Email Marketing can be a highly profitable internet marketing strategy. But do most people who subscribe to your list actually read your emails?
In order for you to be successful, you need those emails to be read and then you need people to follow whatever call to action you’ve aimed for.
In truth, there’s an array of people on your list and:
• Some of them sign up with an email address they rarely look at. Most people who subscribe to things online have a ‘junk’ email address.
• Some people are your competitors and have opted in only to analyse their competition. You should be doing this, too!
• Some people want the freebie you offered but delete your messages without reading them.
You want to get the attention of the above (except your competitors, really, unless you’re an internet marketing mentor in which case your competitors can become your protégées!)
What should you do? Here are some hints:
Build up your online reputation so that people on your list will want to hear what you have to say. Then they’ll use their regular email address (instead of their opt-in email account) and they’re going to be more likely to open your Email Marketing messages.
Call To Action
Always end an email with a call to action but you should also add something to entice the viewer to read your next message. Think of a sitcom or soap opera that ends with, “Stay tuned for our next episode”. If you can, leave them salivating for more. This isn’t always easy but it is possible. An email series or email course is a great way to do it. Enticing people with an upcoming offer is another technique to keep them opening your emails.
Subject Line
The subject line is VITAL. A lot of people skim their inbox when they decide to delete unread messages. Some have a preview pane where they see the first paragraph but many just look at their subject line. For this reason you need to write great subject lines and killer first paragraphs so that people will actually open your email and keep reading beyond the first few lines.
Stats
Analyse your stats. You can often see if people are coming to your site from their email box, especially if they use an online email client (like many do). That will help you see whether you’re getting clicks, what your bounce rate is, etc. It’s also good to watch your number of subscribers to see if they’re dropping. If you see a big drop, analyse your last e-mail to see if your approach might have turned some subscribers ‘off’.
Remember that hint above about the fact that some of your competitors are subscribing to see how you do things? Do the same and you can learn a lot about effective Email Marketing strategies.
Have a most outstanding day.
Sean RasmussenAussie Internet Marketing
www.AussieSEO.com 2010
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Hi Sean,
You have to give your email address in order to get free e-books and stuff. If I get the freebie and it doesn’t get my attention or it’s not what I expected, then I tend to just delete any subsequent emails.
The only exception to that is if the subject line gets my attention. Sometimes it’s so good you just have to click. The only emails I consistently open are those that genuinely offer me information that’s valuable.
There are some emails I get that are always great. I learn stuff from these guys all the time and I appreciate it. So, it is all about reputation. I know that these guys are consistently going to teach me or give me something great. It really does make a difference.
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