Is email marketing worth it for a small service business?
Usually, yes, when it goes to people who already know you: past customers and people who asked about your services. A short, useful email every month or two keeps your name in mind for the next job and for referrals, and costs little time once it is a habit. It works poorly for reaching strangers. Keep each message honest, easy to unsubscribe from and about one thing.
Who to email
- Past customers who gave you their email address while doing business with you.
- People who asked for a quote or information but have not hired you yet.
- People who signed up on your website or asked to hear from you.
- Not bought lists, and not people you met once and never asked. They do not know you, and they are more likely to mark you as spam.
What to send
- A reminder when a service is usually due again, such as seasonal or yearly work.
- One short, practical tip that helps the reader whether or not they hire you.
- A note when you add a service, change hours or open up new times.
- A thank-you after a job, with a request for an honest review or a referral.
- One topic per email, with one clear way to reply or book.
How often
For most service businesses, once a month or once every other month is plenty. Regular and useful usually beats frequent. If people unsubscribe after every send, send less often or send something more useful.
Record inquiries that come from your emails with the source channel email, and follow each one to its outcome: won, lost or still open. That shows whether the habit is paying for itself.
The main rules for commercial email
The Federal Trade Commission's CAN-SPAM compliance guide says the law covers all commercial messages and "makes no exception for business-to-business email." Its own example of a message that must comply is one telling former customers about a new product line. Messages with only transactional or relationship content, such as updates on a job a customer already agreed to, are exempt from most provisions but still may not contain false or misleading routing information. The guide's main requirements include:
- Header information, including From, To, Reply-To and routing, must be accurate and identify who sent the message.
- The subject line must accurately reflect the content of the message.
- The message must disclose clearly and conspicuously that it is an advertisement; the guide says the law allows a lot of leeway in how.
- Include a valid physical postal address: a current street address, a registered post office box or a registered private mailbox.
- Explain clearly how to opt out of future marketing email, with an easy method such as a reply address, without asking for any step other than a reply email or a visit to a single page.
- Honor opt-out requests within 10 business days, keep the opt-out method working for at least 30 days after sending, and do not charge a fee or ask for more than an email address to opt out.
- If you hire someone else to send your email, both the business promoted and the sender may be held legally responsible.
- Once someone opts out, you may not sell or transfer their email address.
Before you send
This is a plain summary, not legal advice. The FTC guide has the full rules and the exceptions.
Sources
Related answers
- How do you win back customers who have not come back?
- What should you ask a customer after the work is done?
- How can a small business get leads without paying for ads?
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