If you’re looking for ways to get your business back on track and connect with customers after lockdown, your email marketing strategy could be a good place to start. Email might be one of the oldest ways of engaging with customers in the digital age. But this doesn’t stop if from also being the most effective. We’re not, however, talking about tired old newsletters full of you and your achievements.

Think instead of email marketing as a way of targeting precise audiences and building a relationship with them by delivering the content they need – with the added benefit of being cheap and very easy to monitor and adapt to changing circumstances.

Email marketing is a way of targeting precise audiences and building a relationship with them by delivering content they need.

More specifically, email marketing is a good way of finding and converting the valuation leads you probably need right now. Do this by offering relevant information on your blog – local area profiles or incisive guides for sellers, for example. Don’t apply pressure to arrange a valuation. Instead, develop your relationship with quality content, geared towards your future customers and their pain points.

Email marketing can also help speed up purchases. Many of your buyers and vendors won’t be too clued-up about the process. Well-timed emails with helpful nudges – to organise a survey or fill out a sellers’ questionnaire – can help the sale move smoothly.

The same principles apply to the rental sector; use email to connect with landlords and tenants, bringing appropriate advice at points when they need it most. Use your mailings to keep them up-to-date with the rapidly changing landscape when it comes to the private rented sector.

To help you get it right, we think there are nine key things which need your attention when it comes to email marketing.

1 Ace your subject line

If you want to ensure your emails are opened and read, make sure the subject line is compelling and intriguing – but avoid click-bait. People hate being tricked into opening an email that bears no relevance to them.

2 Get the tone of voice right

Keep your tone of voice human and conversational, while conveying trust and authority; getting the balance right can be tricky, so look for examples from brands you like and practise till you get it right.

3 Don’t be too pushy

Avoid going in too soon with the hard sell. Remember, you’re nurturing trust and a long-term relationship, so don’t start demanding that they book a valuation too early in the process.

4 Always add a PS

This is a tried and tested marketing technique. If busy customers only read a couple of lines of your email, one of them is likely to be the PS. Make it good enough, and they’ll retain its messaging or even go back over the rest of the email.

5 Take care with your list

How you craft your emails is important, but they need to be reaching the right people and you must be operating legally. Capture the email addresses of warm prospects through social media content and advertising – as well as your blog or even good old-fashioned leaflets. You must stick within the rules on GDPR by making sure the recipients have genuinely consented to have their data used in this way.

6 Use bespoke email marketing software

You need to use dedicated email marketing software not your CRM database. Most packages have free plans, but the paid-for options aren’t expensive so it may be worth investing in more than the basic level. Using dedicated software will also help you stay within the law, by letting you monitor complaints and unsubscribes properly.

7 Make it a conversation

It’s not just about you broadcasting to an audience. Find ways of getting customers to talk back, whether through surveys, competitions, testimonials or just asking questions. If you can get a response, you’ve moved the relationship onto a personal footing that is more likely to lead to a phone call and valuation booking.

8 Learn from your feedback

Obtaining and learning from feedback is an essential part of your marketing strategy. Always interrogate the data, which comes with the email marketing platform you use, while employing your mailings to solicit reviews and feedback.

9 Perfect your template

The platform you choose should allow you to create a template or use an existing theme. Alternatively, invest in a professional design that works well with your brand. Make sure the template you chose has a clean design with good graphics and images. Avoid big walls of text – if you want to include a lot of copy, link to your website.

Nelly Berova is Managing Director at digital marketing experts Art Division.