Email marketing is kind of like the granddaddy of internet marketing, and although many marketers think its golden age is over and that video is where its at, they couldn’t be more wrong. Email is still a huge way to stay in touch with your list and build your business.
Email newsletters are one of the best ways to do this, yet so many people haven’t mastered them. Yes, they are a valuable marketing resource – but no, they’re not just a “Hey guys, this is what we’re up to.”
If you want to start gaining some real traction with your followers and transform your newsletters into conversion machines, then here’s what you can do. Note that this guide works best with people who already have an active email list. If you don’t have a list yet, go build one.
Now, the first thing you will want to do is decide what your goal is. Do you want more sales, to boost your social media, push people into a specific download, or just promote your latest thing? Make each email about that one thing early, rather than jam the whole thing into one long and (for your readers) boring spam mail that’s packed with little more than you, you, and you.
The email itself should be written like an article, with a headline and opening statement, followed by the main body, and finally a CTA to do whatever action it is that you would like them to do. There’s no point being shy here: say exactly what it is you want, and make sure that people know exactly what they need to do next.
The best way to write here is to tell a story. Humans love stories, and they’ll read just about anything to find out what happened next. So, get creative, don’t be boring, and let your inner Shakespeare flow. One easy way to tell a story if you’re stuck is to answer consumer questions. Note that you don’t have to write a story in each newsletter, but it will help… a lot!
Don’t forget the graphics! Sure, you can send a plain text email, but let’s face it, the internet’s a lot more visual than it was back in the 1990s. Pictures and infographics always do well, and video can really boost your conversions after open rates. Remember, video marketing is one of the hottest properties out there right now and for good reason!
After you’ve got your email fixed, it’s time to focus on the subject line. This is the single most important piece of the puzzle. You need people to open your email, so this subject line is key to your conversions. Obviously, you’ll want to skip boring headlines, as nobody is going to open those. Instead, be personal, and use tricks such as scarcity and urgency to make people want to open your email ASAP.
Another thing to consider is the frequency with which you send out emails. With a newsletter, people expect you to write on a regular basis, and you should aim to achieve some consistency here. If you tell people you email every Friday, have it ready by Thursday to send out at whatever time you normally would on Friday.
Failure to be consistent can be damaging to your brand – and you should never deliver more or less than promised. Screw this one up, and I promise you that people won’t just be unsubscribing, they will also be hitting the spam button on the way out.
One more thing to note is content – is your content relevant? If people are signing up for a newsletter about luxury cars, they want to hear about that: don’t suddenly start sending them content based on politics or sport, unless they’re VERY related to your subject area. Stick to your focus at all times, as that’s what people signed up to hear. On the same note, stay away from controversy. While we all love it, it can drive people with differing opinions away. If you like losing money for no good reason, go ahead.
By this time, you should have a solid email, so go ahead and send it out. Because now, we’re interested in the performance of that email. You ALWAYS want to measure your results, as these are the best tool you have when it comes to improving your overall performance. You’ll want to examine your open rates, bounce rates, clickthru rates, forwards, and even unsubscribes to get an overall picture of how your email did.
Over time and different styles of newsletters, you’ll soon get a picture of what works – and what’s a total bellyflop. Trust me, this can be slow to develop, but once you have the bigger picture, it’s a huge advantage that will let you capitalize on making the necessary changes.
Email newsletters aren’t hard, but they can be time-consuming to set up. Like so many things in business, the more groundwork you lay for the future, the better performance you’ll get further down the road.
Don’t rush what you’re doing here and keep your mind on your long-term goals and keep measuring so you know you’re slowly working your way up. Follow these tips, and your conversions WILL skyrocket!