| Email has resulted in a revolution in marketing-an | | | | 5. Don't sell. Advise, advise, advise. Offer value-added |
| explosion in messaging. | | | | problem solving information, advice, tools and help. Use |
| For some it is a god-send, a technology and a method | | | | email to get people to use your email as a reason to |
| that allows people to sell products and services quickly | | | | call you or visit your web site. Offer people more of |
| and effectively. | | | | what they like to build and your personal relationship |
| For others, it's a doomsday machine, a spam filled | | | | and their satisfaction and your personal connection |
| mailbox filled with angry mail from people who will | | | | with your customer. |
| never again be customers. | | | | 6. Create a single, clear and benefit laden call for |
| Website Conversion Expert Dan Lok says you have | | | | action. Focus on getting people to take one action. |
| to learn several special techniques before you can | | | | Don't offer more than one action. Identify the action |
| truly leverage and make maximum use email -- the | | | | clearly and persuasively and track the results. Get |
| Internet's wonderchild. | | | | them to click and go to a relevant landing page to net |
| Here are some of the Dan's most important keys to | | | | them to take further action. |
| successful email marketing campaigns: | | | | 7. Create a life-cycle campaign. Design a program that |
| 1. Get Permission. Use web page sign up forms or | | | | results in you sending out four to six messages over a |
| post card return cards, but get permission in a valid | | | | six to eight week period. These recurring campaigns |
| way. Create and offer incentives for people to sign up | | | | can be created in advance and operated in a totally |
| online to receive value-added information. | | | | automated fashion. |
| 2. Target carefully and make it relevant. Send only | | | | 8. Use triggered email. Design and set up automated |
| relevant email to opt-in subscribers. Develop and give | | | | email campaigns so that when clients order product or |
| people what they wanted and what you promised. | | | | sign up for items or request information online, that a |
| Don't send email that is outside the scope of what | | | | suite of email messages are then sent to them |
| was promised to people who opted in. Target and | | | | periodically automatically. |
| segment your subscriber base and tailor your | | | | 9. Use email to get them to Click! Keep the email short |
| messages to specific demographic characteristics. | | | | - no more than 3 or 4 pages. Relate first paragraph to |
| 3. Your Subject Line is Critical. Don't make it look or | | | | subject line. Drive people to a web page and then |
| sound like spam. The purpose of the subject line is | | | | close the sale, don't try to close the sale with an email. |
| NOT to sell, but just to get people to open the email, | | | | Don't mention price or cost in email. The purpose of |
| that's it! Be careful of the words you select. Check | | | | the email is to PRE-SELL, not to sell. Again, it's to get |
| your email against a spam checker to see that it | | | | them CLICK, then go to your web page. Then you can |
| doesn't contain words that will automatically result in | | | | do the selling there. |
| deletion. | | | | 10. Comply with CAN-SPAM Act requirements. Send |
| 4. Use your personality. Talk in the first person. | | | | from a valid address. Respect all remove requests |
| Develop your persona as a friend or as an expert. | | | | promptly. Never send a second email to someone |
| Define your persona based on your customers' needs | | | | who has requested removal. |
| and desires and based on professional behaviors. | | | | |