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40 October 2015 | beautystorebusiness.com 1) Subject: Save money on your next store purchase Preheader: Free shipping for all orders placed before 5:00 PM 2) Subject: Claim your discount coupon Preheader: Open this email to print your coupon 3) Subject: Things we love about the holidays Preheader: Order prewrapped gifts for your loved ones. Care for a bonus tip? Always position your preheader text at the top of your emails, above the graphic. That will keep the ugly computer code of the graphic from being pulled into recipients' inboxes. ASK 'EM TO SHARE Emails often include social-media buttons, usually positioned below the message. But when recipients click on those icons, are they transported to your social-media feeds? You can do better than that, says Steve Dodd, a Toronto-based business consultant (t wit ter.com/steve_dodd). You want to include buttons that will share your content on your visitors' social- media feeds. That will really compound the return on your email marketing invest- ment. "Very often when I read an email the first thing I want to do is share it," says Dodd. He could certainly do that by forwarding the email to his list of key people, but that would be pretty limited in scope. "It would be much better if I were able to easily post the information on my own Twitter feed, where I have many more followers," he says. "That would also let me add a comment to the text." In essence, says Dodd, you want to get people to promote you and helping them share your copy on their social- media feeds does just that. In order to share your email in this way, you will need to have the text of the email also posted on your website. When people click on your email share button, they will in effect share your website page. Here's a bonus tip: Responding to shared posts with your own comments will promote good feelings and expand the reach of your store brand. SEND A PODCAST, NOT A SALES PITCH You send an email partly to inform and partly to stimulate a desirable action on the part of recipients. But what should that action be? It's tempting to just ask the customer to place an order by includ- ing an advertisement at the bottom of the email. Resist the urge, counsels Dodd. "People in general are getting sick and tired of advertisements," he says. "When they see a blatant ad, it doesn't sit right." Instead of a sales pitch, offer helpful information that draws people deeper into long-term engagements with your store. One excellent technique is to offer compli- mentary podcasts. While the podcasts pro- vide helpful information, they also operate as soft sellers. They do this by providing in- depth information about how listeners can benefit from your merchandise or services. Your goal, says Dodd, is to draw people to your core website so they engage profitably with you. While podcasts do just that, so do links to pages of helpful information that also have merchandise offers. Dodd puts it this way: "Instead of saying, 'If you like this email, buy this item,' say 'If you think these ideas are worthwhile, go here for more information.'" A bonus tip: Encourage dialog by including a line at the bottom of your message that says, "If you have any thoughts on this email, let me know. Click here." Then link to a form for feedback. All of these tips share a common denominator: customer engagement. By promoting two-way communications your emails will encourage recipients to enter into long-term relationships with your store. As they deepen their relationships with your retail organization, customers will come to appreciate your brand—the strategic marketing position that your marketing is designed to promote. "Decide what you are trying to accomplish in your overall business strategy," concludes Dodd. "Then power that strategy with an effective email marketing campaign." ■ Phillip M. Perry is a New York City- based freelance writer. Help people share your copy on their social-media feeds. Continued from page 36 www.MalibuC.com | 1.800.622.7332 PRESCRIPTIVE WELLNESS TREATMENTS HAIR SCALP SKIN 100% vegan gluten sulfates parabens propylene glycol DEA FREE OF: Normal & Dry Skin Hydrate Exfoliators Masques Tattoos wellness solutions wellness solutions wellness solutions Sensitive Skin Acne wellness solutions ink well wellness solutions ness solutions malibu C ® Color Hard Water Blondes Swimmers Hair Repair Scalp