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Love it or hate it, it’s something you just can’t avoid as a working professional (whether you own your own esthetic practice or not): you have to use email.
But did you know that email is actually one of the most powerful forms of communication in your business? (91% of consumers check their email accounts every day!)
That’s right, what many claim is an outdated or dying medium (especially with texting and Direct Message culture via social media), email is far more personal and can be a huge gateway to your esty success…that is, if you know how to properly leverage email.
Now we know what you might be thinking, “Ummm, I know how to use my email. You send messages, you receive them, you reply when you need to.”
Well, glow-getter, there’s a lot more to it than that.
Here are some of our top tricks of the trade from email etiquette to marketing hacks to help you get more of what you want whether it be more sales, a speaking gig, or simply a prompt customer service response:
Stepping Up Your Pro Email Skills
Before we talk marketing, first let’s talk branding.
To be perceived as an esthetic expert, you have to present yourself like one, and that includes from your inbox.
If you are still using your “princess,” “yournamexoxo,” insert-your-pet-name @ aol.com email address to conduct business, it’s time for a digital makeover.
Get an email address that contains your business name, and go the extra mile to register with Godaddy, Google Business, or your website hosting platform (Wix and Squarespace provide this) to get an email with your domain name (for example, yourname@yourbusineswebsite.com).
This may seem insignificant, but your email address is a touchstone of your brand and a key piece in your client and marketing communications, which means that you need to show up professionally, even in an email inbox.
In addition to a branded email address, it’s always nice to be able to put a face to a name, especially if you’re communicating with someone you’ve yet to meet.
We love using the tool WiseStamp to create a custom visual email signature that has templates for you to pop in your headshot along with links to your website and social media.
That extra wow factor makes a huge difference in helping the person you’re communicating with to remember your correspondence.
Harnessing the Power of Email Marketing
At Esty Academy and our sister brand, Herbal Skin Solutions, we use Omnisend for all of our email campaigns and love how they offer pre-made, plug-and-play templates to structure your message in an organized way.
While we also send everyday customer service emails and exchange emails with suppliers and manufacturers on the back end of our business, the beauty of an email marketing platform is that you can get the software and analytics that allow you to effectively drive sales through your email communication.
(Side note: many email service providers require that you have an email address connected to your website domain to ensure verifiability.)
When composing your campaign, always go in with a plan of what you want to educate on, share insights about, or draw attention to and always give clear calls-to-action of what you would like your reader to do next (is it to book a consult, book a treatment, purchase a product, or simply to interact with you?).
And don’t forget to include links with your other contact info (phone number and social links) and a link to your main website.
Finally, before sending out any marketing campaigns, doing a double-check of spelling, punctuation, and grammar is helpful to keep that professional edge sharp (getting a freelance proofreader or writer on Thumbtack is another great option for getting fresh eyes to read over your email and make sure the point and call to action is clear).
Checking Email Etiquette
Now, having basic email etiquette may seem like a given, but as the recipient of many emails, there are a few things that come across our inboxes that at times raise an eyebrow.
When building relationships whether with clients or fellow industry professionals or suppliers, you’ll want to follow these key email etiquette principles to help you attain and maintain great relationships without anything getting lost in translation:
- Use the subject line as a way to preface your email’s topic of discussion, not as the body of an email. - Using the subject line to convey your entire message and leaving the body blank is a surefire way to dead end a conversation.
- Always approach an email with an ask rather than a demand when looking to gain an answer or an outcome, you’ll attract more bees with honey than vinegar. - Keep in mind, there is a real, living, breathing human with a heart who wants to help you on the receiving end of your messages. As people, we tend to be incentivized to go above and beyond for a kind client rather than someone who is unnecessarily pushy, and that extends to every other professional company you interact with.
- When someone goes above and beyond to help you, be gracious so they will be quick to help again in the future. - Not responding with a simple “thanks” or without any feedback at all leaves the conversation open-ended and your correspondent left wondering if the information received was helpful.
The bottom line is that you never know who’s reading and what is happening in your reader’s life that shapes the lens they’re reading through.
You also never know what the future has in store.
Over the years, our company has been a professional reference for many of our training participants who have gone above and beyond so that they can be highlighted on a professional network within the industry, or go on to become an educator, brand affiliate, or asked to work trade shows and events.
Whenever we choose to work with other professionals, we find those that truly glow from within, radiate confidence and kindness in how they communicate and follow through are the ones that go the furthest in the field.
P.S. - If anyone would like to get involved in our platform, we offer guest blog opportunities. If you have a topic that could be of value to consumers or other esthetic professionals, let’s talk!
To be highlighted on our social feeds, snap a photo or video showing us how you use our
products, what you like most about them, ingredient highlights, tutorials, etc. and we would be happy to repost!