Ask any businessperson and they will always tell you that it is far easier to keep an existing customer than to acquire a brand new one. Often times a business will go to great lengths to ensure existing customers have a positive experience, both so they come back for repeat purchases and so they will promote the product/service through word of mouth. Many businesses now harnessing the power of email marketing software as a key component in their marketing mix know that, nowadays, it's a little easier to encourage past customers to come back for more.

Email marketing makes it very affordable to send out targeted email campaigns to all of your past customers. In addition, with the right email marketing software, this can all be done within a matter of minutes, with no huge time lag or hidden fees. Whether a business chooses to keep in touch with customers using their email marketing software by creating a monthly (or bi-weekly) newsletter, or simply by sending out special promotions/discounts, there are a plethora of tactics to choose from.

Part of the reason email marketing is so effective is because it keeps your brand in front of the consumer at very frequent intervals. If customer X makes a purchase from an online store and then never hears from that store again, chances are the customer will forget the name of the e-store, or forget to recommend it to their friend who is looking to make a purchase. The longer a past customer goes without seeing your brand, the higher the chances that customer will just forget about your company altogether.

By using email marketing software, businesses can keep in touch with customer X very easily. Even a simple monthly newsletter with some unique content can keep the business at the forefront of customers' memories. Encouraging repeat purchases and brand loyalty works best with email marketing software when the business provides valuable content the customer will want to consume. For instance, the golf store that sends out a monthly newsletter with a couple of tips to improve your golf game has extraordinary readership. Tons of past customers look forward to and read the newsletter each and every month. Of course, the business carefully inserts special promotions or features items into the newsletter, which most email marketing software solutions allow for easily, thus encouraging the customer to buy more. And, they do!

Sending out special discounts to past customers using email marketing software is also a great way to generate a sales spike. Since the business already has a relationship with the customer, it can make them feel just a little bit more special by sending them exclusive offers. When past customers receive an email marketing campaign offering them free shipping or a certain percentage discount or any other type of promotion because they have been a loyal customer in the past, they are encouraged to keep on making purchases so as to not lose ‘special' status. A little bit of strategic promotional planning coupled with effective email marketing software can get your past customers coming back and eagerly taking advantage of your special offers.

Email marketing is rapidly becoming the cornerstone of the small businesses marketing mix. With the right email marketing software in the hands of a creative businessperson, anything is possible. One thing is for sure: by staying in contact with your past customers, you greatly increase the likelihood of them coming back for more and, at the end of the day, that is exactly the goal.