There are a lot of ingredients that go into the perfect recipe for great email marketing. Some of them, like in all great recipes, can be adjusted by a good cook. A discerning chef can adjust their dish to their own tastes or preferences. But remember that there are some items that are simply too basic to be left out or used in wrong proportions. After all, the one thing a great chocolate cake has to have is… okay, you get my point. And remember the foundation of email marketing, just do it. All the rules to do it right are important, but even if you get it wrong, email marketing is inexpensive, easy, and often creates great results-oriented campaigns.
Rule #1. The Package. The most important rule is actually the last thing you should do: proofread. The impact of a poorly copyedited email is huge, especially if it’s a marketing campaign. Your words can be brilliant and your message spot on, and you will still lose your audience if you trap them in typo terror and semi-colon hell.
And even if you send your work to your dear Aunt Sally who used to work in the typing pool way back when, do it. Don’t let anything leave your desk without a clean eye to look it over. Remember, spell check can’t find a word that is ridiculous and misused, only one that is mis-spelled. Use a person for this task, but proofread, proofread, proofread!
Rule #2. Pump up the volume! Spend the extra time to be entertaining and interesting. Nobody wants to read an email that puts them to sleep halfway between “Dear Sir” and that line about the Ginsu Steak Knives. Put a little kick in your commentary. Be compelling, and be smart! This is definitely the time to use great language. Use all the tricks you learned in high school English! Pull out the old onomatopoeia and grab some creative alliteration. WOW your audience from the first word to the “yours truly.”
Rule #3. Let’s get to the point, Jack, I don’t have all day! Third rule? Speed it up. In today’s world of “click-on-peas-to-get-to-carrots,” remember that nobody has time to read five pages of appetizers before they order their lunch. You have to share the meat of your message the minute someone opens your email. This breaks all the rules we have ever been taught about introductory paragraphs and building to a climax, etc., etc. It’s a different world. What that means in email marketing is no ramp up. There just isn’t time. Say it first, say it fast, and then you can get creative and shoot the breeze for a while. Remember to always circle back to your topic though to reinforce it. So, if it’s the most important thing, say it first – AND say it last. The goal is always results-oriented campaigns, so reinforce the result you want as often as possible.
Rule #4. Just a link in your chain. Yes, your message is literally a link in your marketing chain. You want to be sure that it can send your reader from inbox to website in a nano-second. Link the heck out of your email every way you can. If there’s a picture of your product, link it. Your signature? Link it to your bio page. Every time you mention anything that can send them to your website, go for it. Remember, websites do NOT self-generate traffic, but great emails and live links can drive, drive, drive! Just like Mario Andretti at the Indy 500.
The bottom line with email marketing is simply to get your message out there in a clear, interesting and concise manner – but use every trick in the book to make it work for you. Always keep your goal in the forefront of your mind. If your goal is to sell more T-Shirts, then be sure to have a “click to buy” button that goes directly to a shopping cart. If your goal is to engage your audience, utilize questions, as if it were a normal conversation. Hey, why not, right? And always have the added intention to create a buzz – ASK your audience to share your note with three friends. Remember, we generally all want to see one another be successful. If you ask your audience to “forward to a friend” (or two), they just may surprise you.
That’s it from us for now! We hope that these four rules will help you create compelling, results-oriented campaigns! By the way, I’d really appreciate it if you’d do me a favor and “send to a friend” (or two). (Hey, why not, right?)
Wishing you success and productivity in your day,
Laurie Cantus
Owner / Founder – Go2Girls
Your 1-stop go-2 solution!
Phone: 310.693.4929
www.YourGoToGirls.com