by Folks are talking.
They always do.
This time, they’re talking about ‘the death of Email Marketing’.
“Dead? Nah. Email’s Just Getting Started…”
In fact, it’s even more powerful than ever, partly thanks to social media – which those same talky folks claim is ‘killing email’.
Sure… FaceBook, Twitter, Google+ and TwitFacePlus* can be used as a tool alongside email, but social media is still NOT primarily a sales tool.
It’s still where people go to – well, be sociable – NOT to shop.
And Mobile Marketing – while definitely a buzz-term – isn’t yet ‘out on its own’ in terms of simply using one device from ad to sale.
‘Good old email’ (a 21st-Century term if ever there was one!) still works brilliantly as a way of getting a message across and capturing sales.
As a direct line of communications, email marketing had an ROI of around 4,300% in 2009 according to the Direct Marketing Association.
Think social media marketing advances have dented that figure since? I’m betting not.
It’s still a fantastically economical way to connect with your prospects.
And it’s the reason why you see squeeze pages – and they’re not going away any time soon, either.
Why Else Is E-Marketing Still Rockin’?
Well, it gives you a huge amount of control over your marketing.
Testing is easy with email, and you can personalize it simply and effectively if you use an auto-responder service.
It’s great for driving referrals and word-of-mouth too (much like our shiny new-ish buddy, social media marketing).
You can still make a real connection with your customers via email, alerting them to new offers at the same time as giving them valuable content and driving traffic to your blog or website.
That’s where the dialogue can continue and you can really engage with them, and do what you’re best at: offering solutions to your market.
For a great example of how a business used 3 simple email personalization tactics to get a 10% bump in revenue, check out this Marketing Sherpa article.
Three Olympic Rules Of E-Marketing:
Gold Medal Rule: The Headline
Your email subject/headline is hugely important – in fact, it’s almost entirely responsible for getting the damn thing opened (along with your rep with your reader… remember that trust is still important)
A good email headline is essential. Think about how much competition you have – your average prospect receives around 100 or more emails a day…
They’re not all getting read.
So to stand out, make sure your headline is brief enough to be read while skimming an inbox… relevant enough to survive their ‘Delete Reflex’… and intriguing enough to GET OPENED. That’s the primary aim here.
BUT – don’t make that sexy header irrelevant to the email content…
People hate this, and will delete or click away as soon as they’re onto you – usually within the first paragraph or two. So go easy on the gimmicks, ok?
Silver Medal Rule: The Content
Don’t waste people’s time with lame, unnecessary emails – or your unsubscribe rates will spike.
Losing customers through spamming or cluttering-up their inboxes is NOT a good thing.
Remember: each email you send affects whether they open any more from you – don’t burn-out your list with spammy crap!
Instead, give them good quality content, regularly.
It doesn’t have to be with the same frequency, but don’t just email your list whenever you have something new to sell…
(They’ll end up rolling their eyes when they hear from you, like they do when Cousin Cleetus calls the ‘distant-relative spot-loan hotline’!)
Make it personal, valued and relevant…
Don’t disappear for months on end and assume they’ll buy from you when you have something you need to sell.
Bronze Medal Rule: The Pitch
Have plenty of links to your product or offer in the message copy – make sure there’s always one at the footer, and spread ’em evenly throughout.
But be sure to link relevantly…
If you’re banging on about how great the weather’s been where you are, then in the next line there’s a link to your shiny new irrelevant product, it’s like being hit over the head with a Golf Sale sign in the middle of a conversation.
No sales that way, buddy.
Keep it conversational, but instil urgency. Those links need a-clickin’.
For Truly Effective Emails, The ‘Trick’ Is The Same As With Sales Copy…
You need a copywriter.
You need someone who can deliver an interesting, personalized message… that gets click-through rates to make you money.
Thus, it’s worth paying a pro to craft your regular customer messages… same as with a sales page.
That said, here’s a couple of guys who really know their stuff:
Both are seasoned campaigners who write great emails (and great blogs too – check out the links).
BUT – these guys are at the very top of their game…
And they charge accordingly.
So if you’re swimming in anything less than an Olympic-sized pool, you may want to look elsewhere.
Right now, I’m taking on new clients to write email campaigns for…
I don’t work with just anyone, but if you have a great product or service…
…and if you understand the importance of the ‘3 Olympic Email Rules’ I just outlined, here’s news:
That Ain’t All, Folks…
Not even the half of it.
Sure, these are three of the most important factors in delivering successful email copy…
But there’s much more to it than that.
And I love figuring out newer and better ways to get those cracking little marketing missives opened… read… clicked-through and converted.
Email: it’s alive and kicking.
And I love it.
So if you’re interested in getting some irresistible e-copy for your campaign, drop me a line at petemikecopy(at)gmail.com
Pete
* I might have made this one up
