Before
you sit down to write your email sales letter, you've
got to determine exactly who your audience is. This
is a master key to getting results from email marketing.
Ask
yourself these questions:
-
What do your prospects/customers want? - What frustrates
your prospects/customers most? - Who else is selling
something similar to you? - Why should your prospects/customers
believe you? - Why should prospects/customers respond
to you instead of someone else? - What kind of appeals
will your target market respond to?
=>
Step #2 - A GREAT SUBJECT IS YOUR OBJECT
Before
an email can generate results, recipients need to
open it. But what can you do to spark their interest
and get their interest "motor" revved
up?
Your
SUBJECT LINE is the key.
There
are four types of email formulas you can use as
a guide in crafting your email. Each has a different
PSYCHOLOGICAL APPEAL that works like magic on consumers.
Here are some examples:
-
State a powerful benefit - "Empowerism Satisfies
Your Need for Leads"
-
Pique curiosity - "Empowerism Has Uncovered
the Secrets of Success"
-
Write your subject line with a news angle - "Empowerism
Launches RSVP For Those Who Want to Double Their
Money Fast!"
-
Offer Immediate Gratification - "With Empowerism
RSVP, you can start the money wheels turning before
the sun goes down tonight"
Here's
an important "homework assignment": Write
at least 25 SUBJECT LINES before you decide on which
one to use. Take the best two and test them against
each other in your marketing campaign. (Save the
"losers" to use for other purposes or
spruce up later.)
=>
Step #3 - WHAT'S IN IT FOR THEM?
Sit
down and write every conceivable benefit your product
has. Don't know the difference between features
and benefits? Features describe the product; benefits
describe the results of using the product. Features
appeal to logic...logic justifies emotion...emotion
drives sales (see below).
Here's
a rule of thumb for benefits: ask yourself "What
can my product or service do for my customer?"
Then begin to write your letter telling your reader
WHAT'S IN IT FOR THEM. Tell them how much better
life will be for them after they buy from you. Tell
them how much better they'll feel. Tell them how
their peers will respect them more.
=>
Step #4 - AN EMOTIONAL APPEAL
When
promoting anything to anybody, you must remember
that buying decisions are based upon emotion and
later backed up by logic. Before you write a single
word, determine what emotional hot buttons you need
to push to "jumpstart" your prospect.
Selling
health supplements? Go for the "fear of illness"
button with "A Natural Way to Save Your Eyesight."
Selling political bumper stickers? Hit the "anger"
button with: "Let the President Know What You
Think of His Policies." Other buttons include:
curiosity, greed, ego, vanity, hope, and/or fear
of scarcity or security.
=>
Step #5 - A NAME YOU CAN TRUST To convince people
to buy your product or service, you must make them
believe that your offer is credible and that you
(or your product) will deliver as promised.
How
do you do that? Here are three ways you can build
credibility with the readers of your sales letter:
-
Provide testimonials. - Include endorsement letters
from authority figures in your industry - Make your
offer and promises sincere and believable.
=>
Step #6 - A GUARANTEE
Nowadays,
trying to sell without some type of guarantee is
a losing proposition. You've got to have one. And
the stronger your guarantee, the better your response
will be. And, believe it or not, although most people
will NOT ask for a refund, they'll trust your offer
knowing that you stand behind it.
You
can offer a 24-hour, 30-day, 60-day, 90-day, or
even a full-year. And here's an interesting fact:
The longer the time period, the fewer returns you'll
have! It's human nature to procrastinate, so the
more time someone thinks they have to get a refund,
the more they'll put it off or forget about the
refund altogether.
=>
Step #7 - DON'T FORGET TO ASK
It
happens all the time. Someone makes a fantastic
sales presentation, and then doesn't close the deal
because he/she didn't clearly ask for the order
or made the process confusing rather than simple.
-
From the Research Department: Statistics show that
you need to ask for the order at least three times
to close substantial sales. (Some studies put the
number at 7!)
If
you can, offer several ways for your prospects to
order -- consumers love choice. It tells them, "You're
talking directly to me and meeting my unique needs."
If you only offer one way to order, make it crystal
clear how AND how easy it is. Describe it in detail
and ask for the order. Then ask again.
=>
Step #8 - THE EYES HAVE IT
It's
a well-known fact: Large blocks of copy are intimidating
and will often send people running for the hills
or at least the Delete button.
The
solution? Break up paragraphs into two to four sentences.
Use several subheadings throughout the email letter.
And use asterisks, dashes, and ellipses (...) to
give your copy more rhythm. Bullet points are excellent
eye-catchers - use them whenever appropriate.
| About
the Author: Uli Mewes - Internet & Information
Resource Center. For more information about
this topic or/and other topics, please visit
http://www.article-traffic.com |
