As we've already learnt, to be able to get someone to buy from you, You usually have to be in contact with them multiple times.
Even if they like what you're offering, and are a keen prospect, if they have no Need for your flowers, they are unlikely to buy them.
Permission marketing is how we get them further down the Funnel, and give them more knowledge of our business by contacting them by email or text.
If your social media marketing platforms fail, or you are locked out of your account, how many of your Fans and Followers could get hold of you?
This is where permission marketing comes in, - particularly with regard to email marketing.
I've been sending emails to my customers since i started my business 13 years ago. For the first few months I sent out a pdf attached to an email. It was basically an electronic magazine. But very soon I realised I needed something that looked professional and could be set up to provide me with something that looked good and was easy to use. To start with I used Constant Contact as my email tool. Then I started helping run a local business network, and we needed a Free email tool, so I used Mailchimp for them, and liked it so much that I changed my business emails over to them. There are also other email tools out there Here's a great recent article about others free programmes that might help you with email marketing.
So how do you get permission?
Sign in sheets - photo
Since I started giving talks and holding open days, I've been using a signup sheet like this. Also good if you are having a stall at Farmers markets or Local Fairs. This is a two fold marketing tool. We have a welcome table with a bouquet on it, which we deliver to someone at the end of the day. (several recipients have become regular customers) It quite clearly states that I will be sending them flower information, or they can choose to opt out. The physical act of having to sign in a sheet ensures that they remember that they've given me permission to contact them.
This is the other method of getting customers onto my list - from my website. This is explicitly telling them I will be contacting them, and is linked to my mailchimp account, so the information goes straight in without me having to do anything.
Do you currently have an email marketing list?
If not, how are you going to get the first 20 customers on to your list?
If you do, how are you going to get 20 more this week?
Here's one method that Cel at Forever Green Flower Company uses
GDPR stands for General Digital Protection Regulation, and is a new piece of legislation which came in last May that is aimed at ensuring customer's private data is secure.
This is due to many data breaches at companies that have resulted in customer information being stolen, which can lead to identity theft.
The legislation covers getting data, holding data, and deleting it, as the Customer now has a "right to be forgotten"
As small businesses legislation like GDPR can be scary, but we need to ensure the following things
1) That we already have permission from our customers to hold information about them. - If they have signed up for email marketing they will have subscribed through your website, or will have signed a sheet to say that you can tell them about your flowers, and they know what we're going to use it for (Telling them about our flowers)
2) That their information is held securely. For us, that means that folders with Brides details are kept in a filing cabinet, email information is held in a data programme that is password protected (e.g mailchimp) and any other information stored on our computers needs a password to access it
3) As customers now have "the right to be forgotten" we need to know how to delete data. If you use an email programme, it will have an unsubscribe link on every email.
4) That if we did have any Data breaches, they were reported within 72 hours to the appropriate government body.
In Reality, this means that we all have to Spring clean our data systems.I updated my filing systems and had a big shred - particularly of older staff data files. Did you add anyone to your files or email list without their permission? - this includes if you gathered up business cards at a networking event, or got a list from someone else you work with. Have you got details of them giving permission. examples are
an email from someone saying, please can you tell me more about x,
a signup sheet from an event or workshop
a subscribe date from an email system
Do you tell them what you use your data for?
A sentence on your signup sheet
A paragraph on your website
A sentence on each email
Do you keep more information than is needed?
If you're working with a bride you may need lots of information about them and family
If you are delivering flowers, you will need an address
If you are just informing them about events, then you probably only need name and email address
There are fees and fines for companies disregarding the legislation, but by reading, inwardly digesting and looking into this, even just be attending this workshop, you are showing that you a doing something about it. The key sentence for me is "in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data’,
Use the attached checklist if you want to make sure you've followed best practice