As any direct marketing pro knows, email can be an affordable and increasingly targetable communications tool. What's more, it can give you answers to important marketing questions super fast.
Want to test a new offer or product price-point? No sweat. Send out a split-test email blast and in no time the marketplace will tell you what to do. Another thing I really like about email is that it's very flexible. You can use it to meet all?kinds of marketing challenges. For example, you can use email to:
-Get prospects to request a White Paper? Encourage the use of your downloaded software?
-Ask for the sale after a free download?
-Cross sell your product?
-Upsell to higher-priced products?
-Generate sign-ups for an online conference?
-Garner customer testimonials
And that's just for starters.
Of course, there's a catch … you have to write your email right. That means avoiding the pitfalls that await the unwary.
Here's a list of five mistakes that I urge you to avoid making. Get all the details right and you can make emails make money for you!
Mistake #1: Using a weak "Subject" line
It doesn't matter how compelling your email offer is, or how brilliantly your message is written. If your subject line isn't working right, your email will never get opened and your campaign will be a failure.
Subject lines should be kept short. (Never exceed forty characters including spaces.) This means that every subject line must communicate extremely quickly and have a little punch. Flat or cute is bad. Examples:
BAD SUBJECT LINE: Who's minding the store? Security info.
GOOD SUBJECT LINE: Five ways to prevent store theft
GOOD SUBJECT LINE: Stop store thieves in their tracks
GOOD SUBJECT LINE: Don't let thieves steal you blind
Mistake #2: Burying your Web address
This mistake is pretty obvious but people make it all the time. They stick their hot-linked URL (to the landing page) at the end of the email and don't include one near the top of their message. Wrong.
Some folks don't want to plow through all your copy. They're ready to click through right to your site. Make it easy for them to do so!
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Mistake #3: Failing to identify the reader's pain quickly
Don't start your email by enumerating every feature and benefit of your product. (You're not writing a data sheet!)
Email Marketing that Works (2nd Edition)
Secrets of Direct Marketing Testing
