11.24.05
Avoiding the Delete Button - How To Make Your Email Campaign Pay Off
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.
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 pique 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.
Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful)
Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business
Into A Tower of Profits! ==