It’s no secret that online marketing is a powerful tool. With everyone trying to get your customer’s attention, how can you break through the noise? Many start-ups and even bigger businesses believe the inbox is the secret to your customer’s loyalty, both because of reach and cost effectiveness. However, where business leaders can sometimes go off course is in the planning of content. It is one thing to inform you customers about your products and services, and another to provide timely and relevant information that your customer wants or needs. The difference between these two points is what separates great marketing from standard tactics.

So where to start you ask? If you haven’t already, I suggest you sign up with an email marketing service (EMS) such as Constant Contact or MailChimp, or any of the other available alternatives. Many of these services offer an introductory level that would get a small business up and running with the basics for successful email marketing. MailChimp even offers something called MailChimp Academy which will guide you through the does and don’ts of modern day email communication etiquette.

Once you get up and running and you have the understanding of your EMS and can successfully wield your inbox tool, start looking into event-triggered automation. This can be anything from the completion of a sale on your online store, to someone joining your mailing list. Each event can trigger a specific communication that would enhance the overall interaction. For example, you could send me tracking information on a product that is shipping via email. I’m sure we’ve all seen that one.

But it doesn’t have to be that complex, nor do you need to automate all email marketing tasks. Setup a reminder for a customer’s birthday or anniversary if you are a small enough operation, and send them an email. The personalized communication of relevant information is what keeps your brand in the inbox, and not the spam box.