Email marketing can work extremely well as an affordable way to reach your customers!

However, in an increasingly intrusive world, it can be difficult to extract personal details from prospective, yet reticent buyers.

Here are a few tips on how to make email marketing work for you: - Send a friendly, introductory email reminding customers why they subscribe. Send details of new products or special offers.

- Only send an email if it contains newsworthy content. If you don’t, you will be wasting your subscriber’s time – and your own, so maintain focus.

- Keep subscribing easy – post a form on your homepage, blog of Facebook page and keep it short! Once they have signed up, tell your subscribers what they can expect to receive from you, be it daily tips, weekly offers or company updates.

- Makesure you maintain regular contact with your subscribers. You must see it as a commitment, rather than an adhoc activity.

- Check, check and check again! Ensure what you send out is professional and reflective of your company brand and values. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors reflect badly on your business and give a lazy and sloppy impression.

- Go mobile! It’s essential with our ever growing technology to keep pace. Ensuring what you send can be viewed on a mobile is crucial. Makesure that content is also shareable and don’t forget to include facebook and twitter links. - Keep an eye on progress. Learn how to read and understand your stats and reports so you can improve.

  •  Jo Spencer is head of the Lake District branch of GAP PR and Marketing Ltd and works with colleague Polly Winder. Together, they help local businesses decide on the right marketing strategy for them – www.gapgb.com