Speaking to someone through their email is the next best thing to calling them. Used correctly, it’s a way into their heart and can bind them to you for multiple years and transactions to come. But sadly most marketers are truly terrible at email marketing. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of the 33 best email marketing tips to double and possibly even triple your profits – sometimes overnight.
One of the goals of the very first email is to set the tone of things to come. Let them know how often you will be emailing, what you’ll be sending and what’s in it for them. If you’re going to be selling, tell them up front by making it clear you will from time to time be recommending products you think will be tremendous assets to them. Basically, you want them to know:
A. You’ll be sending great info they can USE and will enjoy.
B. You’ll be sending recommendations, and if that is going to blow their minds, they should unsubscribe NOW. This will save you aggravation later and sets the stage to allow you to sell (in the right way) to your heart’s content.
From the very first email, try to get replies. Ask them what one thing would help them the very most right now to get what they want. You might phrase it something like, “What’s your biggest challenge right now in ___.” Then use their responses to drive your marketing.
Send testimonials. Often. Like once a week. A person’s guard is down when they’re reading their emails, which means it’s a perfect time to send a story about someone who used your product and had terrific results – the same results the person reading your email wants to get.
If your business requires more information from prospects than just a name and an email address, gather this info slowly. If you ask for name, email, address and phone up front, you’re likely to get nothing. But if you ask first for just an email address, and later ask their name, and then their address and phone number, you are much more likely to get all of this information. [ALTERNATIVE: Let them opt in to your list with just an email address. On the next page, ask for more info. Even if they don’t give it, at least you captured the email.]
Do tons of research. Know your prospects better than they know themselves.
Write to them every day. Yes, every day. The key is to send something INTERESTING every day. Simply sending offer after offer is not interesting. Sending stories or tips or news or updates is interesting – and you can always close with an offer. Just don’t make the offer the only thing in your email.
No hard sales. Repeat: No hard sales. What’s hard selling? “Buy this right now because it’s fantastic, on sale and will never be offered again at any price and oh my god this is so wonderful I just wet my pants.” Yeah, you know what I mean. Instead, use the soft sell. Third party testimonials and stories are excellent for this.
Pretend you’re writing to a friend who has the same needs and desires as those on your list. Picture your friend in your mind as you write. This will help you to connect with your list.
If you have your own products, then promote them. After all, if your products or services are what will most help your lists, then why promote anything else? Be proud of your products. Only promote affiliate products when they fill a need your product does not, or when list members have already purchased your product.
Do promote affiliate products that are similar to yours to your buyers. For example, let’s say you have a product on how to drive traffic. The buyers of that product will be excellent prospects to purchase other traffic courses as well.
For your buyer lists: Follow up. Give them tips on how best to use the product they purchased, along with a recommendation for a related beneficial product.
Don’t do your real selling in emails. Email is for relationship building through valuable content. Do your real selling on the sales page.
Carry a device or a simple notepad with you to record ideas for emails. Ideas are everywhere, you just have to start looking.
Segment your lists to stay relevant. Sending emails on a topic readers aren’t interested in is a no-no. Instead, offer a free report on the topic. Those who opt to get the free report have shown they are interested in the topic, and you can now tailor content to their interest.
Tell them why. If you want them to take some sort of action, tell them why they should take it.
Meet them where they are now, not where you want them to be. If your prospects are new to your niche then you’re going to write to them differently than if they are seasoned veterans. Start with their mind set (Confused? Skeptical? Scared?) And walk with them to the solution you offer.
To become the authority in their eyes, you need to do two things: First, know more about the topic than they do. This means you read, study and so forth. Second, educate them. Share your knowledge and you are without question the expert.
Infuse your marketing message inside a compelling story to hook your readers.
Create open loops to get your emails opened. That is, finish one story and start another in one email. They open the email to get the end of the story they read yesterday, then have to open tomorrow’s email to get closure on today’s story.
If subscribers aren’t opening your emails, take them off your list. Too many people not opening emails can hurt your deliverability and your emails could fall into spam folders.
The purpose of social media? To get people on your email list. Remember that and market accordingly. In social media people may (or most likely won’t) see your message. But get into their inbox and your odds go up exponentially that your content will be read and acted upon.
With email, you OWN your audience. With social media, they can shut you down anytime they choose. Again – the purpose of social media is to get people on your list.
Create a set of emails based off of your niche’s frequently asked questions. The subject line is the question, the email body is the answer.
Trouble finding topics? Use movies, songs, TV shows, news, topical issues – anything you can relate back to your subject. What would you talk about with coworkers on break? Yeah – that’s the stuff to use.
Get creative with your lead magnets. A list of resources, a video tutorial, a webinar – you don’t have to just do a pdf anymore.
Buyers are best, but freebie seekers can be useful, too. Buyers tend to buy again. But some freebie seekers do eventually buy. And others might share your stuff on social media with new buyers. So yes, let the freebie seekers on your list.
Treat your buyers like royalty. Give them special perks and benefits for being your customer to keep them loyal and buying your stuff. Let your non-buyers know they are only getting the standard red carpet treatment, while your buyers are getting the platinum star treatment. Encourage them to become buyers, too.
Create a 7 day email series for prospects who abandon the shopping cart. Acknowledge them in the first email, give them social proof in the next email, then combine social proof with the reasons they should buy from you in the next 5 emails.
Have a personality. Don’t write like a machine – write like yourself. You’ve got a personality and hopefully it’s a good one. Use it to connect and let readers see the real you.
Build a cult of ‘you.’ Unite your readers with a common goal. Give yourselves a name and create your own language, too.
Write F.A.Q. emails. These tend to get opened and read a LOT. If you have a big promotion going, send out an F.A.Q. 2 days into the promotion and 3 days before it ends. Also place the F.A.Q. at the bottom of your sales page, underneath the order button. It will increase conversions.
Use $1 trial offers to greatly increase sales. Let them know up front how much they will be charged and when, so they can cancel if they decide to. But if your product is good, most won’t cancel.
Need to raise some cash fast? Do a 72 hour sale with a great offer. After 36 hours, lower the price again and let them know that people who purchased in the first 36 hours are getting an incredible bonus for having paid a little bit more.
There you have it – 33 tips to make your email marketing more profitable today, tomorrow and next year.
Of course the unspoken king of email marketing tips would be this:
Always, always, ALWAYS be building your list.
