Powerful Email Strategies
By Randall Helling
Posted Monday, November 22, 2004
I sat down at my computer yesterday and found 153 new emails awaiting. The first thing I did was quickly use a filter and literally deleted 107 of them.
Now, that's not the most "junk" email I have ever received (…particularly after a few days of vacation!), but it's enough to drive home the importance of email and the need for powerful email strategies in any online marketing campaign.
You see, after you have a product, the next thing you need to do is sell it. The simplest forms of online marketing typically take on the form of a website or an email. Today, due to limited time and space, let's focus on your email.
Now, there are several things I could discuss about email. Email is the lifeblood of my online business as I'm sure it is with any successful online business, so there are many strategies that revolve around this important topic.
But regardless of the many strategies, let's face it…email is impersonal. So for the reminder of this article, let's focus on an "impersonal email."
As we dive into our discussion, we need to consider the single alternative to sending an email...it's having a conversation. I would much rather have a conversation with a potential client than send them an email.
But, if you're getting over 100 emails a day, imagine trying to respond (…via the phone) to each message. Yikes! You think you don't have time now!
But that's the point. You can't expect to spend countless hours on the phone or meeting with individuals if you plan on running an online business successfully. Your time is valuable and you need to learn how to use it effectively.
Okay, but how are you suppose to deal with an "impersonal email?"
Well, as an online marketer you are definitely going to need to learn how to use email successfully. For starters, the following is a list of strategies that will help your messages come across more personable and more importantly…have a greater chance of getting opened, read and generating a sale.
Here's the list:
1) Use first names whenever possible.
(I'm much more apt to open a message directed to "Randall" vs. "webmaster". In fact, 75% of the emails I just deleted were addressed generically to "webmaster". Hey, if I don't know you and you don't know my name, I probably have little interest in what you are going to tell me.)
2) Mention products, newsletters, URLs, etc.
(This helps recipients feel more comfortable with you and shows that you have interest in their business. If I see an email that mentions my website, I at least know the sender has spent some time and/or thought into his/her email. It's worth looking at.)
3) Utilize a 48-hour policy
(The online world is fast-paced. People don't hang around very long for answers. The faster you respond to individuals, the better you look over other competitors. The better you look, the better your chances at a sale.)
4) Never assume the worst
(It's easy to read more into emails than the sender may ever have intended. Don't jump to conclusions and think that someone is trying to attack you. My motto is always to respond politely regardless of how the original email was worded.)
5) Check before sending
(The point here is simply to check your work before you click the send button. When I see miss-spelled words, wrong references, etc. you can almost guarantee that email is in the trash.)
Just remember, an effective online marketing campaign starts slowly. Start using these simple strategies to make your emails more personable…and watch your credibility and online business sales grow.
To Your Success,
Randall Helling
Article by Randall Helling of Helling Enterprises. Visit us at (http://www.websuccess-online.com) for FREE "hands-on" & "how-to" online business success strategies. Featuring internet marketing assistance, software, manuals, web services and much, much more.
About the Author
Randall Helling has been an online marketer since 1996. His award-winning website is loaded with strategies and tips for anyone interested in making online profits. Visit his site and get a free gift at: (http://www.websuccess-online.com)
