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Avoiding the Delete Button - How To Make
Your Email Campaign Pay Off
© 2002 Diane Hughes.
Have you noticed? It's becoming harder and harder
to get a good response out of email campaigns. Why?
The more popular an advertising method becomes, the more
overused it gets. When that happens, customers develop
an "immunity." They are so overwhelmed by
the dozens, or even hundreds, of emails that pop into their
inboxes that they simply hit the delete button without even
giving it a second thought.
So how do we, as Internet marketers, battle their
complacency?
There are several ways that have been proven to increase
customer response.
I'll assume that you already have a customer-focused,
sales-oriented Web site; and that your offer is a solid one
that shows value.
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1. Use Short, Concise Subject Lines - While
personalization has been shown to increase response rate,
there are several things that have been proven to decrease
it. Long subject lines are one. Try to keep
yours at 40 characters or under. Why? Many email
programs cut off longer subject lines. Also, avoid
"hyp-ish" subjects. The more personal you
are, the better.
Exclamation points, the word "free" and other
trigger words such as "boost" and
"skyrocket" are a sure ticket to the delete file.
2. K.I.S.S. - Remember this acronym? Keep
It Simple Stupid. It applies to emails, too.
Don't piddle around. Get your benefits in front of the
reader immediately. Likewise, it is important to note
that shorter emails have proven to out perform longer ones.
It is doubtful that you'll actually sell anyone from your
email ad... rather, aim to peak the reader's interest, and
get him/her to click to your site.
3. Timing Is Everything - Didn't think that
mattered? Oh! It does! The day of the
week, and the time of the day all play a significant role in
how effective your campaign is. For example: almost
everyone is in a rush in the morning hours. This gives
a greater chance that they will delete any email they do not
absolutely have to read. Take note of your target
customer's typical schedule, and send your emails during
their "off times."
4. Give A Deadline - One simple instruction to
act before a certain date can make or break your success.
Don't neglect this vital element!
5. Consider HTML - These days, most email
programs are HTML compatible. In fact, over 90% of
customers can receive HTML emails. Color - whether in
print or on the Web - always increases readability (if done
tastefully). Consider having your email converted to
HTML to make it stand out in the sea of plain
text messages.
6. Give It A Break - Rather than writing long
paragraphs (even a 3 sentence paragraph formatted at 65
characters per line looks long), write in short 1 or 2
sentence blips. This is easier on the eyes of the
reader, and doesn't take nearly as long to digest.
The competition for your customer's attention is growing
greater by the day. Refining your email campaign can
help you avoid the delete button, and reap greater profits
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Diane Hughes is an accomplished Internet entrepreneur and
editor of the popular ProBizTips Newsletter. Subscribe to
her newsletter for more tips, tricks, and secrets of the
trade -- plus get HUNDREDS of eBooks, software and tools
just for subscribing!
http://www.ProBizTips.com
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