E-mail generates new students when the people receiving it feel they asked for it. That means building local opt-in lists close to your school, personalizing every message, and following up five to seven times rather than once. Unsolicited e-mail does real damage, so the permission behind the list matters more than the size of it.
Key Takeaways
- The most common formats are e-zines, flyers, school newsletters and promotional pieces.
- E-zines are opt-in lists, which means everyone who receives one has chosen to do so.
- Localize your opt-in choices within a 3.5-mile radius of your school.
- Include the prospect’s name in the subject field and the body, and make the sender readily identifiable as you.
- You are more likely to get a response on the fifth to seventh mailing than on the first.
- Combining useful information with sales offers outperforms copy that is purely promotional or purely passive.
The Types of E-mail You Can Use
There are several types of e-mail you can use to market your school to prospective students. Among the most common are e-zines, flyers, school newsletters and promotional pieces. An e-zine, or “electronic magazine,” is delivered to subscribers via a Web site or an e-mail newsletter.
Building a Local Opt-In List
E-zines are sometimes referred to as “opt-in” lists because everyone who receives an e-zine has chosen to do so. The E-zine format is an asset for any business wishing to reach a particular audience with a small investment.
When searching for opt-in lists, localize your choices within a 3.5-mile radius of your school. You may also be able to create your list with the help of local radio and television stations and merchants and your students who may access to e-mail lists from children’s athletic teams, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, elementary school list, work associates, church members, etc.
The key to successful e-mail marketing is to make sure prospects feel like they wanted the information…
You can also include a “tell-a-friend” option for your Web site visitors.
Make Prospects Feel They Asked for It
The key to successful e-mail marketing is to make sure prospects feel like they wanted the information or that it is relevant to their needs. Include the prospect’s name in the subject field and body of the letter. Make sure the e-mail is readily identifiable as coming from you.
An example of the first e-mail a prospect receives is: “Thank you for joining the Family Martial Arts Center mailing list. This e-mail is being sent as a follow-up to a request made by you. You may be removed from our list at any time simply by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of this email.” For referral or endorsed mailings, make it obvious that the e-mail came directly from someone with whom the prospect is already familiar.
Follow Up Repeatedly with an Auto-Responder
Continually e-mail your prospect once she is in your system. You are more likely to receive a response on the fifth to seventh mailing than you are on the first. Put your prospects into an “auto-responder” e-mail program. An auto-responder sends messages to people who have requested information. It can be as simple as sending one message to anyone who writes to a specific e-mail address, or it can be as sophisticated as offering multiple response messages, each one sent based on the text of the received e-mail message.
The series of mailings you create can include both valuable information and sales offers for your target audiences. For example, you can send complimentary one-month guest passes to birthday party participants, demonstration leads, opt-ins from your Web site, introductory students who didn’t enroll and after-school program leads.
Balance Information and Sales Offers in Your Copy
Next, your copy and headlines are vital to generate a response. Too promotional and your message will be ignored. Too passive and no one will take action. It’s more effective to combine information and sales offers in one. For instance, you might send a newsletter containing parenting tips with a link to your Web site, and then follow up with a third or fourth letter inviting them to try your introductory program. Ask them to call or register at your Web site to receive future information and newsletters.
A Word of Caution About Spam
A word of caution: In the offline world of marketing, many of us have sent direct mail to targeted lists. Rarely did any of them complain nor did we worry much if they did. The online world of marketing is much different. People become very upset when they receive unsolicited e-mail (SPAM) and the consequences for you can be quite damaging.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an e-zine and how does a martial arts school use one?
An e-zine, or electronic magazine, is delivered to subscribers through a Web site or an e-mail newsletter. It lets a school reach a particular audience with a small investment, and because it is opt-in, everyone on the list has chosen to receive it.
How do I build an e-mail list for my martial arts school?
Localize your opt-in choices within a 3.5-mile radius of the school. Local radio and television stations, local merchants and your own students can help, drawing from children’s athletic teams, Scout troops, elementary school lists, work associates and church members.
How many e-mails should I send before a prospect responds?
Keep e-mailing prospects once they are in your system. You are more likely to receive a response on the fifth to seventh mailing than you are on the first, which is why an auto-responder series matters.
What should the first e-mail to a new prospect say?
Confirm that they asked for it and give them a way out. Thank them for joining the mailing list, state that the e-mail follows up on a request they made, and include an unsubscribe link at the bottom.
How do I keep my school’s e-mails from being treated as spam?
Make sure prospects feel they wanted the information and that it is relevant to them. Use the prospect’s name, make the sender obviously you, and never send unsolicited e-mail, because people react far more strongly to it than they ever did to direct mail.
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