INTRODUCTION
Table of Contents
This is the last part of a three part series on email marketing, It is intended on giving you a broad brushstroke view of what email marketing entails, and provid guidance on how to get your program started properly and quickly.
As a reminder, the subject of email marketing may seem dull to some people, but I assure you it is a VITAL piece of your online marketing sales program, whether you are an affiliate promoting others’ products, or you are selling services, products, or whether you are selling yourself (i.e. as a mentor)…
To keep you ahead of the pack (competitors) this training will help you create a super email marketing program that will be effective in developing a relationship with your leads and making successful sales to them over a long period of time…
LOOKING BACK ON PART 1 AND PART 2 OF THE EMAIL MARKETING TRAINING
Part 1 – Introduction
In the first part of this series, we introduced the subject, then covered what email marketing is, what the flow of the process that surrounds a successful program should look like, and started looking into the keys of the strategy.
We mentioned WHY it can work for you, mentioned the COST to get this useful marketing tactic up and running, and WHERE it can be effective. Lastly we wrapped that post up by letting you know what you could expect on parts 2 and 3…
If you missed it, you can go there now and read through it:
PART ONE EMAIL MARKETING TRAINING:
===> CLICK HERE <===
Part 2 – Drilling down
The second part of the email marketing series went much further into the exact process of what it takes to make a site visitor become a lead, which happens as a part of the email marketing process, then went on to clarify how using emails can turn that lead into a buying customer, again and again…
The training mentioned how the process of developing a relationship works in terms of email marketing and your online business in general.
It explained that if you understand the process how a relationship is built, you will understand the focus of your email marketing, and can then take the appropriate action to achieve this…
I also went into the some of the possible giveaway materials you can offer to your potential subscriber for the front end of the email marketing process, using a lead magnet and funnel (See more on Lead Magnets HERE)…
If you missed this part of the training, you can go here now:
PART TWO EMAIL MARKETING TRAINING:
===> CLICK HERE <===
So now that we have summarized what has been covered to now, let’s move on to the last part of the training…
PART 3 – PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Today we are going to cover autoresponders and the actual writing of your email copy. At the end of the article today you will not be an expert, but you WILL have the basic knowledge to work to make your emails and your email marketing program more effective.
This means you are going to realize the following (a culmination of the three posts)
(1) What comes before and after getting a list to send the emails to,
(2) What the focus will be when you plan the email campaigns you will create,
(3) How you will get the emails out to your list, and
(4) What you will build with your email marketing program that is of chief focus with email marketing.
This includes…
(5) Rapport with your subscribers, trust and confidence in what you provide and recommend, and lastly,
(6) You will be able to offer products through your emails that YOU recommend for them that will result in sales, commissions and profits for YOU.
Does this sound good? I hope so…Let’s Roll!
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AUTORESPONDERS AND EMAIL MARKETING
First I want to review what autoresponders are and can do…They will send YOUR emails automatically to any subscribers you get through your lead magnet or other avenue, and the email sends are triggered by a series of events that YOU determine and set up within your account.
You can have sets of emails or campaigns for:
(1) Welcoming new subscribers,
(2) When you want to alert them about new products or services,
(3) Providing them with useful and valuable information,
(4) Surveys,
(5) Sending them newletters or magazines regularly,
(6) Maybe wishiing them a happy birthday!
Using an autoresponder service, all you have to do is set up the rules for each task or campaign, as in when to send the mails out, then write your mail or series of mails, add them to that set of rules you created (campaign is a term also used), paerhaps add an opt-in or landing page link, and let the autoresponder take care of the rest. This is what they do.
Can you imagine trying to keep track of sending out thousands and thousands of emails to people, and having one set of mails for new subscribers, one for each campaign you may start, and keeping track of who has received what and when? This could really be a nightmare as your business grows.
Now I think you can understand the usefulness of autoresponders: They simply and effectively allow you to leverage the power of technology so you can do much more with less effort…
The other thing that autoresponders will do for you is to provide you statistics on what is going where and when. You can see on a live basis how your email campaigns are performing.
When you have this kind of information, you can tweak the campaigns so you can constantly improve the results and change areas that need it. A good autoresponder service will provide this.
So as you look for one to try out, focus on relevant features you will need for your business, and of course look for the the best possible price. See how easy it is to navigate and set up, and anything it may provide free of charge that you could use. The focus is on how they can help make your email marketing campaigns flow smoothly and successfully…
There are many available to you in the market, it is a simple Google search away for you to instantly having access to tons of reviews on the different options you have, the advantages and disadvantages of each, and also the variety of price plans you can choose from, depending on your requirements and your budget.
What Do You Need?
Having said this, how do you determine what you need? If you are just starting out you have no leads, while if you are a bit more experienced, you may have a sizeable list, while if you are a very experienced marketer in the business for a lengthy time, you may have many thousands of leads you can access!
Because of these two factors (the number of leads you have currently and the varied options available), let me lay out some very basic guidelines for you:
(1) Beginner. If you are starting out, I would recommend looking at serveral options, give them a whirl (most have training on how best to use what they offer), and then select a low cost program that starts you out…
(2) Advanced. If you are a bit further along with your online marketing program, you likely already have an autoresponder service. Do some checking to see that you have access to some of the tools I describe below, and consider that value of each in your program, and switch if required…
You could also go with a free option if your budget is extremely low, but be sure that you will have the necessary tools available to you so that your emails go out seamlessly, you capture leads using pages that link properly, and that there are no other limitations, i.e. number of mails you can send, etc.
As you use whatever program you select, you will see how easy it is to set up (most have step by step guidelines), and once you are set up, I recommend that you test the system…Is the Opt-in page working properly, are the mails confirming sign up reaching the subscriber, is the thankyou page OK, etc.
Three Options of Many Options – A Few Autoresponder Details for Your Use/Review
Using a reliable autoresponder service is important you now realize. The ones I describe below stand apart from the rest, from my experience, and from what I have read.
These are the three most popular and ones I hear most used by marketers, but as I stated, there are other options out there…
My recommendation: Start here, read the information below, and then see if there are any others that may work better for your program. Try before you buy!
AWeber Communications
- Learn more
This first autoresponder, AWeber from AWeber Communications, is considered by many to be one of the best such tools in the industry.
You have free access to over 600 available templates that you can use for your program. It is easy to find one that closely matches your website or branding iimage.
This autoresponder mails they send have been tested for all the major email clients in the industry, ones like Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahooto to ensure that YOUR email will load correctly in your subscribers’ inboxes.
They also have a set of excellent tools that track the mails when they are sent, as in who opened them, who clicked on the links you may have in the mails, the revenue that was generated, and more such useful information.
You can set up the time and days for the mails to be sent in a campaign, perhaps when it is the prime time for the subscriber to be checking his mail.
Using this tool, you can reach out to your subscribers, both the new sign ups as well as the long-term subscriber, keeping them all informed in a planned drip feed of mails, and do all this without creating a lot of extra work.
iContact
- Learn more
This is another tool that has an excellent reputation in the market. iContact also has exceptional email autoresponder tools for your program.
They also offer a personal touch, in that you can use their mail merge technology, enabling you to customize each email subject line as well as within the body, adding in the subscriber’s name.
There is another option to publish your emails to other sites across the web to ensure that site visitors and other social-media followers you may have don’t miss out on your content.
This tool helps gets the word out on your content to a wider audience than otherwise possible, and allows you to tap into these ever-increasing market segments….
As with the others tools mentioned here, iContact tracks statistics for your campaigns, the normal ones such as open rates and click rates.
With a Premier Account, you will also have an option to perform split testing, which can be handy when testing different messages styles or subject lines for your campaigns, to see which is working better between two different versions of the same message.
This autoresponder service also comes with a tool they call SpamCheck™ , which helps to make sure that your emails will make it past subscribers’ spam filters into their inbox. This is a very helpful tool.
GetResponse
- Learn more
GetResponse is another great autoresponder tool, I know of many marketers using it currently. It offers a very high-quality email marketing solution for their clients, and has some of the best autoresponder capabilities in the industry.
Using their service, it is easy to set up time or action-based messages that are sent out to leads as you may prescribe. This of course means it is a set and forget type service to a degree, or at least it is much less bothersome than you figuring out everything yourself regarding sending times and dates, and who has been sent the mails and who must be sent the mails.
With GetResponse, there is no daily limit on the number of mails you can send. It has an exceptionally clean dashboard that makes it easy to access all of the information about your account.
This includes easily accessing the statistics you now realize are so valuable, to provide you with insight into how your subscribers are receiving and responding to your mails.
You can easily duplicate and reorder campaigns, making adding new ones fast and easy, with just a few clicks or even a single click. As with some of the other autoresponder services, GetResponse also provides for split testing so you can see what subscribers are interested in, and make adjustments accordingly.
Finally, Regarding Autoresponders…
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WRITING YOUR EMAILS – COPYWRITING 101
People today are bombarded from many sides with content. Your’s has to somehow stand out in that din of “noise” coming from the social platforms, the web sites, the TV, the mobile news apps, and etc.
Email used to be the predominant vehicle to sell online, and it started with the early days of the internet (spam days?), quickly rose to the top method to get online sales, and it has evolved to where it is today: Still relevant, although now competing ever more with the video, the social platforms, and the rest of the communication channels, for the attention of the prospect.
Make no mistake about it, email marketing is STILL the number one way online marketers get the word out regarding their services, their products they are promoting, or when marketing their own products. That is why it remains an important piece of your program.
But…
This changing world of the now MANY media inputs that prospect is exposed to means that we now have to be MORE effective than in the past with our messages. The bar has been set higher, the old ways of cheesy mails that smelled of spam have no place in our online marketing world!
Because there is the growing demand for more quality content, this translates into an ever-growing need for REALLY effective copywriting! Many need some help to step up their game for this skill.
Let’s face it…
You need to attract visitors to your site, sales pages, social sites, and to your products. Once you have attracted them, you have to be convincing enough through your words and page designs that they will convert prospects into leads, and then, through developing trust and a relationship with them, into long term customers.
Writing and Copywriting – What is The Connection With Email Marketing?
This may seem like a silly question, but it is important to understand the connection the copywriting craft has with your email preparation…
You must write your emails so that they will connect you to your subscribers. Do so effectively and your email marketing program will be successful, while if not…well, then not so much…
I am going to cover how to create your emails in 3 sections….
As follows:
(1) Section one. I will offer you some general tips regarding copywriting…These apply to your whatever writing you may be doing, such as articles, blog posts, sales pages, or product reviews…
(2) Section two. Next I will cover headlines…The headlines are your leading words your prospects will see in the subject line of the mails they receive from you, so they need to pack a lot of power and capture the viewer, causing them to want to read further…
(3) Section three. Lastly, I will cover the body of your emails…What you should include and exclude, and why…You will also be provided with some examples of good and bad emails, with an explanation of why they may be good or bad…
At the end of goingthrough the three sections of training, you will have a better and clearer direction you need to go when planning for your email marketing campaigns.
Let’s get started…
Section One – Copywriting Tips
Creating consistent powerful, and high-quality copy for all of these writing requirements you have as an online marketer is not easy, but it must appear to be effortless to your readers!
To help you I am adding in 15 of my best tips…
I have picked up many such tips along my path in sales, they come from over 35 years of writing everything from sales copy, blogs and reports, to entire manuals, books and contract proposals encompassing 100’s of pages!
These few are the tip of the iceberg…
They can help you…They have stood by me over the years quite well, and this list and the rest I have are kept close to where I work (on my cloud storage) so I can access them when doing any kind of project that involves copywriting…
I have broken the tips up into the three steps I normally go through in my writing as follows:
(1) Preparation,
(2) Writing, and
(3) Review.
This finite set of tips follows the process I naturally use to write every piece of product that I produce. Used properly, they WILL improve your writing results.
So let’s get right to it…
Part One – Preparing to write
1. Gather more information through research.
It is a simple fact…The more information you have about a subject the more possibilities you have to play with the information and create something truly original and appealing.
2. Keep a Resource File Handy and Add To It Regularly.
I have a large and growing file, Fortunately today you can store a LOT of information in a small space, no need for bulky folders or shoe boxes like in the old days…
Keep and grow your collection of good emails, ads, and other copy or content. It will help when you get stuck on a rough subject or when you need a killer headline…
Open that file when you have a mental road-block, and voila, you get an idea and a solution!
3. Focus yourself…
I experience this inability to focus problem all the time. In today’s world there are so many things going on around you that it is hard to stick to the task at hand, whether it involves copywriting, or anything else. But this is very important so you produce copy and material out to the standard you know is expected/demanded.
My advice is to fence some time off for whatever the task may be, and stick with this. Do not allow other things to pull you away from the project. Close the door and shut the windows, turn off the phone, shut down the email, and turn off or turn away every other thing that could distract you.
Then…Get to work!
You can plan for a time period, or multiple time periods, and allow the rest of the activities to happen around the period(s). This will help make sure that you are able to focus and produce remarkable products you can be proud of.
Reality is that there will be times this is not possible, this is understandable, but do the best you can, your productivity and end product will be the better or doing this. This has worked well for me over the years…
4. Dream A Little Bit.
I use a little tool often that is called mind mapping. This is an exercise to align your task to the way you r brain works, which is not linear in nature…(My post and training can be found here ===> MIND MAPPING).
It allows me to de-link the rational thought process you use for some tasks and allows your subconscious to make connections between ideas. Use this for your writing and you will see that you will come up with some of your best results ever.
There are other ways to accomplish this same thing, the bottom line is that you should not be afraid to try something different and maybe new to you, because who knows, it just might really work!
Maybe you can hang out with people that are not of the “machine,” or corporate world, in that they are to a degree nonconformists, living near off grid or off grid, and think totally different…See what great ideas such people might spark in you.
5. Plan your writing using a formula that works for you and produces great results consistently.
Most prolific writers I know use some kind of a formula or even a few formulas on a regular basis for their writing projects. They can make any subject they are covering “wrap itself around” such formulas which provide a framework for the information they will include.
They will build the article or project by “fleshing it out” adding in details of main and secondary points, calls to action, color, pictures, graphs, videos, etc. All this to tell the story and promote engagement with the reader.
Depending on the style and intent, you can start with one or the other framework you may want to use and quickly cover the basics for that subject completely.
Some of the ones I know about and use include “AIDA” which stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action…This one works, it is one of my mainstays! Using such a framework, it makes it really easy to know exactly what you need to write about next.
There are others, of course over and above that formula. I recommend that if you are interested, do a search and become familiar with one or two that will work for you. Use them to make sure you are covering the subject completely.
Use a checklist you may have developed over the years, or get one that you pull off one of the sites that concern themselves with copywriting. These may help you as well.
These checklists are easy to use and effective. I use a combination of a review and a checklist normally, they act as a check and a recheck. The final product is improved every time…
Part Two – Writing
6. Use persuasive copywriting fundamentals.
Now that you are at the stage of actually starting to write something, consider these basics that all good copywriting will include…
You want to think about the following things as you start putting words together:
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You are trying gain the attention of the reader
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The focus for the writing should be mainly how whatever it is you are writing about relates to the reader/customer, not on you or your company…
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You will want to emphasize the benefits for the reader/customer…
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Point out what makes your information, service, or product different….
NOTE: Do not go negative here, just mention how your subject has attributes that the competition may not have or is not as good at…
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Use testimonials, personal experiences, facts and figures (not to an overbearing extent) to proves your case
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Let the reader know that you are qualified to be writing about the subject, explain your connection…This establishes credibility and over time, trust…
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Clearly state the value the subject has for the reader, how it will help them, either with their needs or problems…
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Always close with a strong call to action. You need to lead people in the direction you want them to go…People want to be directed…
These are general guidelines of course. Whether you use one, more, or all eight will be dependent on the project. Some products, prospects, or style of content, will not need to have all eight points included.
It is a good idea to keep them in mind while you write and revise however, they will definitely help you with that keeping focused tip I mentioned above, and the outcome will be a stronger, more compelling/selling copy.
7. Check your title.
Headlines are the hook for your prospective readers. If they are weak and ineffective. most readers will not get past that point. That is how much power they have.
They are SO important I am adding a separate section on this topic! There are many books and entire courses just on this subject, and rightly so…If you mess this up, all the other work you do to get a good email marketing campaign will be for nought…
Since we will be expanding on this subject, suffice it here to say that you need to write these in such a way that if you used them WITHOUT the accompanying article or information, readers would be ready to take action. The next section of the Copywriting subject will cover this in greater detail…
8. Tap into the reader’s emotions.
One VERY effective way to get the attention of your readers is to touch them on a deeper level using words and phrases that will tug at their emotions.
Tapping into their emotions is one POWERFUL way to subtly persuade them to read through your information and then act on your call to action.
So how can you figure out what to write and how to write this into your emails?
Here is what I do:
(1) I ask myself what are my prospect’s deepest desires regarding the subject?
Then…
(2) How can I get beyond the rational portion of their brain to touch the strongest, deepest emotions that are NOT controlled by rational thought…
I have some choices. I can use the following tactics:
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anger
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guilt
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fear
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exclusivity
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flattery
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salvation
There are more of course, but these will get you started…They kind of seem related to the seven deadly sins a bit huh? That may or may not be the case, but for sure you will get to the emotions of the readers using one or more of these tactics in your mails!
9. Write in the active voice.
Using the active voice is a much more effective way to convey your intent to the reader than writing in a passive manner. It means your words, sentences, paragraphs, and the overall mail will be shorter, easier to understand, faster to read, and makes you sound strong to the reader. This is exactly what you are striving for in most cases. Take charge.
Here are some examples of what I am talking about:
(1) “Harry ate six shrimp at dinner.” (active) versus “At dinner, six shrimp were eaten by Harry. (passive)
(2) “Beautiful giraffes roam the savannah.” (active) versus “The savannah is roamed by beautiful giraffes.” (passive)
(3) “Sue changed the flat tire.” (active) versus “The flat tire was changed by Sue.” (passive)
(4) “We are going to watch a movie tonight.” (active) versus “A movie is going to be watched by us tonight.” (passive)
NOTE: Read more about this at http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-active-and-passive-voice.html#4gkuBHSv8oq3HomP.99
Also the Your Dictionary site has an Infographic on this topic I am including here for your use:
10. Start with the strongest point you have.
If you have ever heard of the build up approach or save the best for last approach (same thing), forget that when you are writing your emails or sales copy.
Start with the STRONGEST point first. You are going to lose people on the way through your post, that is just fact based on many studies that have been done on reader’s habits.
Since more of your subscribers will read the beginning than those that stick it out and read to the end, putting your best idea first is going to get it in front of more people. Plus the strongest point will grab the attention of the reader and help keep them reading.
11. Add in a strong call to action.
I said it above and it is good to reiterate it in a separate tip all by itself. The reason is that adding in calls to action (CTA) are SO important…
If you do not TELL your readers what you want them to do, they will not do it! This makes too much sense?
Use CTA for all of your writing, not only in emails by the way. Whether it is a blog post, an emai, and sales page, or a social post, all should close with this little POWERFUL tool…
In general, CTAs should :
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Align with the reader’s needs and wants
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Have value to the reader/propect
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Offer solutions to the reader’s needs and wants
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Using active voice construction, restate the most important points, and provide the next step for the reader RIGHT NOW
Part Three – Review & Re-Write
12. Can you simplify your content?
After you have a rough draft of your mail or other content, it pays to leave it alone for just a bit and then having a last look to make any final changes that may be needed.
This often means that you will see opportunities to make the copy simpler and easier to understand. The more concise copy will help the reader understand the offer or information you are providing, as well as the benefits, and the CTA will briefly and powerfully cause them to move…
13. Is the page visually appealing?
People learn new information using more than reading text. They, by nature, are visual learners as well, and audio also enhances the brain of the viewers.
Of course we are talking email here, so you are limited somewhat in what is possible. New technology today has added to what you can do however.
There are tools that will allow you to add in GIFs, nice looking HTML pages, etc. that will really dazzle your subscribers. The bottom line is you need to make the page that the mail appears on look as good as possible. use pictures, graphs, etc. as appropriate…
You want to make the mail inviting to look at, give it some “eye appeal that will cause them to read the mail, and hopefully take whatever action you are calling for.
It is MORE than just graphics or pictures, etc. though. Eye appeal can also be helped by how you format your mail, what kind of font you use, using bullets, lists, by breaking the page up into headings and subheadings, etc.
14. Does the copy focus on benefits?
This kind of relates to a tip you will find below, but it is also worth adding separately, because this is yet another important point:
Focus on the benefits, not the features…There are thousands of products or services that have a ton of features…What good are they if the reader is not convinced that they are something that will add value to their need or want?
15. Does the copy ask questions to get readers to say “yes”?
This is a tip that will really help you get more conversions. Every feature or the point you are mentioning in the mail should somehow provide a benefit to the reader.
What happens is that they will say “yes” as they are reading, from one point to the next. When they get to the call to action, they are ready to buy whatever it is that you are selling!
You do not have to ask questions. It is in the way you craft your points that will get prospects nodding their heads up and down. If you do this from top to bottom in your mail, you have a believer and an action taker.
TWO BONUS REVIEW TIPS
16. What is the ratio of “them/you” to “us/me?”
Remember the purpose you are sending emails out to your subscribers for is to provide useful or relevant information. You are building your rapport with that person receiving the mail, and their is little chance you will have more of an opportunity to interact with them face to face.
They are the focus at the end of the day. No matter what you write about, keep that in mind, so make sure that you address whatever topic it is with THEM as the focus, and you will be OK…
No one wants to read an email that solely talks about you or your products or services. They want to know how it relates to THEM and how they need such a tool etc.
Certainly there is SOME “you” that has to be in there, but make the ratio about 2 to 1…This means talk twice as much about the uses for THEM as opposed to yourself or your company/brand.
This way the reader is very clear that your focus is THEIR needs and wants. You will get more traffic, more leads, and more sales if you follow this rule.
17. Is the most important point mentioned at least three times?
When you review the mail, have another look at the main point. Have you mentioned it in the introduction, the body and the CTA of the mail? Was it used in the subject title?
Hitting the reader often and directly with the main point makes sure that they have received your message…It also increases the likelihood that they will take action…
This tip can be used in all of the areas of your program, not just with email. For instance your website home page should have three opt-in locations, all of your sales pages should have at least three, and so on…
Once you start doing this and see the better results, you will be very happy you took action on this tip! All successful marketers use this “Power of three” from what I have seen.
Section Two – Subject Title & Copywriting
This is an area that is SO important for your mails. People will scan over your mail and never open it, or worse will delete it, or even more worse will report you for sending spam, if not done correctly.
Even if your autoresponder helps you in avoiding that last step the receiver of your mail has an option to take, you want to have an email marketing program that works right?
The subject is yet another potential weak link in your email marketing program, so be sure you spend the time to get good ones in place for your mails…
I have some general observations on what I look for in a good subject headline. Try to focus on these elements:
1 . What’s In It For Me
These kind of subject line titles are used most frequently because they work. What could be wrong with pointing out to the reader what this email will do for them?
They are short, direct and address a specific benefit the reader will get if they open and read the mail. This can also help target the reader, because no interest, no open…They do not waste your time…
2. I Am Intrigued!
You are not focusing on the benefit to the potential reader, rather you are appealing to their sense of curiousity. You make them want to open the email to see what the content might be…
Pique their curiousity without telling them too much, and they will open the mail. Don’t overuse this one because the receiver will soon be innoculated against your repeated doses of this kind of subject line and will not open the mail at all, even if they may be curious.
3. Give Something Away
Who does not like to get something of value for free? This will attract a lot of readers, they will open the mail to read more about what they will get free.
4. Limited Time or Limited Quantity
This is a very powerful subject line because you impart immediately a sense of urgency or scarcity in the reader. They will likely look to see what they may be missing out on.
Such lines tell readers they must act immediately. Do not OVERUSE this subject line, and of course use these when this is the case. If there NO scarcity or urgency (i.e. an evergreen item you can buy anytime), you will lose credibility in the eyes of the reader. This may lead to a lower open rate for the mails you send.
6. Updated Information Reader Can Use
One good way to keep the rapport and relationship strong with your subscriber list is to keep them abreast of developments in the niche they have subscribed to your list for. It also builds authority in their eyes and helps to keep your overall open rates high. Remember it is not always about sales. You might want to mix this with the intriguing factor to realy capture their attention.
7. Let Me Show You Social Proof
This is a base characteristic all people have. They look outwards for affirmation from others around them. Build that into your subject line, and you will get them to open and read the mail. Mention success stories, names, or others already using a service.
8. Let Me Tell You A Story
Make the subject line the start of a story, It could be a story of success, or a benefit, or how to grow business, etc. Telling a story, or at least teasing with your title in your subject line is a unique way to highlight a benefit and get the open rate you’re looking for.
OK let’s now look at the 10 general keywords that did the best and the 10 that did the worst in 2015:
The Top Ten Best Email Subject Lines…
The Top Ten Worst Subject Email Lines
These were provided by Marketing Profs website, to read more, please click here===> MARKETING PROFS WEBSITE
Should You Test Mail Subject Lines?
Just as you can test any piece of output in your program, you can try different subject lines with the same email to see which produces better open rates. Should YOU? A simple answer…YES!
You can do this by using your autoresponder service. Set up the same mail using two headlines and have the service track results for both.You can over time find the most effective one for open rates, for conversions, and eliminate the ones that are not working as well.
This is a way to leverage your tool that you have available when you use whichever autoresponder service you select, you may as well use it, it likely is included as part of your cost!
Want More Information?
More on best and worst subject lines can be found here, along with dowloadable files of these…There are some great hints to help you out with subject lines:
DigitalMarketer website ===> BEST MAIL SUBJECT LINES AND MORE
Section Three – Email Body & Copywriting
OK, You have the general tips in hand, you now have a good headline in place that will pull in the reader and get them to WANT to open your mail, and you are ready to tackle the body of your email to finsh the deal.
Note there are many different kinds of mails you may be sending to the subscriber, and you would do well to determine what kind of mail this will be, then plug in the appropriate formula (mentioned above under tips) to use…Then start creating!
Here are SOME of the considerations you need to think about as you get started with this piece of your email marketing program…
1. Establish Relevancy
Start by establishing or re-establishing the “why.” Let them know who you are (personalization) and why you are writing them.
Explain how the information in the mail will offer them:
(1) New knowledge they can use,
(2) A solution for a problem they have, or
(3) Is something they need..
This allows the reader to mentally connect or reconnect with you. lt also gives you a chance to tell them why you are sending them the email and adds to the subject lineof the mail.
2. Write in the Second Person
Remember to write using second person verbiage versus first person. This will help you keep more of the “you” in the mail as opposed to the “me” mentioned in another of the copywriting tips above.
Your goal is to write the body of the mail in a manner where the ratio of “you” to “me” references are 2 to 1. That ratio provides a good balance and keeps the focus on the customer, not on you or your brand.
This really helps you as well, because you then are more focused on them, by the way you are writing the mail, and this also helps when you add the next points to the body…which is…
3. Talk About Benefits, Not Features
Explain the value of your email by explaining it. Focus on the benefit that the reader will get from the offer, more-so than on you or the brand name, etc. The reader wants to know how it will help them.
4. Keep It Short and Simple (KISS)
Have you ever heard this acronym before? It is a good one, and over the years it is one of the formulas I have implemented in combination with others in many settings.
It just makes sense to write in the active voice, eliminating a lot of the fluff that clouds the intent of the mail. Readers do not have time to spend any extra of what they DO have on your mail. You better say what you are going to say (intro) , then say it (body), and let them know what you said (conclusion/review), and add a strong Call To Action…
5. Review the Product a Final Time
Once you have an email or a set of emails for a campaign, spend the little bit of extra time to go through and check to see that you have covered all the points of your formula.
Using a checklist, do a cross check of your check. Look at the tips above to make sure that you are evaluating those things (page design, mail body design, graphics, etc.). and others as you determine you need.
6. Get Some Feedback – Expecially When Starting Out
One of the things I have learned over the years is that it is very smart to enlist the opinion of others as you learn to do things. You can get a feel from them how you are doing, things that could be done better, and any omissions in the content or design…
If you are just starting out, to get a fast track on creating some copy, you can look at your inbox or at your resource files to get some idea of the mail that looks close to what you are trying to say, and emulate your to look and contain similar content.
WRAPPING IT UP
CONCLUSION
MY SHAMELESS SALES PITCH FOR FURTHER EMAIL MARKETING TRAINING FOR YOU
There is more in depth material on this you can avail yourself of here as well, if you are interested. This series will be followed up by an offer from me I hope that you cannot refuse!
What might that be?
Here’s what…I am adding in two more tiers to this training:
(1) An eBook that is free for the cost of your contact information (which we will NEVER abuse or misuse) and…
(2) A full blown eCourse, in which we will drill down very deeply into this subject.
How This Additional Training Will Help YOU!
Why might you be interested in the above additional trainings? Because whether you are a brand new marketer, or have had some experience and success at this point, getting smarter about the business is just a good idea!
Because creating an effective email marketing program for your campaigns has been and remains a vital core skill for marketers. It is literally investing in yourself and your online business and future successes. It makes sense.
Whether you get that training through me and my training materials available here, or from another source, I urge you to get it!
OK, that’s the end of my shameless pitch… : )
FINAL POINT
