Global payments and business technology player Square has announced that it’s made its email marketing tool available for early access to Australian businesses as they navigate state reopenings and make the most of the upcoming holiday period.

Square Marketing enables sellers to reengage their customers, share special deals, or communicate directly with customers about new COVID-related operations.

“Australian businesses have had a tough 18 months, but we’re optimistic that we’re seeing light at the end of the tunnel and a return to something closer to business as usual,” said Colin Birney, Head of Business Development at Square in Australia. 

“As states open up and we near the holiday season, Square Marketing – along with our broader product ecosystem – will give sellers exactly what they need to grow. Restaurants can share special offers or info about loyalty programs, retailers can sell more gift cards, and tradies can keep customers in the loop about when they’re operating. The possibilities are endless.

“Right now, Australian businesses need tools that will enable them to stand out and create engaged customers that want to come back, and Square Marketing is our latest product that can do that.” 

Wondering where you’re heard of Square before? Headed by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, it acquired Australian buy-now, pay-later leader Afterpay in August.

“Square and Afterpay have a shared purpose. We built our business to make the financial system more fair, accessible, and inclusive, and Afterpay has built a trusted brand aligned with those principles,” Dorsey said. “Together, we can better connect our Cash App and Seller ecosystems to deliver even more compelling products and services for merchants and consumers, putting the power back in their hands.”

Square Marketing allows businesses to create, send, and track email marketing campaigns — from one-time email campaigns to personalised automations — expanding customer reach and helping sellers gain key business insights with analytics.

“Whether you’re a sole proprietor in the home and repair industry or a multi-location food venue, Square Marketing gives you access to powerful tools that are typically reserved for enterprise-level businesses,” said Saumil Mehta, General Manager of Customers and Square Point of Sale. 

“Because Square Marketing is integrated with a business’ payments, you can more accurately attribute specific campaigns to specific sales. That means that sellers can experiment with different marketing strategies, and fully understand just how impactful they’ve been. That’s the power of our product ecosystem.”

Square Marketing has been in a testing phase since the end of August and a handful of Australian businesses are already seeing the benefit. One of those is Blue Sea Fish Shop, a fish restaurant in Castlemaine, regional Victoria. 

“We use Square for our online store and gift cards, and so being able to identify the purchases being made as a result of our marketing activity has been a huge win for us. We can keep doing what’s working and stop what isn’t,” said Blue Sea Fish Shop’s co-owner Chris Dimopoulos. 

“Lockdowns have been hard on regional Victoria, but having Square Marketing over the past few months has helped us have more meaningful conversations with our customers. We’re all about providing a personal service, and Square Marketing has enabled us to send offers to our customers with birthdays coming up, or reward our loyal customers. As summer starts and we have more people coming in, we’re looking forward to levelling up our marketing activities.”

Square Marketing is available for early access for all current and new Square sellers and, in order to support businesses as they open up or continue to navigate COVID-restrictions, is free for the first month of use. For more information go to www.squareup.com/marketing.