…Frank talk about emails that work.
Email marketing is a powerful tool you need to add to your marketing toolkit.
Email alone has added millions of dollars to my clients bank accounts in the past few years. Many of the big launches I have helped with were driven completely digital and combined emails, with articles, driving everyone back to the web pages that took their orders.
I will be the first to add that you MUST use offline marketing as well.
Especially in a challenging economy like we are in now. People are acting different, buying differently, and, frankly, overwhelmed with everything around them. Email volume has gone up in the past few months… and direct mail (on paper) has dropped. So I highly recommend you add in some direct offline mail to your mix as well.
That said; email marketing is an incredible tool for getting fast results, for testing the approaches you are going to test offline, and for improving your cash flow quickly.
We would be crazy not to be using it in our marketing.
There are a number of types of emails you can use in your marketing, I would recommend mixing and matching some of the following. Test what approach works best, and then use more of that moving forward.
One thing I recommend you get used to is to write the email without any sales pitch, then add in a PS that links to your sales pitch. That way, they get useful information from you in the body of the email and an option to buy something if they want. If you are constantly delivering useful content, they will continue to bring you traffic, buyers and prospects for as long as you continue to use them.
Story telling emails
By far one of the most powerful and easiest (with practice) emails you can send. Who doesn’t love a good story? Especially one that is sent to your prospects and clients that draws them closer to you, even dropping any form of resistance they were feeling.
If you are not a natural story teller, then you need to practice this. Story telling was never a natural thing for me, and is something I am always working on getting better at.
Here are a couple shortcuts to get you thinking:
Discovery stories. Is there something in your business, in your product line, or in your life that you just discovered? Share it.
Before and after stories. One of the most compelling proof elements you can use in your copy. Show people (through a story) how life was for you, or yoru customers, before your product or service, and how it evolved after. Show pictures if you can through the links in the email as well.
3rd person testimonial. Do everything in your power to get your customers to share their experiences with you and your products. Make sure you get their approval to use their testimonial, then publish it in its full glory. Make sure to include their full name and city (at a minimum), which further adds credibility to your claims.
Sceptic turned believer emails. Much like the testimonials above, but look specifically for people who were highly sceptical first, and are now believers in you and yoru business. Have them tell the story that way… I was a sceptic, now I am a believer… and here is why…
Long lost secrets
People love to believe there is some secret you know that they don’t. So give them one!
If you are an expert in your field, there ARE things you know that they don’t. Share a few here and there. You will be amazed at how people respond to you when you reveal a secret or two.
As soon as you do… the floodgates open and you are now officially an expert and people will follow your every word.
Why?
Why should they listen to you? Why are you the one writing this email? Why do you do what you do?
You must get comfortable telling your story… again and again. People want to know who they are buying from and it is entirely up to you to tell them why you.
The reason why is one of the most compelling sales arguments you can tell them… so this one is a good one to test, refine and test again with.
Fear and Anxiety
Sometimes you just have to scare them. If your product or service helps them overcome something dramatic or dangerous… make sure they understand the pain they will go through if they don’t fix the problem.
Many people I deal with are scared of scaring others.
Despite the FACT that it is one of the most powerful ways to craft emails that get results.
If you are going to scare them really scare them
Common enemies
Pick on common enemies in your emails. It may be the government. It may be the media. It may be all the blatant lies in the marketplace.
Taking sides WITH them against the enemy will win your friends and make you money… guaranteed.
Techniques for email marketing.
Test using short emails vs long. The short emails would be a teaser to your long copy. What you will likely find is that some of your prospects and clients like short emails, others like long. Both sides work… you just have to test to find out which way works best with your list. And having a link in each email they can click through to gives you the ability to test both approaches and see if the short emails get more clicks than the long.
Only testing will tell you the truth.
Make sure you are consistent in your emails too. Don’t send one a day for 2 weeks then take 3 months off. I would aim for 2 or 3 a month at the minimum. 2 or 3 a week at the maximum.
Again, it is highly dependent on the type of people on your list, and the type of information they want to see from you.
Email marketing works, and can be highly profitable. Don’t expect to make millions overnight though… despite all the big promises you see out there.
Test, tweak, test again.
Figure out what works, use it again and again, and again.
Dump that which doesn’t work… and always remember what you tested (so you aren’t retesting the same failed approach).
Truly simply in many ways.
Troy
PS: The Story Selling Home Study Coaching program
http://www.storysellingtips.com is ready and is an incredible way
to introduce your clients and prospects to your backstories…
where your real money will be made.
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