See Andy's other stuff:

Contact Me >>

You Can be an Email Marketing Supergenius #216

#2.16: The “Multiple Newsletters” Issue

Offer more than one newsletter, for better list segmentation, and to prevent opt outs.
1> Unsubscribe Insurance
2> More Subscriptions? Check!
3> Self-Segmentation

1> Unsubscribe Insurance

Everyone will eventually unsubscribe from a newsletter- give yourself a little insurance by getting them on more than one list. The last thing you want is an all-or-nothing email relationship. If you only offer one list and they unsubscribe, you risk losing them forever. Multiple lists keep the lines of communications open. Readers will sign up for multiple lists, and they’ll switch instead of unsubscribing completely.

2> More Subscriptions? Check!

It’s a wonder of modern marketing — the more checkboxes you have on your subscribe form, the more subscriptions you will get. A long time ago, GasPedal only had two newsletters. Most of the time, people would either sign up for one list or the other. Now that we have five lists, we find that the average subscriber will check three boxes, and stay on two lists, long-term.

3> Self-Segmentation

Let your readers tell you what they like — it’s easier than trying to do data-driven segmentation after the fact. When you offer multiple lists, readers self-segment themselves by the type of information and offers they want to receive. For example, all the market research in the world won’t tell you if a man wants to receive offers for women’s clothes (for gifts, of course) — he’ll tell you by subscribing to the women’s list.

[contact-form-7 id="27185" title="contact-form 3 TellAFriend-Post"]

You Can be an Email Marketing Supergenius #214

#2.14: The “Fantastic Feedback” Issue

Feedback is a great tool for marketers. It can be used as a problem detector or a positive reinforcement.
1> Ask and You Shall Receive
2> Never Say Never
3> Remove the Rules

1> Ask and You Shall Receive

If you are looking for feedback (and every email should), ask for it! Adding a “tell us what you think,” link and form to your email messages, will greatly increase the number of feedback submissions you receive. Customers won’t go out of their way to send you feedback — but they’ll give it to you, if you make it easy and obvious.

2> Never Say Never

Never ever put “don’t reply to this email,” in your newsletter. This is a guaranteed way to annoy your subscribers — it’ll make your company look rude and customer-unfriendly. If your readers want to respond to you, let them. Direct responses are a good way to hedge complaints, plus a lot of readers will use this as a way to unsubscribe. Send all replies to a single mailbox that a receptionist or customer service rep can sort and reply to.

3> Remove the Rules

You’ve got your reader to your feedback form — great. Now what? Don’t scare them off with a bunch of unnecessary questions and mandatory fields. Give them a big, open box to say what they need. Ask for name and contact information — but keep it optional. Add a check-box for anyone who wants you to reply to them, and another checkbox giving you permission to reprint any praise you receive.

[contact-form-7 id="27185" title="contact-form 3 TellAFriend-Post"]

You Can be an Email Marketing Supergenius #209

#2.09: The “Increase Web Site Visits” Issue

Once you’ve got avid readers for your email newsletters, your next step is to get them to visit your web site.
1> Everybody Loves Freebies
2> Leave Them Hanging
3> Mirror Your Menus

1> Everybody Loves Freebies

Free downloads are irresistible. Try linking your emails to a free download of a white paper, discount coupon, screen saver, or any other electronic file. We often see download rates as high as 30%. Be sure to ask visitors to sign up for other newsletters while they are on the web page, and include lots of links to other offers.

2> Leave Them Hanging

Use teasers in your emails to drive traffic to your web site. Print only a portion of a story in your email, and make readers click a link to the web site to continue reading. You can also include stories or articles in emails that have extra features, such as pictures, slide shows, or sound files, available only on your site.

3> Mirror Your Menus

Make it easier for readers to transition from your email to your website by recreating your site’s navigation menu in your email. If the links still make sense in an email context, you’ll walk them right from reading the email to surfing the web. Just make sure you don’t get too overzealous and clutter the email.

[contact-form-7 id="27185" title="contact-form 3 TellAFriend-Post"]

You Can be an Email Marketing Supergenius #206

#2.06: The “Focus on the Footer” Issue

The bottom of your email is some of your most valuable marketing space — don’t waste it!
1> Who Are You?
2> How Do I Get On the List?
3> What Else Do You Do

1> Who Are You?

Regardless of what’s in the main body of your emails, you should use the footer to tell your background story. The emails you send may be the only exposure a reader has to your company. Every message should include an “About our Company” section, along with “About this Newsletter” and links to the main sections of your site. It won’t get read every time, but the message will sink in.

2> How Do I Get On the List?

It’s amazing how many emails don’t include instructions on how to subscribe to the list. This is a fundamental mistake. Your emails are your #1 viral promoter. Don’t expect anyone to go to your site looking for the sign-up page. Every email, every time, should have clear and simple instructions on how to subscribe. Readers instinctively look at the footer for subscribe instructions. You lose them if it’s missing.

3> What Else Do You Do?

Use the footer of your email to promote other products and services, especially other newsletters. By the time someone reads to the bottom, they are engaged with your content and your brand. They are interested (and they are done reading the email) — so grab them and get them to read something else.

[contact-form-7 id="27185" title="contact-form 3 TellAFriend-Post"]

You Can be an Email Marketing Supergenius #202

#2.02: The “Opt-In Offline” Issue

Use your offline marketing to get great new subscribers for your online newsletters.
1> Capture Subscribers at Conferences
2> Pull Them in on Phone Calls
3> Reel Them in at Retail

1> Capture Subscribers at Conferences

Ask for email sign-ups at any event that involves meeting folks in person. Face-to-face contact is meaningful, and it will translate into solid opt-ins. Put a drop-box in your tradeshow booth and add an email request to registration forms at events. Ask speakers to promote the newsletter and put little sign-up cards at every seat.

2>Pull Them in on Phone Calls

Customer service phone calls are a great opportunity for an email mini-pitch. A person calling cares enough about your company to make the effort to order a product or ask for help. They are the perfect candidates for your newsletter. Be sure to train your reps to make a specific, beneficial offer. “Can I have your email” will annoy people. “Can we have permission to send an interesting how-to newsletter with discounts” will scoop up new subscribers.

3> Reel Them in at Retail

You have the shopper’s attention in any retail setting. Convert it to email permission by creating a painless sign-up process. Set up a PC where people can subscribe online, ask for an email address on the credit card receipt, or offer a prize or token incentive for anyone who signs up. Remember — give a good reason to subscribe, don’t just ask for email.

See a great example here

[contact-form-7 id="27185" title="contact-form 3 TellAFriend-Post"]

You Can be an Email Marketing Supergenius #122

The Message Series Technique
Issue # 122

1> One Message Doesn’t Do It
2> Make It Automatic
3> Don’t Forget To Stop

1> One Message Doesn’t Do It

You’re rarely going to close a sale with a single email. When someone asks for information from your web site, send them a series of timed messages instead. Create 3-4 messages that tell your story in stages, with each message delivered weekly. You’ll be amazed at the jump in response over a single message.

2> Make It Automatic

Send these messages automatically when forms are filled out on your site. Many email servers have built-in technology to do this for you. You create the messages once, and the server schedules them for each visitor. You never need to worry that your sales team didn’t have time to follow up with a fresh lead, because the prospect is getting constant attention, automatically.

3> Don’t Forget To Stop

Be careful not to overdo it. Be sure that recipients can unsubscribe from the message with a single click. And don’t forget to take them off the automatic list as soon as they make a purchase.

[contact-form-7 id="27185" title="contact-form 3 TellAFriend-Post"]