There’s an old adage in marketing: it’s a lot cheaper to keep customers than to get new ones.   Email is about as cheap as it gets, and can be an extremely effective way to drive repeat business.

Nearly every small business owner aspires to build a loyal clientele.  Staying in touch and sending your clients timely, relevant and personalized communications by email is one way to do that.

Here’s three ideas for using Full Slate’s built-in email messaging capabilities to strengthen your relationships with clients:

• Thank you. Send a quick note a few days after an appointment thanking your client for their business.  If you’ve already set up their next visit, confirm the date and time.  If not, take this opportunity to encourage the client to book their next appointment online.  This kind of personal touch can go a long way toward turning a first-time customer into a long-term patron.

• Come again. Follow up with clients you haven’t seen in a while.  Let them know what services they’re due for and link to available appointment times. You may even consider a special offer that expires soon to motivate clients to respond quickly.

• Share the savings. Reward your best customers with occasional discounts, and let them pass it on to a friend.  Word of mouth referrals are a great way to generate new business, and forwarding email makes it easy to spread the word.  So turn your current clients into evangelists.