Date: August 28th 2007
Copy of Champions Success Tips
Word count: 1143
Approx. reading time: 5 minutes
Today’s tip:
8 Steps to
Effective E-mail Marketing: What To Do When The Rules
Change
I’m
not ashamed to admit it. This month’s headline is neither clever nor
sexy, but it does get the job done. And that’s what this month’s
article is all about—fast,
effective e-mail marketing.
It’s
a well-worn topic, but one that bears repeating…especially since the rules have changed. Yes, at long
last, those tried and true e-mail
techniques are going the way of 286 IBM computers. To the
electronic bone yard.
Don’t
worry though. New ones, or at least new variations of the old ones, are popping
up faster than Apple can unroll new commercials trashing PCs. (I absolutely
LOVE those by the way…even if I do use a PC ;) If you haven’t seen
them, just go to http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/)
BUT NOT UNTIL YOU FINISH THIS
ARTICLE!!
Now, in the
interest of good time-management, I’ll get right to the point…
8 Steps To Effective E-mail Marketing
Step #1 What NOT to do when creating a
compelling subject line:
a)
If you aren’t friends or at least on friendly terms with your
prospect or client DON’T start faking it now. (Def. Friendly Terms. 1. You’ve
actually met, talked to or even exchanged multiple e-mails with the person of a
somewhat personal nature)
More specifically? If you aren’t friends,
don’t write subject lines like, “Dinner’s on me…”
or “See you tonight…” or “Just to say hi…”
if you know darn good and well that isn’t true for EVERY person
you’re e-mailing.
Why? Because it’s misleading.
And the second your prospects realize they’ve been duped, you’ll be
dumped.
Now that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use a
friendly tone, inject your personality, or share a bit about yourself where
it’s appropriate, I’m just saying keep it congruent with the
relationship you actually have.
Summary**
Trickery and deception may work the first time or two, but once they recognize
the pattern it’s “game over.” Don’t piss off your
prospects by trying to force a false sense of connection or interest in them.
It ruins your credibility.
b)
Avoid cryptic subject heads. Why? Because when the average person
receives more than 100 e-mails a day, sheer curiosity just ain’t
going to cut it.
It’s got to be more than catchy and curious.
It’s got to be relevant. So get rid of subject lines like, “A
pretty-pretty fly” or “Over 5,000 copies sold” or
“Order it now!” (Yes, all of the examples I am sharing with you
today really did show up in my inbox.)
Instead, choose subject lines that catch the reader’s
interest, but also tell them what the heck your e-mail is about. Take some of
the articles I’ve written for you over the last few months. When I sent
them out to my mailing list, I used the headlines as subject lines. For
example, “What Does Lingerie Have In Common With Great Headlines?”
had a 51% open rate, and “A 60-Second Guide To
‘Speed-Dating’ Copy” had a 46% open rate.
Summary** Sexy, unusual subject lines only work when they are tied to something
RELEVENT to the reader and RELEVENT to the e-mail’s subject material!
(Notice the emphasis on “RELEVENT.”)
c)
Don’t promise the moon if you’re only going to deliver a
moon rock. First of all, HUGE promises sound unbelievable and therefore delete-able.
Of course huge promises CAN be real and CAN sell well, just not from the
subject head of an e-mail.
Summary** In a dis-information age where you can never
be sure you’re getting the WHOLE truth, it’s far more refreshing
and believable to have someone promise a small but significant improvement in
your life than a mind-blowing, totally unrealistic one. In a desert of deceit
we are desperate for a trickle of integrity.
Step #2 Test before you personalize the subject line.
In fact, go
to your inbox now and count up the number of unsolicited e-mails that contain
your first name. Hmmmm…makes me think
personalizing the subject line might not be the golden rule it once was.
Summary** Test. Test. Test all variables in your e-mail marketing.
Step #3 Craft the first sentence carefully.
If the
subject head is most important, the first sentence is second-most important.
It’s
also the perfect opportunity to reinforce your bond with the audience by
sharing a sentence or two (no more) about your life. Give them just enough to
break the ice, just enough to catch a glimpse of the real you. Doing so might
seem like you’re wasting your prospect’s time, but if you keep it
brief they’ll love you for it.
Summary** Bond with brevity. Keep the personal
info SHORT.
Step #4 Stay on point.
When in
doubt follow the journalist’s inverted pyramid philosophy. The most
important stuff, the foundation of your whole piece, goes at the top. The least
important goes at the bottom.
Above all
else, do NOT put a lengthy reminder at the top explaining that your e-mail is
not unsolicited or that the reader opted in to it.
Summary** Anything else wastes valuable real estate and valuable time.
Step #5 Stick to one topic.
E-mail
readers have shorter attention spans than a 4-year-old with the remote control so
don’t make your job more difficult by trying to
get them to process multiple pieces of unrelated information.
Make it
simple. Make it easy. Make it fast.
If you ask
that 4-year-old to take his shoes to his room, he’ll do it. If you ask
him to take his shoes to his room, brush his teeth and pick out a bed-time
story, he’ll only remember the bed-time story.
Summary** Don’t litter your e-mail with a smorgasbord of subjects. Pick one
and stick to it. Just because your reader likes you doesn’t mean
they’ll put up with your crap.
Step #6 Give value.
Don’t
constantly try to hit your list up for purchases and DON’T tease them
with superficial copy. The e-mail itself should have real,
practical, usable information the reader is interested in, not just a bunch of
empty fluff that only delivers the goods once they buy.
Summary** Sometimes you’ve gotta give a little to
get a little.
Step #7 Include a benefit.
Don’t
get all salesy and start promising the world or
smothering your reader with all the great features of your product or service.
Instead, demonstrate the actual benefits.
Summary** Demonstrate your product or service with a free trial or something
similar that will save your prospect time, money or both.
Step #8 Deliver a call to action.
Once
you’ve written your supremely compelling and inspiring e-mail,
don’t drop the ball by failing to deliver a call to action. And
don’t ruin it with false deadlines, shameless hype or any number of other
sleazy tactics.
Summary** NEVER assume your prospects know what they should do next and ALWAYS
make it as easy as possible for them to take the desired action.
That’s
it! Your 8 steps to Effective E-mail Marketing!
Until next
time…taste the inspiration,
Lina
Penalosa
The Write Solution
Phn: 757-377-1244
Fax: 757-299-8355
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