When it comes to communicating with customers, email produces the highest return on investment (ROI) of any marketing channel, according to Litmus. That’s good to know—but you’re a transportation provider (TP), not a marketing manager. So, jumping into an email marketing program might feel a little intimidating.

Still, given how effective email marketing is, it’s worth trying it to nurture relationships with both current and prospective clients. You can generate leads and drive loyalty and sales without spending a lot of time or money. And you can send emails in bulk but still target them for specific audiences.

Let’s take a look at five key steps of an email marketing program—build your list, define your audience, write compelling content, create a schedule, and design and distribute emails.

Build your list.
Before you start writing emails, you need to compile a list of people who will receive them. You’ll achieve the highest ROI when your list includes only people who opted in because they want to hear from you. Make sure you follow the advice of marketer Neil Patel and adhere to privacy and anti-spam laws. Best practices say subscribers should opt in at least once and preferably twice by confirming the original opt-in.

If you’re building a list from scratch, here are several techniques to try:

• Start with the email addresses already in your customer relationship management system.
• Add a checkbox on forms so customers can opt in.
• Create a signup on your website. That’s as simple as a link that says “Sign up for our monthly newsletter” on the top of your home page. You can also tease upcoming content to pique interest.
• Encourage opt-ins in pop-ups and calls to action on social media.
• Make your emails easy to share.

Audit your email list regularly by asking subscribers every six months if they still want to hear from you. If they don’t say Yes, the answer is No, so remove them from your list.

Define your audiences.
You don’t have only one audience—you have many. Make sure you send relevant messages to each one. For example, you have existing customers and prospects. You’ll want to divide those groups still further to reach brokers and members for your NEMT business and other contacts in the non-NEMT space.

These segments don’t all have the same pain points or interests. So, send personalized, thoughtful messages that speak to each customer’s needs. HubSpot says marketers who segment their campaigns see as much as 760% in increased email revenue.

Write compelling content.
Recipients open emails from senders who share great content all the time. Most marketing emails take one of these three forms:

• Newsletter—boost customer loyalty and generate leads by providing tips, details on services, and content that helps your customers.
• Announcements—provide updates on your business, including new services, hours, employees, and certifications. For instance, if you just added a wheelchair van that will let you serve non-ambulatory members, let your clients know.
• Offers—reach revenue goals with offer discounts or special promotions for non-NEMT customers.

Design and distribute.
Keep your email design straightforward. Lay out elements in a hierarchy, with the most important information at the top so people can quickly grasp the key points if they’re short on time. Email platforms like Constant Contact and MailChimp have various templates and provide tools so you can customize your design.

After you send yourself a couple of test emails, you can upload your list and schedule your email to send right away or later. Optimal times to send emails are Tuesday through Thursday from late morning to mid-afternoon. According to SuperOffice, recipients open almost a quarter of emails within an hour of delivery.

Also send emails to different segments at different times to see what gives you the best open rates. Keep in mind that 81% of people prefer to open emails on their smartphones, according to Campaign Monitor. Make your call to action obvious and use a test tool to ensure your email looks good on every device and email platform.

Forge connections that drive success.
The key to building relationships and business is regular interaction. Email gives you a proven way to keep your investment of time and money low while communicating with clients who want to hear from you. You capture their attention on a channel they use constantly at a time convenient for them.

Once you get into a regular rhythm, sending emails with unexpected news, intriguing stories, informative graphics, fun facts, and valuable offers becomes second nature. Just follow our five-step program to connect with clients and prospects and reach new heights of trust, engagement, and interest in your services.