No one likes spam, whether it be a phone call, email, text message, or mail. Sending out mass emails is one method used for marketing, but this method, if not done correctly, can certainly be considered spam.
It may be efficient to send the same email to hundreds or contacts or an email list. However, if this email gets sent directly to spam or is never opened by the reader, this is a great waste of time.
If you’re a foodservice vendor selling to businesses in the restaurant industry, it doesn’t make sense to send out thousands of generic emails to businesses you’ve never spoken to before. Most recipients won’t open the email, and once they receive a spam-like email from you, this greatly reduces the chances that they will be interested in working with you in the future.
Restaurateurs and owners are busy people; they don’t have the time (or desire) to sort through spam or generic emails that don’t pertain to their business. In 2021, Statistica found that on average, email recipients spent only 10 seconds looking at brand marketing emails.
Although there are many “don’ts” when it comes to email marketing, this method can be done correctly and effectively, especially when using precise restaurant data to find your ideal customer.
What happens when you do decide to blast out an email to a thousand potential clients?
First off, it comes off as disingenuous and impersonal. It is obvious when an email is not customized or personalized for the potential client you are reaching out to. The chances of the potential customer ignoring this type of email is high.
Email platforms have spam filters to ensure their users are not getting bombarded with unwanted emails. Additionally, if you send out an email blast, you could be violating privacy policies or the CAN-SPAM act (which can actually result in fees!).
If you or your company has a new IP address or a brand new domain, and then decides to send out a massive email blast, this will register as spam. Using old email lists can send emails straight to spam, and so can purchasing generic contact lists.
As you can see, there are a lot of reasons why email blasts are problematic. Even if the intention is to not spam potential customers, email blasts can still be considered so by platforms, recipients, and even the government.
With all of that being said, email marketing can be an effective strategy if done right.
Engagement is one metric that determines if an email marketing campaign was successful or not. Emails that are targeted to the appropriate clients garner more engagement. When an email subject line and content provides something of interest or value for the recipient, the chances of them opening the email is much higher.
If you are selling to restaurants, knowing exactly how your product will help the potential customer will greatly improve your email marketing campaigns. The subject line can be used to hook the customer, while the content of the email lists what your product will do for the customer. It is key to make sure the subject line accurately describes what will be contained in the body of the email. It can be catchy, but not misleading.
There are now plenty of email marketing tools and platforms, like Mailchimp and SendinBlue, on the market that can help ensure that you are not spamming recipients and provide value to them. Make sure that your email has an unsubscribe button for all recipients; this is always required on email marketing platforms.
Lastly, be sure that your emails are going to the right person, whether it be restaurant managers, operators, or owners. Up-to-date restaurant data can help you see what restaurants and foodservice operations need, and therefore, help you find potential customers.
Using precise, up-to-date data for email marketing can help ensure you are only speaking to potential customers who are genuinely interested in your product. A data-based marketing approach can greatly increase the possibilities of sales.
Data can be purchased for the sole purpose of gaining access to a list of names and contact information. However, it doesn’t make much sense to send the same email to every single person on that list. This is essentially the same thing as purchasing contact lists, which as you read above, causes issues. If you are selling your technology to restaurants, you’ll find that most restaurants have different needs. Therefore, emails should be customized to reflect the unique needs of each restaurant and foodservice operation.
You can still use data for sending out the same email to groups of people, but you’ll find that email marketing to smaller, more refined groups is more effective. For example, you might use contact data to create an email campaign targeted at restaurants located in one zipcode, rather than the entire city.
The ideal scenario is using data to create custom, personalized emails to the exact customer you are looking for.
Whether you are selling kitchen management software or paper straws, Brizo’s comprehensive foodservice database can help guarantee that you are only speaking to interested customers. With Brizo Foodmetrics platform for collecting and analyzing foodservice market data, you can scope out restaurants that need your solutions and identify what amenities and menu items local restaurants are missing. The platform provides over 800K contact names to help your business send marketing emails to your perfect customer. Generic contact lists and spam email blasts are a thing of the past; use Brizo’s analytics platform to create personalized marketing emails that land new customers and increase sales.
