If your business operates online you probably realize the power of email marketing. However the very way you use it can be reducing your results significantly. And the biggest problem is this is the way the “experts” tell you to do it as well.
If you’re like most companies you send out email with pretty formatting that displays your company logo and looks similar to a brochure or your website. What if I told you I thought this was the worst possible way you could send your email? Unfortunately it’s hard to have exact figures to back this up due to its nature but allow me to explain my logic.
Why do most people use email?
What is the first thing you do when you check your emails? If you’re anything like me when you check your emails you first do a quick scan to see what personal emails have arrived. You want to see the emails from your friends or family.
You read those emails and reply to them first every time don’t you? I’ve never heard of anyone checking their email and going straight to their email newsletters to see what some company had to say about itself today. It just doesn’t happen.
Problem #1 - The subject line
The subject line of your email is what gets it opened. You need to think of it just like a headline that would get your newspaper story read. If you’re sending emails that have subject lines that include the word “newsletter” it gives permission for the reader to skip over it. How many times have you told yourself you’ll come back and read all the newsletters one day but not right now?
So the first key is getting your email opened with a great subject line. You need to show the benefit of reading this email right away. It can also help if you can invoke some curiosity of what’s inside.
Problem #2 - The content
Most company emails read like a company wrote them. They’re impersonal and - quite frankly - boring. I’m sorry but no one has the time to slog through your boring emails anymore.
First you need to offer something of value to the reader. Basically you deliver on the benefit you promised in the subject line. If you provide lots of value to your readers then they’re much more likely to ensure they read every single one of your emails.
Second I always recommend writing in a personal style. Many small businesses try to make themselves look bigger and appear like faceless corporations. My experience has shown if you take a personal approach and write like a real person you’ll get much better results.
Problem #3 - The purpose of your email
Have you ever stopped to wonder why you’re sending a weekly/fortnightly/monthly email to your clients? Are you doing it just because some marketing guy said you should do it? Ask yourself what you really want to happen from the emails you send.
The job of most of my emails is to provide value. So the purpose is to get the reader to click the link inside and then visit my blog or wherever I’ve posted my valuable content. It’s also important to have them click through to a website as no one wants to slog through pages and pages of email.
Problem #4 - No clear offers made
When I do have an offer for my subscribers I make sure I’m very clear with what I want them to do as well. I’ll also link to the offer as I don’t want to try and sell something in the body of the email either. So my purpose becomes to have them click the link, then read the sales letter and finally make a purchase.
The point is I always have a reason for writing my emails and I know what that reason is. I don’t pack them full of a million different things and wonder why no one did what I wanted. I make my purpose of emailing very clear at all times.
Hopefully you’ve learned something valuable from my views on email marketing. The biggest takeaway you should have is start writing like a human and not a faceless corporation. That’s the only way you’re going to create a strong bond with your audience that just can’t wait for what you have to say next.
Craig,
Thank You!
I’ve just been spending the last half hour or so post jumping around your site and I’m finding it quite useful.
Added to RSS
Keep up the wonderful site!
Glad to hear it Tyler… there’s plenty more to come.