Contrary to popular belief, email marketing is not dead. It isn’t even dying. For the service industry, it’s still one of the best ways to elicit a positive response from recipients. But that’s only if it’s done right…

And unless you’re using one of the good digital marketing providers in the automotive industry, you’re probably leaving a bunch of responses on the table. They could be your next great customer but if you aren’t getting your message across well, you can forget about adding them to the fold.

Whether it’s a campaign to fill out slow months or an attempt to prevent customers from defecting, these are some tips for your email campaigns that are crucial so you don’t miss the target.

Check the Name Formatting

When you use customer lists for your email campaigns, one of the most impersonal things you can do is formatting the name different than the rest of your text. What I mean is this:

“Dear JORGE,

At ABC Motors, we have a service offer that’s just for you.”

Or…

“Dear Jorge,

At ABC Motors, we have a service offer that’s just for you.”

In the first one, ALL CAPS is a dead giveaway that it’s not a personal email – it’s a form letter. If you could measure how quickly the trash button gets clicked on the first example compared with the second, you’d see why the name formatting is so important.

Speak One-on-One

When you create campaigns, the tendency is to use plural language. But each customer that reads it is an individual. Consequently, the language you use needs to be like a one-on-one conversation. Have the campaign written like you’re speaking to just one person.

“This offer is exclusively for you.”

“Because you are a loyal service client…”

Clearly State Where the Offer Applies

A tendency for dealership emails to all look alike, especially for service campaigns. If you’re doing something unique, you NEED to make sure customers know it’s only for your store. It doesn’t apply to other dealerships. Just yours.

This is so important if you aren’t adding to the manufacturer’s promotions where the customer truly can go to any other franchised store.

Say Why You’re Special

You know this – customers can go anywhere to service their vehicles. Every time you communicate with them, you should reinforce why your store is special. Tell them why to choose your dealership’s brand. While the offer is the primary reason for your campaign, the reason customers follow through is because of you, the dealership.

Email marketing is a thing of beauty when it’s done right, and a disgusting mess if it’s sloppy. Use a professional service to create and distribute your email marketing campaigns for service promotions. Otherwise, you could be hurting your customer relationships more than drawing them in closer.