Reach out to customers through email during COVID-19

As a business owner, you know exactly how essential strong customer relationships are. They’re what turn visitors into regulars, single classes into memberships, and appointments into referrals.

In the face of COVID-19, you might be feeling isolated from your customers, unsure of how to maintain vital connections. But social distancing doesn’t have to mean a loss of communication.

Rather than relying on in-person contact, now’s the time to reach out to customers through email.

Related: 5 best practices for using email to communicate with customers during the COVID-19 crisis

Some important tips to remember:

• Less is more when sending COVID-19 emails.
• Be respectful about who’s on your mailing list.
• Make your point in the subject line.
• Communicate quickly and clearly.
• Understand your customers’ needs.

The following advice, while always true, is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Always communicate with others the same way you’d like to be treated.

Respect who you message

COVID-19 emails are filling inboxes, and they’re not all necessary or useful.

If you don’t have any important updates, or if you’ve already communicated with your customers, consider whether another email is going to help. If it’s just going to add to the clutter, hold off on sending.

And if someone hasn’t made a purchase or contacted you within the past year, leave them off your mailing list. Even if you have something useful to offer, your recipients still need to consent before you email them.

A good practice is to only email subscribers and recent customers. After all, you want your important message to reach those who’ve asked to hear from you, and who might find what you have to say useful.

As always, make sure your recipients have the option to unsubscribe.

Stay on topic

Your subject line is the first thing recipients see. Make it short and related to your message.

This helps your recipients know why they should want to open your message in the first place, and what to expect once they do.

Also keep in mind that people often check their email on mobile devices, and long subject lines (around 10 words or so) are cut off by small screens. Avoid using all caps or extra punctuation as well, since they can trigger spam filters.

When designing your email, communicate quickly and clearly. Keep your message short and to the point.

No one wants to read a novel-length message, so in as few words as possible, let your recipients know if you’re still open, and if you are, the measures you’re taking to keep customers and employees safe.

Include how they can continue to support your business like through your online store, virtual classes, delivery, takeout, or curbside pickup. As restrictions change, concisely update customers on ways you’re doing your best to ensure everyone’s safety.

Anticipate your customers’ needs

Be mindful of your customers and their needs. As this pandemic impacts everyone, understand that your customers are likely struggling too. They might not be able to purchase products or services from you right now, but your business can still provide value.

Be the expert – how is your industry reacting to recent events, and can your business help the community?

Explain what your customers can do with the experiences or products you’ve already provided.  Your email newsletter is an opportunity to build a community with your customers to help meet their needs.

Steps you can take today

Get ready for email communication. If you have GoDaddy Websites + Marketing:

• Add subscribers to your mailing list.
• Create email campaigns based on whether you need to send a quick update or a more detailed newsletter.
• Include an email sign-up form on your website so visitors can add themselves to your mailing list.

For WordPress sites, add an email subscriptions plugin, such as the GoDaddy Email Marketing Signup Forms plugin, to update customers about any changes.

You can also use your social media presence as a way to increase subscribers, like including sign-ups on Instagram.

As your business adapts to COVID-19 restrictions, be available to your customers.

There might be longer shipping times, or maybe you need to refund an in-person event. Try to respond to any customer messages as soon as possible, and empathize with their concerns.

In these difficult times, continue to foster the relationships you’ve built with your customers. Even when you can’t physically be together, email shows you’re still with them and are ready to help.

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