Business, General Tips, Your Event Career, Generating Revenue
Are you an event or wedding planner looking to make more money? The answer may lie in generating revenue through email and SMS campaigns! But what is email and SMS marketing – and how should you get started?
In this article, we’ll provide a beginner’s guide to email and SMS marketing so you can begin increasing your business revenue today!
What is “Generating Revenue” and What Does it Mean?
On a grander scale, generating revenue is the process of monetizing a product or service. Generating revenue through email and SMS campaigns is just one way to do this – by using online marketing methods.
Generating Revenue Through Email and SMS Campaigns
Let’s make things easier by breaking up this article into two sections: email marketing and SMS marketing. Why don’t we start with email marketing?
Email Marketing 101
What are Email Campaigns?
Basically, this is the process of creating, sending, and tracking emails to potential customers. The goal? To increase sales or build relationships!
Pro Tip: Make sure to check out our 8-rule guide to email marketing for more useful info!
How Profitable is Email Marketing?
When done right, email campaigns can be very profitable! You should expect to see higher open rates and click-through rates than other forms of online marketing. Plus, email campaigns can be tailored to each customer’s needs and interests – meaning increased engagement.
How Does Email Marketing Help Sales?
When you send personalized emails to potential event/wedding planning clients, you can build relationships with them, drive sales, and increase your number of bookings through targeted campaigns. Plus, you can track email performance to determine what works best for your business!
What is a Good ROI for Email Campaigns?
An ROI (return on investment) of at least 10-15% is considered good for email campaigns. This means that if you’re spending $100, you should be making at least $10-15 in return.
What is a Good Open Rate for Email Campaigns?
An open rate is the percentage of recipients who opened your email. Generally, a good open rate for email campaigns should be around 17-28%. To put this into perspective: let’s say you sent out 100 emails. If 17-28 of them opened the email, then you have a good open rate!
What is the Average Open Rate for Email Campaigns?
The average open rate for email campaigns varies depending on industry. Generally, however, you should aim for at least 15%. So, if you were to send out 100 emails, chances are, about 15 of them should open your email.
What is the Average Click Through Rate for Email Campaigns?
A click through rate (CTR) is the percentage of recipients who clicked through to your website or landing page. Meaning, how many people actually took action after reading your email.
This can be a great way to measure engagement! And generally, the average click through rate for email campaigns should sit around 2-5%.
When is the Best Time to Send Email Campaigns?
It’s important for you to consider the timing of your email campaigns. After all, not all days or times are created equal!
To get the best results, it’s recommended you send emails on weekdays between 10 am and 3 pm. Specifically, research indicates that people are likely to open their emails either around 10 am and 1 pm.
How to Do Email Campaigns
Now that you have a better understanding of email campaigns, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to do them.
First, you’ll need to create an email list. Depending on your wedding and/or event planning business, this could consist of current clients, potential customers, or a combination of both.
Once you have your list ready, it’s time to start crafting your emails! You can use software like Mailchimp or Constant Contact to draft and send emails quickly.
You’ll also need to come up with a strategy. So, ask yourself: what’s the goal? Is it to increase your bookings, provide information, or build relationships?
Once you have your emails drafted and ready to go, it’s time to launch! To maximize efficiency – and get the best results – use an email tracking tool like Mailchimp or Constant Contact to track your performance.
Related: Need help getting clients as an event planner? Here are 6 business-savvy strategies we recommend trying out!
How to Create Effective Marketing Campaigns for Your Events and Weddings
Now, creating effective marketing campaigns for your events and weddings requires a bit of strategy. Here are 7 key things for you to remember:
- Know your target audience: Who are you trying to reach with your campaigns? Consider their needs, interests, and preferences when creating content.
- Craft compelling copy: Your email should be well-written, engaging, timely, and relevant. Try to include a personal touch with stories or humor.
- Design an effective call-to-action: Ensure your CTA is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Let people know exactly what will happen when they click on the link!
- Segment your email list: Segmenting your list allows you to send more targeted messages. This will increase engagement and improve the success of your campaigns.
- Test, test, test: It’s important to test different tactics and strategies. This will help you figure out what works best for your specific audience. One way you can run this test is through A/B testing. This essentially refers to the process of comparing two versions of an email to see which one performs better.
- Offer discounts and promotions: Discounts and promotions are a great way to encourage people to take action. So, consider offering discounts on new services or products!
- Track performance: It’s important to track your performance to determine what works best for you. Keep an eye on open and click-through rates, as well as conversions.
Email Marketing Campaigns: What NOT to Do
Next, let’s talk about what NOT to do when it comes to email marketing campaigns.
First off, don’t forget to include an unsubscribe link. This will help you avoid spam complaints and increase your chances of being delivered successfully.
Secondly, don’t send too many emails! Sending multiple emails in 1 day can come across as too desperate or pushy. Instead, spread out your emails to give people time to open and digest them.
And lastly, don’t forget to proofread! Typos, spelling errors, and grammatical mistakes can make your email look unprofessional and hurt your chances of conversions.
How to Increase Revenue Through Email Marketing
If you’re still wondering how email marketing campaigns will actually help your event/wedding planning business generate revenue, the answer lies in how you capitalize on the data.
By tracking and analyzing your email campaigns, you can learn more about customer habits and preferences. This will help you develop more effective content and campaigns for your target audience.
And the best part is, once you know what works, you can focus on optimizing your campaigns and increasing conversions. This will result in more revenue for your event/wedding planning business!
So, What Percentage of Revenue Should Come from Email Marketing?
The exact percentage of revenue that should come from email marketing will vary depending on your wedding/event planning business. Nevertheless, with the right strategy in place, you can definitely reap the rewards of email campaigns!
SMS Campaigns
What are SMS Campaigns?
SMS campaigns are a great way to get your message out quickly and efficiently. Unlike emails, they can be read almost immediately as they appear on people’s phones via text message.
Just keep in mind that SMS campaigns should be used sparingly due to the native nature of mobile devices. Remember: people don’t want to receive too many messages – and having too many can lead to opt-outs or negative sentiment!
Related: Make sure to check out our Event Planner’s Guide to Modern Business Marketing for 6 awesome tips for promoting your services!
Types of SMS Marketing Campaigns
There are a few different types of SMS campaigns, including (but not limited to):
- Promotional messages: these are typically used to spread awareness about new products or services.
- Transactional messages: these are sent out after a customer makes a purchase or completes an action.
- Reminder messages: these are used to remind customers about upcoming events or appointments.
Common SMS Marketing Tools
There are a few common SMS marketing tools that you can use to create and send campaigns. These include:
- Sendinblue: This platform allows you to create, track, and manage your campaigns in one place.
- Twilio: Twilio offers an easy-to-use API that lets you add messaging capabilities right into your app.
- Cloze: This platform helps you to craft SMS campaigns quickly and easily.
Using these tools, you’ll be able to create effective campaigns that will help you generate more revenue for your event/wedding planning business!
How Profitable is SMS Marketing?
SMS marketing is a great way to get your message out quickly, but it’s important to remember that profitability will depend on how well you craft and execute your campaigns.
By tracking performance and optimizing content, you can make sure your SMS campaigns are as effective (and profitable!) as possible.
And by combining the right email and SMS campaigns with other marketing strategies, you can make sure your event/wedding planning business is capitalizing on all available revenue streams. But we’ll touch more on that later!
How do SMS Campaigns Help Sales?
SMS campaigns can be used to reach new customers and retain existing ones. By sending promotional messages, you can spread awareness about your business and services, thus boosting sales.
Likewise, transactional messages serve as a great way to remind customers of their purchases and keep them engaged with your brand.
Reminder messages also encourage customers to take action, whether it’s booking a client consultation, booking your event/wedding planning services, reminding them of upcoming dates in their event timeline, etc.
How Successful are SMS Campaigns?
Generally speaking, SMS campaigns are very successful when done correctly! However, like with any other marketing strategy, success depends on how well you craft and execute your campaigns. By understanding customer habits and preferences, crafting effective content, and using the right tools, you can craft campaigns that will actually work for you.
For example, if you use Sendinblue to track performance and Cloze to create campaigns, you can make sure your messages are reaching the right people at the right time.
Ultimately, SMS campaigns have the potential to be highly profitable for your event/wedding planning business… But it all comes down to the strategy YOU put in place!
When is the Best Time to Send SMS Campaigns?
Just like with email campaigns, the timing of SMS campaigns is key. Obviously, you want to make sure your messages are being sent at the right time – when people are most likely to open and engage with them.
For example, you might consider sending promotional messages on Mondays so that customers can start their week off by learning about new business services, discounts, or limited-time promotions. Transactional messages, on the other hand, should be sent shortly after a purchase or action is made. And reminder messages should be sent well in advance of any appointments or events.
Chances are, you’ll need to experiment with different timing options and track the performance of your campaigns to find the right balance for your event planning business.
Developing Your SMS Marketing Strategy
Before you can actually start creating your SMS campaign, you’ll need to develop a strategy.
This means understanding who your target audience is, what their needs and interests are, and how you can best meet those needs… All while also generating revenue for your business!
How to Start a Successful SMS Campaign
Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience and their needs, it’s time to create content that resonates with them.
Focus on crafting content that will actually engage and convert customers – not just generic, one-size-fits-all messages. Messages that are tailored to a specific audience have been proven to be more successful in terms of engagement and conversions.
From there, you’ll want to start testing different messages and seeing how each test does. This will help you understand what works and what doesn’t, and how you can improve your campaigns for better results.
SMS Campaigns: Best Practices
When it comes to sending SMS campaigns, there are a few best practices you should keep in mind.
- Always include an opt-in link for customers to sign up for your messages;
- Make sure your messages are personal and relevant;
- Ask questions and provide helpful information;
- Try different formats (i.e. MMS or text-only);
- Include a clear call to action;
- And most importantly, track and monitor performance.
How to Track SMS Campaigns
Of course, it’s not enough to simply send out a bunch of text messages. Rather, you need to actually track the performance of your campaigns – just like we discussed with regards to email marketing.
Tools like Sendinblue and Cloze can help you keep an eye on how your campaigns are performing. By tracking key metrics like open rate, click-through rate, and conversions, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s working – and what needs to be changed.
SMS Marketing: What NOT to Do
Just like with email marketing, it’s just as important to understand what NOT to do when sending SMS campaigns. So, here are some mistakes to avoid making:
- Don’t send messages too often or you may annoy your customers and lose them;
- Don’t bombard customers with too many promotional messages;
- And don’t forget to include an opt-out link for those who no longer want to receive your messages.
How to Increase SMS Revenue
Once you have a handle on your SMS strategy, it’s time to start focusing on generating more revenue. You can do this by offering discounts and promotions for those who subscribe to your messages, or even by adding links to product pages in your messages. Furthermore, you can also increase revenue by running special campaigns, such as rewards programs or loyalty offers.
Pro Tip: Is your event/wedding planning business not making money? It may be due to any of these 10 reasons!
How to Combine Email and SMS Marketing
Here’s a fun little fact: you can leverage the power of combining email AND SMS marketing! By using both, you’ll be able to reach more customers and increase your chances of generating revenue.
For example, maybe you’ll choose to send a follow-up reminder text after a client has received an email about a special promotion your business is running. This would be a great way to maximize engagement!
Here are some more ways you can combine email and SMS campaigns:
- Send a text when customers sign up to your email list;
- Send an email newsletter with links to relevant webpages from your business site that customers can click on from their phone;
- Include a discount code in both an email and SMS message, etc.
You get the idea!
Final Thoughts: How Effective is Email and SMS Marketing?
By now, we hope you see that both email and SMS marketing can be incredibly effective tools for generating revenue for your wedding and/or event planning business!
When you understand your target audience, craft relevant content, track your performance, and combine email and SMS marketing efforts, you’ll have a much better chance of increasing engagement and conversions with your customers.
So, give it a try… It’s definitely worth the effort!
Do YOU have any tips for email and/or SMS marketing? Share them with us in the comments – we love to hear from you!
And as always, thank you for reading, planners!
Not yet a certified event/wedding planner? You can become one in as little as 3 short months! Enroll in Thesolarloo Event School’s self-paced, online certification training and start your journey today!
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