Fearing that content optimization will soon give in completely to social media platforms, videos and other methods of passing information, content marketers are chomping at the bit to refresh, reinvent or even reiterate their once 'tried and true' strategies. Even with Facebook and LinkedIn having their own branded messaging systems, businesses can still enjoy using their corporate email or domain-based webmail services to directly market their brands or send out company messages to create a stir among colleagues.
To fully wrap your mind around email marketing, imagine how you react to various print ads that your snail mail carrier brings. Or even better, imagine what you would want to read in your postal box every morning or afternoon. The general consensus will tell you that funny, useable or humanitarian fliers or mailings tend to do well and, if this is the case, you've partaken in lesson one of email marketing which will be highlighted below. With some proper formalities and correct approaches in place, you can still create significant and marketable pieces for your business without fear of being spam labeled.
Play Peekaboo With Competitors
The best first step would be subscribing to your competition's list and gather a few of their emails to print out. Shoot for printing out their sales-pitchy pieces because if they're popular, you can definitely benefit from their formats. Stay active for a month or two and follow the steps they take with an eerie closeness. Gather as many of their sequential emails and study the order they came in, even if you have to number them. Study them, read them out loud and do it again. Become your competition's emails. Even log the frequency they're received in case a pattern of repetition can be detected and followed later on. Finally learn how to write a brilliant company newsletter than mirrors competition without directly copying it.
Compare
Perhaps you've been actively marketing similar services or products to no avail; this is perfect, actually. Because if you choose your competition correctly, they will be an industry leader or damn close to it with emails that have been refined with years of practice. Compare your finished pieces to theirs; compare your sequential sending habits to theirs; see how their verbiage compares to your own. Now that you've completed this phase, it's time to crush your competition completely.
Write From Within
Email servers have been optimized to handle spam scans of your subject, body and all links within your email transmission. Because so many scams and illegitimate emails containing overly suggestive sales pitches find their way to trash cans way too often, you must write email messages that speak from the heart of the consumer. Yes, you must write as if you are receiving the email message. There has to be 100% customer empathy instilled in your message body to coincide with lightly suggestive 'hints' as to where to go for more information. Do not lie or misrepresent your intents because, again, you will find your message deleted faster than it arrived. Take these quick tips with you when writing your message body to assure readability and highest possible click-thru ratios:
- Introduce yourself and how the advertised product or service changed you. Clarity is vital; if you're writing content related to e cigarettes or rubber bands, make sure you're being honest on all accounts.
- Describe the item without using 'free, free money' or other phrases of promise. Stick to facts.
- List key features that stick out which would assist the livelihood of the recipient.
- Close your email, again, reminding the recipient how things really turned around for you after being introduced to stated item or service. Always end with thanks, blessings or general good will towards your recipient.
- Offer clear contact details so your recipient can call, email or write you for further information. Having access to live people soothes the questioning soul.
Read Email To Yourself
Once completed with email transmission, read it out loud. Read it to your family, friends and household pets. Get a general idea how it sounds coming out of your mouth. Gather input from those who are listening on how your message can be clearly conveyed without sounding too pushy. Once you have made the suggested changes, read it again until your audience is completely satisfied with what they hear. This step is vital because your recipient may do the same; you want to come across punctual yet not strident.
Subject Line Creation
Now that you've completed the body and read it out loud, your subject line is 100% top-gun material. The vitality of this short yet sweet sentence goes without saying considering inboxes will see this first. Take these tips in writing quick, punctual and eye-catching subject lines that aren't prone to spam folders:
- Phrases of extreme opportunity will nail spam folders without fail: in other words, using 'free money', 'you won the lottery' and anything related to sex, gambling or Federal organizations not initiated by our government will hit your spam filters unless your recipient asked for these emails previously. Spam filters are growing ever intelligent to spam reports and reasons the mailing was reported. Avoid using these phrases, in other words.
- Wrap up your message body into a small package. If your writing was succinct, you'll definitely have little problem constructing your subject line out of your body that is hard-hitting yet hits home with your reader.
- Keep product name out of body. When your initial messages have been socially accepted and your following grows, you can send out special savings later. This is to 'break bread' with new recipients; therefore, you need to be warm, friendly and not pushy right off the bat.
From these tips you'll figure out the best approach for your business directives. Since this will be your initial emailing to targeted people or even friends, you need to be introductive and avoid obvious altruistic angles.
Email Can Last Forever
Your overall approach, the items or words you send to recipients and relationships you maintain after the fact will dictate whether your emailing efforts will pan out for your company or individual labors. Even with social media having their own internal emailing systems, failures can happen that get friends lists drastically reduced, get your profile reported or even deleted.
Email marketing is finicky, tricky and even requires several tests before mass campaigns are introduced to your business repertoire. Hone your writing skills, keep your lists targeted to related niches and avoid pushing the pencil too quickly; consumers wish to hear more about your legitimacy before buying into your company due to numerous scams floating around.
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