribe rate over time and make necessary changes to reduce attrition.
Revenue Generated: Tracking the revenue generated from your email campaigns is essential to understand the financial impact of your efforts. By attributing sales or conversions to specific email campaigns, you can identify which strategies are most effective in driving revenue. Consider using unique promo codes or tracking links to measure the direct impact of your emails on sales.
Once you have gathered data on these metrics, analyze the results to identify patterns, trends, and areas for improvement. Experiment with different strategies, such as segmenting your email list, personalizing your content, or testing different email layouts, to optimize your email marketing efforts.
Remember, collecting and using email addresses effectively requires continuous monitoring and adjustment. By consistently measuring the success of your email marketing and adapting your strategies accordingly, you can increase customer engagement, attract more customers, and drive higher sales for your cake shop or cake decorating business.
Summary
Throughout this lesson, we have explored various strategies to attract more customers and boost sales for cake shop owners and cake decorating businesses. One crucial aspect we focused on was the importance of collecting and utilizing email addresses to effectively target our audience for seasonal products.
Recap on Collecting and Using Email Addresses
We emphasized the significance of building an email list and provided effective techniques to collect email addresses from our customers. By offering incentives such as exclusive discounts, freebies, or access to special events, we can encourage visitors to share their email addresses willingly. Additionally, we discussed the importance of utilizing email marketing platforms to send targeted campaigns and personalized content to our subscribers.
Targeting the Audience for Seasonal Products
Understanding our audience's preferences and interests is essential when promoting seasonal products. By leveraging the email list we have built, we can segment our subscribers based on their preferences and send tailored offers and promotions that align with their needs. This targeted approach ensures that our marketing efforts have a higher chance of converting subscribers into customers.
Next Steps
If you feel the need to review any part of this lesson, please don't hesitate to go back and re-read the content. It's essential to fully grasp the techniques and strategies discussed to maximize your success in attracting more customers and increasing sales.
Remember, this lesson is just a part of a comprehensive course on how to grow your cake shop business. Be sure to explore the other lessons in the course, where you'll find valuable insights and strategies to further enhance your marketing efforts and overall business performance.
List of Lessons
These Lessons are not in any specific order and are all stand-alone,
So, see what interests you the most and do that one next, but don't forget to study them all as soon as you can!
Chances are that the ones you find least attractive at this stage, are the ones that will make the biggest difference in your business.
- Updating Your Website.
- How Best To Use Your Social Media.
- Using Business Directories to Bring Customers.
- Finding The Latest Trends In Cakes And Cake Decorating.
- How To Become The Local Cake Expert.
- How To Collect And Use Email Addresses To Target Your Audience For Birthdays & Seasonal Products.
- Expand Your Range Of Products And Profits With Not Much Extra Effort.
- Staff - Morale, Productivity & Upskilling Ideas and Methods.
- Optimize Pricing Strategy And Decrease Costs To Maximize Profits And Competitiveness.
- Business Promotional Ideas And Supplies: Enhance Your Presentation And Productivity.
- What Might Make Your Business Look Unprofessional?
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