"Email is still the most effective marketing technique," writes Bill Rice at the Better Closer blog. "It's easy to automate and highly efficient at bringing in qualified new leads." But a successful email program doesn't just happen. You must convince prospects to open your message, read it, and take action. To hit each of those goals, Rice has advice like this:

Start with an appealing subject line. Most recipients won't open your message—that's a basic email marketing reality—but you can interest a substantial minority with the right subject line. Rice says to keep it brief, informative, and informal, as though it came from a friend. "Make it interesting," he adds, "maybe even a little mysterious."

Get right to the point. What happens when you open a message and see one lumbering paragraph after another? You file it for later, where it will never be read, or you delete it immediately. "No one reads email," notes Rice. "[T]hey glance at it." So write copy that is breezy, direct, and easily absorbed without requiring a reader's full attention.

Add value to your pitch. Yes, you're trying to generate or cultivate leads, but that's what's in it for you. Make it worth a prospect's time by giving them something of value—perhaps a secret insight or a list of Top Five tips.

Include a single, clear call to action. Don't ask your recipient to do more than one thing; if you provide too many options, she might not do anything at all. Be sure your call to action is blatantly obvious and easy to accomplish.

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