Thursday, June 25, 2009

I thought today we would look at some catchy subject lines, because it is the subject line your potential reader will see in their "in-box" first;

okay, we are trying to get sign-ups for our program that is a Traffic Exchange with a built-in Powerline.

1) Great TE and a Built-In Powerline!
2) Traffic and a Powerline!
3) Traffic and an Income!
4) Surf and Earn!
5)Get traffic to your sites and earn an income!

okay, you get the picture?
I don't really look at subject lines in my in-box that are flooded with all the $$$ and all the fancy hype around them, I like a nice clear subject line that catches my eye and tells me what it is all about, then I will open the email and read the rest.

okay, that is our lesson for today, keep an eye out for more updates.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

How To Write An Effective Email


Writing An Effective Email

Writing an email that will capture someone's attention is one of the most important aspects of internet marketing. Most facets of advertising are done via email, and if yours gets tossed away, then you have lost a customer

The first thing the person is going to see is the subject line. Now, remember, there are some guidelines that you must adhere to. You cannot put dollar amounts, and you cannot pretend to be something you aren't. Basically, putting "You Have A Payment" is a no no. Not only that, it will upset the person getting the email and you will have definitely lost a potential customer or affiliate.

That doesn't mean you can't make it exciting - try something like "Brand New Program" or "10 Solo Ads For You". These are honest, yet pique the attention of the person who is going through hundreds of emails trying to decide which ones are worth his attention. And, believe me, getting him to actually open the email is half the battle.

Just a quick word of warning before we get to actual email writing techniques. Be careful of who you are sending an email to. It is better to stick to place like safelists and solo ads through text exchanges, than it is to send to an email list you got from somebody you don't know. Spamming can get you in a lot of trouble (even get you thrown off of your programs). So, either mail to people you KNOW are responsive or to people who have opted in to receive emails from you.

Okay, now on to the body of the email. The most important thing here (at least to me) is LESS IS MORE. Frankly, if I get an email that is larger than a paragraph or two, I don't read it. I have hundreds (and unfortunately, sometimes thousands) of emails in my inbox. I don't have time to read 20 paragraphs on the merits of one program. Usually, if it caught my attention at all, I am ready to go to the site itself. But, if it takes me 20 minutes to scroll to the bottom where the credit link is, I may just hit the back arrow and forget all about it. So, once again, less is more.

If you are good at html, use it. Make it bright and in your face. But, if it isn't your thing, or if you aren't sure how to work it. Stay away. Nothing is more frustrating than getting an email with all the html code crowding up the words. If you decide that straight text is the way to go, then make the font bigger. Make it bold. You may not be able to do it on the email page for some companies, but you can always do it in a word program and then copy and paste. Some sites will keep it at your font and color...others may put it into normal small print. It's not a big deal, take what comes up. Because if you are email marketing the correct way, you are sending hundreds of them and copy and paste is the fastest way to go.

Be sure to read the guidelines of the site you are sending the email from. Some do not allow you to put a url in the text. Others don't allow this or that. It is worth taking the time to read a couple minutes than to have your email sending denied.

So, the basics of writing an effective email are: have an eye-catching subject line, keep it short and sweet, make it bright and big (if possible), and follow the rules. Follow all this, and you will see your site traffic grow.