Having a huge mailing list is only half the battle of a successful email marketing campaign. If your subscribers fail to read your message your efforts are useless. Many email marketers spend so much time focusing on building the list that they fail to focus on a quality marketing message, assuming their emails are being read. It’s important that marketers realize that a less than perfect response may or may not be based on the product’s quality; it could very well be the value of the message itself. Quality copywriting is the key to getting your mailing list to read your messages and is often overlooked. Your marketing message begins with the subject line, which should compel your subscribers to open then message and it ends with a message that should go beyond describing your product or service - it should build trust with the reader. People will not buy your product or service unless they’re convinced that you are trustworthy and that you have their general well being in mind, so it’s important that your message reflects enthusiasm as well as truthfulness. By following a few simple copywriting guidelines you can improve the chances of your email marketing campaign’s success and build trust with your mailing list: First and foremost, remember that your mailing list is comprised of real people who will make a purchase based on their reasoning, not yours. Every potential customer has three options when a purchase is considered - spending his or her money with your company, a competitor’s company or to simply not purchase at all. As long as your marketing message is focusing specifically on the needs of your target market you’re improving the chances that your mailing list will make a purchase. The subject line key to getting your marketing message to your customer - if your mailing list does not feel compelled to open the email your email marketing campaign will be a bust. The body of the email can have the most powerful sales copy possible but if it’s not opened your prospect will never know. The subject line is the first step towards building trust so it’s important that you are not misleading. Tell your prospect what they will find in the body of your email and provide a benefit to reading your message. People do not buy products, they buy benefits and if you’ve done your marketing research you already know what benefits your mailing list is willing to pay for. You can appeal to your prospects by utilizing a few copywriting techniques such as appealing to your prospect’s emotions, which helps get prospects into a frame of mind where they will take action outside of their normal behavior. Another helpful technique to creating the perfect subject line is the Secrets technique, as people do not like being left behind. There are a variety of other copywriting tips and tricks that will help you create a quality subject line, which will help improve the chances that your mailing list will open your email. If your subject line is a success then your mailing list is now facing your message and the goal is to make sure that prospects read it. Customers want the simple truth about a product or service, how it can improve some aspect of their lives or business and measure quality based upon the sales presentation rather than the product itself. The first line of your message will determine whether the members of your mailing list will continue to read your message or simply delete the email and move on. The first line of your message should get to the point as well as provide a benefit that compels your customer to continue reading. Remember, you’re not the only email marketer on the Internet so it’s safe to assume that the members of your mailing list have a short attention span - get to the point quickly. As the message continues it’s imperative that you deliver exactly what the subject line promised, if the copy is off topic then you’ve lost the trust of your reader and they will move on. Today’s Internet surfer is hungry for information, so try to provide information that teaches them something so that it appears you’re an authority on the topic and someone they can trust. Your mailing list must feel as if you’re speaking to them directly, if your message does not reflect your enthusiastic personality the chances of getting the desired action is slim. In short, remember that your mailing list is comprised of real people and that they are potential long-term customers. Successful email marketers are creative individuals and creativity begins with not only thorough knowledge about your product or service, it’s also imperative that you understand your target market. Successful email marketers take the necessary steps towards building a mailing list filled with the best possible customers for his product or service and then concentrates on the benefits. Remember that you’re marketing to your list of prospects and that you’re speaking to someone that is not only qualified but capable of buying. Marketing to your mailing list is is more than building a list filled with targeted prospects. If your list does not feel compelled to open the email and read your message you’ve wasted both time and effort, which will limit your ROI. Marketers can improve the chances of success by following few simple rules that successful copywriters use to create powerful sales copy.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 3rd, 2001 at 12:52 pm and is filed under Free Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.