Using Email Technology to Boost Referrals
With Internet technology, businesses can use email to grow
referral business by stimulating and tracking word of mouth. The
right tools and incentives make all the difference in turning
customers into referral advocates through compelling messages
that can be easily forwarded on to others.
A referral always begins with word-of-mouth and the Internet is
the perfect breeding ground for word of mouth advertising, also
known as viral marketing. Our communication has been
monumentally affected by the convenience and universality of
email, and a targeted consistent email campaign that includes an
incentive of some kind, not only gives your customer advocates
something of value to pass along, but it also gives them the
vehicle with which to pass it.
Emails can be forwarded on and easily stored, able to be
retrieved at a later date. And when a prospect receives a
promotional email with a discount offer from a trusted source,
they become a warm lead. A warm lead is 64% more likely to
become a customer than a "cold" lead.
Your chances of getting business from a referral are far
greater than placing an ad in a magazine or newspaper. With
permission-based emails, your message can be seen and heard by
potentially thousands of warm prospects that you could never get
to any other way. And when you combine your referral marketing
efforts with other synergistic businesses, the referral
potential grows exponentially based not only on your warm
contacts, but on the warm contacts of your reciprocating
referral partners. Never before has there been a medium so
powerful in breaking through ad clutter by electronically
introducing your business to a warm market.
The best time to send your referral email, along with
incentives, is after each sale and on a monthly or quarterly
basis with an eNewsletter, to keep your business top of mind.
For a free download "31 tips for boosting referral business" go
to www.ravebiz.com