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Email Marketing for Service Businesses: A Guide To Getting Started
Don’t Miss out on This Low-Cost Marketing Secret
Jacob Bear
December 30th, 2024
Table of Contents
Service businesses are cashing in on the power of email marketing.
Cody & Sons Plumbing, Heating, and Air has gained more client engagement and an extra $3,000 a month in revenue since they began sending email campaigns.
Service businesses have an incredible opportunity that’s low-cost and easy to set up. In this article, we're going to show you how to get in on the action and take advantage of email marketing for your service business.
The Importance of Email Marketing for Service Businesses
According to Statista, there were 4.26 billion email users worldwide in 2022, and this number is expected to grow to 4.73 billion by 2026.
Most retailers and online businesses have learned to take advantage of email marketing. For example, Roland Frazier, an entrepreneur who owns a portfolio of businesses, attributes email marketing to a large portion of the $6 billion in sales his companies generate each year.
Many service businesses haven’t yet added email marketing to their business strategies. This means you’re still early. If you begin email marketing this year, you're going to have a huge competitive advantage.
Why Service Businesses Need Email Marketing
Here are just a few reasons you should have email marketing in your service business:
It’s a low cost, high-leverage marketing tool
You can attract new potential clients and turn them into active customers—all on autopilot
Retain customers longer and generate repeat sales without relying on expensive mailings or time-consuming calls
Keep your customers informed and spend less time providing basic information one-on-one
Build stronger relationships with other service businesses through cross-promotions and referrals
Building a High-Quality Email List
Any successful email marketing campaign begins with a high-quality email list.
This list will likely start with your current and recent clients. From there, you will be able to implement strategies laid out below to augment your list.
Strategies for Growing Your Email List as a Service Provider
The most effective strategy for growing your email list is to offer something free that your ideal client is likely to want.
For example:
A guide to saving money on your heating bill
A list of drought or frost-resistant plants
Tips on extending the life of your roof
Depending on the business you’re in, you could offer advice on winter-proofing your deck, little-known tax-breaks, or “7 Tools Every Homeowner Should Own.”
Once you have your offer, create a landing page where visitors enter their email in exchange for the free item. Most email platforms enable you to set this up with a few clicks.
Build Your Email List Through Social Media
A related strategy is to use social media to build your list. If you already have a successful presence on Instagram or another platform, you can add a link to the landing page in your profile.
Then all you have to do is occasionally create a post about your free offer and include a link.
If you don’t have a large following yet, you have two options. If you want to save time and you have the budget, you could simply run paid ads that drive traffic to your landing page.
If you want to play a long game, simply pick a platform and start posting. Social media is constantly changing, and a strategy that works today could be useless next month. But here are a few practices that consistently seem to work:
Use interesting or unusual photos and videos about your business
Share fun facts and useful tips related to your industry
Sprinkle in some juicy tidbits from your personal life, because clients prefer to do business with people they feel like they know
Follow accounts that serve the same location/community as you, and leave thoughtful comments on their posts
Become an authority by sharing other people’s content that would be interesting to the clients you want to attract
Once you get some momentum and people are following you, converting your followers into email subscribers doesn’t take much extra effort— Just keep telling them about your free offer.
Ensuring Compliance With Email Marketing Regulations
A U.S. law known as the CAN-SPAM Act largely determines what you are allowed to do in your emails. Failing to comply could render your emails undeliverable to readers using Gmail or other email clients based in the USA.
Even if you don’t get banned from these platforms, spammy behavior will drive away potential customers and severely impair the deliverability of your emails.
Fortunately, CAN-SPAM essentially boils down to three principles.
First, don’t send emails that readers don’t want. This means limiting your list to people who have opted in (by subscribing) or have done business with you in the past.
Second, don't lie. Make it clear who the email is from and avoid blatantly misleading subject lines.
Finally, and most importantly, make it easy for readers to opt-out and unsubscribe. Most email platforms automatically include an Unsubscribe link in every message that goes out.
A fourth principle is to avoid spam complaints by sending emails your readers love.
Crafting Engaging Email Content
An engaging email is a profitable email. Here are a few essential strategies for keeping your readers engaged.
Personalizing Emails for Different Client Segments
Cody and Sons, who we mentioned above, had great success with their email in part because they personalized their messages for different segments.
A segment is a sub-group of subscribers who have a slightly different set of circumstances or traits than your overall list. The most successful email campaigns are tailored for each segment.
For example, Cody and Sons had a set of messages for current customers, different messages for people who hadn't used their services for more than six months, and an additional email campaign for anyone on their list who wasn't a member of their service.
If you run a landscaping business, you may segment your readers by whether they are interested in producing fruits and vegetables, having an aesthetically beautiful front yard, or simply maintaining their lawn.
Why Trust Me? All beehiiv writers are carefully vetted for their knowledge and experience. Jacob Bear launched his copywriting career writing an email newsletter for a managed service provider more than 10 years ago. He has twice been named a Top Copywriting Voice on LinkedIn, and occasionally finds time for his own newsletter, Bold Words. |
Creating Valuable Content for Service Businesses
Yes, this is email marketing for service businesses, but you can't merely promote your services all the time or your readers will unsubscribe.
The way to keep your readers happy and engaged is to provide them with education, entertainment, and solutions to real problems they have. Add an occasional survey or questionnaire, and embed videos into your content if you can. and when you have to sell, offer special email exclusive offers.
Having done all that, you'll create an email newsletter that your readers want to open, and they won't mind if you do a little bit of selling.
One of the most low-key ways to promote your business is to have an evergreen offer that's always in the footer of your email.
When you repeatedly make the same offer in this way, you’re going to get responses from time to time.
If the rest of the email is filled with useful content, readers won’t usually mind this constant reminder.
When this valuable email becomes the norm, most readers won’t mind an occasional sales pitch. Especially if you’re offering value and providing a special, time-sensitive reason for the message.
One way to do this kind of email marketing is to have seasonal campaigns for your service business.
For example, an HVAC company might make an annual pitch for AC-related products in the late spring, and another for heating in the fall.
If you provide the same services year-round, you can still make special offers based on holidays and events that everyone is thinking about, such as spring break, Independence Day, back-to-school, and so on.
Another email marketing tactic that works well is to use your vendors’ marketing materials. For example, send an email with photos of the windows you install, and explain why you buy them from that particular supplier.
You can also do this for the paint, the supplies, or the specialized tools your company uses.
This type of email campaign gives readers a sense of your expertise and the quality you provide. It educates your clients without making them feel like they're being sold to.
Ultimately, your email marketing will promote your service business and make sales, if you focus on building a relationship and increasing the loyalty of your clients.
Designing Effective Email Campaigns
Imagine a family that buys a home and moves into the neighborhood where you do business.
On a local Facebook group, they see an offer to download a short report on “Five Warning Signs It’s Time To Replace Your Gutters.”
They download the report and are relieved to find they don't yet need to replace their gutters.
And now they're on the mailing list for your roofing business. A few times a month, they get an email that talks about trimming their trees to keep branches off the roof, or insulation and ventilation of the attic. Occasionally there’s a funny story about your dog or your own struggles with home ownership.
Six months later, when the new homeowner wants to replace the trim around their gable, they hire you for the job. When their neighbor discovers a leaky roof after a heavy rainstorm, they recommend your services, and soon you have a new, high-ticket account.
Over time, this reader and many others begin to pay for your services and refer you to their friends and family. Business booms and your only advertising cost is a small monthly fee for your email platform.
None of this is by accident. You've carefully crafted an email campaign. You’ve planned out what you're going to say every month and maybe every week.
Email copywriting is the core skill that makes email marketing work. If you want a crash course in copywriting, here’s a good place to start.
If you don’t have the time you can simply follow our best practices and you’ll do better than most of your competitors.
Best Practices for Designing Professional Emails
Use Compelling Subject Lines
Your reader will see your subject line before they even open your email. An email without an interesting subject line may be ignored or even deleted unread.
The most compelling subject lines usually “tease” the reader. They offer something intriguing while also generating a healthy amount of curiosity. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide to writing subject lines, as well as 44 examples that you can adapt to your own emails.
Use Your Name in the Sender Line
In addition to the subject line, the Sender is also visible before your reader opens your message. If the Sender is “Skyline Appliance Repair,” the reader is likely to delete it unless they currently need to fix their dryer.
However, if the Sender is “Julia from Skyline Appliance Repair,” it feels more personal, especially if the reader has interacted with Julia before.
Send at the Best Time
Subscribers are more likely to open and read your emails on certain days of the week and at certain times of the day.
We have data on the best email-sending times, but the best time ultimately depends on your specific audience and your business. Once you’ve sent a few campaigns, beehiiv can calculate the optimal time to send an email based on when your readers have been most engaged.
When you’re just starting out, think about when your typical client is likely to read your message. Is it a weekday, when they check their emails on a lunch break? Or are they relaxing on the patio on a Sunday afternoon?
Be Mindful of the Length of Your Email
Data suggests that the optimal length of an email should be around 125 words. However, there are lots of considerations:
The age of your readers (GenX and Boomers are used to reading long articles and texts)
How many words do you need to get your message across?
Can your email be a quick “teaser” with a link to a long-form article or video?
If a reader is interested, they will read the whole message regardless of the length
Shorter emails show respect for your reader’s time
Use Responsive Design
You don’t know if your reader is going to view your email on their tablet, phone, or computer screen. Responsive design automatically responds to the device each reader is using and adapts the layout and other features accordingly.
Responsive design is already built into beehiiv’s email platform, so you don’t need to worry about it. You can even preview your draft to see how it will look on different devices.
Use Images
The human brain loves images. You can process visual information up to 60,000 times faster than text.
This is why it’s important to use photographs, diagrams, drawings, and other images in your newsletters. Images will get your point across more clearly and make your emails more memorable.
Using Branded Email Templates
Design and branding build trust— When you’re consistent in the way you design your email, the colors you use, and the overall layout, your newsletter becomes more recognizable.
Once you’ve developed a design that works, use it as a template. This will streamline your email campaigns, saving you time and energy. Simply copy and paste new text and images for each send.
Here are 7 email template examples to give you some ideas.
Leveraging Automation and Segmentation
Another advantage of email marketing for service businesses is you can automate a lot of the work.
Setting Up Automated Service Reminders
Dentists have to remind their clients to come in for a basic checkup and teeth cleaning twice a year. This usually requires mailing a postcard or making a phone call.
Too many service businesses are making similar efforts to remind their clients about cleaning and maintenance needs such as oil changes, mowing, and trimming, or replacing worn-out parts and supplies.
There are email platforms that can automate these reminders. There are several other ways that automated email marketing campaigns can save time and improve your business:
Schedule hundreds of emails to go out on a specific date, even if you’re working or out of town that day
Send emails to the right client at the right time
Personalize your emails for each segment so readers only get the emails they need or want
Regularly “touch” potential clients until they become paying clients
Send targeted emails based on past interactions, location, type of service, or other categories
When you automate your marketing emails, you’ll have more time to focus on strategic work, such as making upgrades and improvements to your business and delivering the service.
Effective Audience Segmentation for Service Providers
When you automate your emails, you can create unique automated campaigns for different segments of your list. Your segments will depend on your business, but here are a few ways to slice and dice a list:
Type of service
ZIP code
New homeowner
Age
Client with an open estimate
Age of client’s appliances or equipment
Date of last service
Measuring Success and Optimizing Email Campaigns for Service Businesses
Key Metrics for Service Business Email Marketing
Most email platforms include some form of analytics. The challenge is knowing which data requires your attention.
Many email marketers make the mistake of focusing on open and click-through rates. These metrics show that your readers are engaged, but they don’t necessarily translate into revenue.
There are two types of metrics you need to look at.
First, consider the negative view. How many of your emails are winding up in spam/junk folders, and what can you do to improve the deliverability of your email campaigns?
The second type of metrics has to do with sales and revenue that you can attribute directly to a specific email campaign. A common way to accomplish this is to create a unique campaign code for every email campaign you send.
The easiest version of this tactic is to include a coupon code in your campaign. Whenever someone uses the code to engage your services, you can attribute the revenue to that specific campaign.
Given the right tools, you can embed a code into your email and your analytics will include data on how much revenue was generated by the campaign.
Using A/B Testing to Improve Email Performance
A/B testing is a simple process in which you create two versions of the same email campaign, with one specific difference between the two.
For example, if a campaign reminds readers to get their air ducts inspected for mold, one version might include a photo of a contaminated duct while the other shows a person sneezing.
You divide your list of recipients in half and send version A to the first half while sending version B to the second half. If there’s a significant difference in the number of inspections each email generates, then you use the photo from the most effective campaign going forward.
Over time, you can test images, colors, layout, and offers to steadily improve the results of your email campaigns.
Email Marketing for Service Businesses: Five Campaign Ideas for You
Business emails that use the beehiiv platform enjoy a 38.9% open rate, compared to an average of 34.3% as calculated by Hubspot.
If you want to give beehiiv a try, here are a few campaign ideas to get you started.
A Hot Idea for HVAC
It’s no fun when your AC breaks down in the middle of summer. Remind your clients of this, and encourage preventative maintenance in the early spring.
On the first warm day, when people are going outside without their coats, send an email warning about the hot days just around the corner. Ask readers to take care of their air conditioning issues before a minor problem becomes an emergency. Offer a simple, fixed-cost inspection to prevent the most common breakdowns.
“Winter is Coming”
As autumn approaches, remind your readers of seasonal hazards and sell an inspection/maintenance visit for services such as:
Gutter cleaning
Installation of storm windows
Roof inspection for leaks
Septic inspection
Whole house surge protection (for electrical storms)
Furnace cleaning/maintenance
Inspection/replacement of tires and brake pads
Winterizing your yard or garden
Cross Promotion
If you offer more than one kind of service, tell your clients. If they like the work you did on their electrical panel, offer to do plumbing for them as well.
Automated Client Nurture Campaign
When you get a potential client who needs the service but isn’t ready to buy, send an automated “nurture” campaign.
For example, clients with old roofs can get an automated message a few times a month. The first might offer helpful tips on preventing water damage in their home, while another explains what to do when you discover a leaking roof. Additional emails can offer various solutions at different price points.
If you’re comfortable with it, you can send emails about home equity loans and other ways to finance a major repair.
These helpful, low-pressure reminders will eventually convert your prospects into clients.
The Check-In Campaign
When a past client hasn’t used your service for a year, you can send an email campaign reminding them of the importance of preventative maintenance. Offer them a discount or bonus incentive if they book you within a given time frame.
As you can see, there are many ways that email marketing can boost your service business. All it takes is a little bit of creativity, enhanced by beehiiv’s suite of analytics and tools.
Most importantly, beehiiv can save you a ton of time. The design, segmentation, and automation that used to take hours of coding now only takes a few clicks.
This frees up time for you to build your business, dream up more campaigns, or just enjoy some well-earned downtime.
Save time and increase your revenue by starting a beehiiv newsletter today.
Common Questions About Email Marketing for Service Businesses
Is email marketing still effective in 2024?
Absolutely. According to Forbes, email marketing can generate $36 in revenue for every $1 invested. Many service businesses aren’t using email marketing, which means those businesses that adopt it have a greater advantage.
How should a company use email marketing as a B2B service company?
Your company should follow the best practices we’ve laid out in the article above. This means building a good list, leveraging automation and segmentation, and creating engaging content that your readers want. Any service business that does this with email marketing is likely to see significant benefits.
How much does email marketing cost per email?
The cost per email can vary. Most email service platforms charge a flat monthly or yearly rate, and your costs are likely to be a penny or two per email. If you send frequently to a large list, your cost per email is likely to be lower.
How do I sell my services via email?
Build your list with a lead magnet or other incentive. Send your subscribers useful content that’s related to their needs, and sprinkle in low-pressure offers to promote your service business. Use an email platform such as beehiiv to gain access to analytics, automation, and other essential tools for email marketing.
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