Bob Serling has released the latest issue of ‘Direct Marketing Insider’ newsletter. The featured article is titled “The New Rules of Email Marketing”. [Read the Newsletter]


Bob Serling’s ‘Direct Marketing Insider’ newsletter is reprinted here.

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The New Rules of Email Marketing

by Bob Serling

According to the results of a study recently released by the Direct Marketing Association, email substantially outperformed all other marketing methods, including other web marketing methods, catalogs, and traditional direct mail. In some cases, it outperformed other marketing methods by margins of 4 to 1.

But email marketing has changed substantially, even in just the past year. So let’s take a look at the New Rules of Email Marketing – rules you can apply quickly and easily to make sure you’re capitalizing on every email marketing opportunity.

New Rule #1: Your subject line is not a headline

One of the fastest ways to make sure your email does NOT get read is to use a subject line written like a conventional headline. Despite the fact that email marketing has been going strong for well over a decade, many people still bristle at the mere suggestion that they’re being marketed to in an email. And nothing gets your email deleted faster than a hypey, screaming headline.

Two excellent ways to write subject lines that get your email read are to create curiosity or ask a question. Both of these methods work on the same level – people can’t resist finding out about something that piques their curiosity, or creates an “open circuit” like a question that begs for an answer.

Both of these techniques work wonders for getting a much higher open rate on your email.

New Rule #2: Tone counts

Building on the previous point, the vast majority of people do not like to feel like they’re being sold in an email. To counter this, go easy on the hype, big claims, and sales language in your email copy.

Instead, use an authoritative tone or a “friendly expert” tone. And if you have a longer sales proposition to make, use an email written in these tones to direct people to a web page that has your longer sales piece, or to a squeeze page to sign up to get more information. That “more information” is your sales piece. When presented on a web page or in print, that same sales message is welcomed, as opposed to getting swiftly deleted if its sent in an email.

New Rule #3: Topic and length are the two most important factors

Your topic and the length of your message have more to do with your email getting read than any other factors. And the two go hand in hand.

For example, with all the problems people are having with the way Google is changing pay-per-click rules and fees, a longer email on solving this problem would get a high open rate and high readership.

But other topics, even if they are as valuable to your readers in the long run, won’t command nearly as much attention if they don’t have the same emotional charge. For topics that aren’t extremely hot, you’re much better off going with a shorter, curiosity stimulating email that takes people to a web page with your full sales piece or a squeeze page where they can sign up to get all the details.

New Rule #4: Sp*am filters are getting more lenient

I’ve actually saved the best news for last. Believe it or not, the sp*am filters are actually getting more lenient and easy to work with. I’m just guessing, but I think that massive complaints from large corporate emailers, ISPs, and even people who were losing personal emails from their friends and family, have forced a redefinition of what will and will not get your email flagged as sp*am.

It used to be that any reference to money, profits, sales, or anything else even remotely related to offering something for sale would immediately get shot down. Not any more.

The best way to know for certain whether or not your email will get delivered is to use Spam Assassin or another similar filter check before you send your email. You can get the details on Spam Assasin, at:

http://spamassassin.apache.org

These filter checkers review your email and tell you whether or not it’s likely to be delivered. For example, Spam Assassin recommends that an email message should have a rating between 0 and 5 to ensure deliverability. I just ran this email through their checker and it was rated at 0. That’s the kind of rating I love!

With free sp*am checkers like this available, it makes no sense to send email without first making sure your message will actually get delivered.

This month’s specials…

Discover how to write powerful email copy that gets the best results. My Killer Copywriting Cheat Sheet gives you 21 examples of emails that have sold like crazy. Plus, you’ll also discover the fastest, easiest way to write high-profit web pages, sales letters, and space ads too. Get all the details at: http://www.DirectMarketingInsider.com/kcscourse.html

How did one of my students sell 9,500 copies of his information product with almost no prior experience? http://www.directmarketinginsider.com/ipmc-hs

Direct Marketing Insider is published by: Marketing IQ

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Cardiff, CA
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*IMNewswatch would like to thank Bob Serling for the publication of this newsletter.

 

 

 

 

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