2X, 3X Clickthroughs on your email newsletter

I received few emails after I posted my clickthroughs percentage on email newsletter. Of course my readers are curious about how they can also increase CTR on email newsletters.

Internet marketers talk about giving Content as a strategy in newsletters, which I believe is as strong as a house of cards, full of air (hot air). I noticed couple of glaringly obvious problems with this strategy.

1. Everyone and his dog is giving away content – How the hell will you differentiate yours? If it wasn’t the only pain in the neck, then you have to worry about writing content on regular basis.

2. How much of content is enough? Can you tell how much is enough and when it’s time to shift from telling to selling?

3. Perception of content – If I am publishing something and an Already expert marketer publishes the same content. The perception of his content is going to be higher than mine, even if his ideas are inferior to mine.

If I play the games by same rules, I don’t stand a chance whatsoever against other marketers. So I have to bend the rules.

After realizing it, I went back to the drawing board.

First thing I notice was the marketers I was personally following, reading their emails or bought stuff from. And that number I can count of one hand. Very few marketers. Very Few.

We’ve been hammered to death about how content is important and it is, but one thing they forgot to tell us, that there’s no shift between telling and selling. Either you are persuading people or your are not. It’s as simple as that.

So if you are differentiating between giving content and sales pitch, you can never give enough content. And that’s the wrong way to do this. Remember, you are always selling.

Eben pagan talks about “moving the free line”, again good advice with half truth. Move the free line, but don’t forget to sell along with it. There’s no difference between telling and selling.

How to increase conversions on your email marketing?

1. Create a better relationship – Go Beyond content. Create a relationship with your list without using content. Content is small part of the strategy. Using content is like creating friendship with hidden motives. And that sucks.

When my subscribers write back to me, they write like they write an email to their friend.

2. Talk like a normal Guy – Again, following the first tip, I am just another guy who understands their situation and have a solution or an example that they can learn from. Don’t Act like a guru. If you don’t understand this, look at Frank Kern and Ed dale.

3. Connecting from the very first email – Your first email is very very important. Try to create a connection from the get go.

4. Use preview to increase readership – One of the good technique I learnt from Jimmy D brown was to use previews to talk about upcoming stuff. It builds anticipation and curiosity.

5. Don’t use too much of their name – Have you seen how some of the marketers use subscribers name in every subject line or emails. The personalization trick works but doing it for every other time is way too much.

Imagine how you’d feel if someone starts talking to you like this. Use their name when it’s natural.

6. Enjoy writing your emails – It’s such a little thing that we miss. If you don’t enjoy writing to your subscribers, it’ll come across through your emails. And this will create a disconnect. Which will always drop your sales.

Phew, I am typing from last 30 minutes and I need a little break.

Before I end this article, I have to comment on few questions/things I got from subscribers.

1. Someone asked me, if I write regularly to my list? How many times per week do you write?

The answer is yes. Write whenever possible is good way to start. Either people like you or they don’t.

2. Do you use and combine blog with email marketing?

Again, the answer is yes. But it’s not that necessary.

Varun Pratap

Aim for that peak like mad
Shadow Such people and Cheer Them On.

PS: This week India is celebrating Deepawali, so I won’t be able to do more than 2–3 Blog consultation. So if you want to get your blog strategy reviewed and consult, then you should contact me as soon as possible.

About the Author

Varun Pratap is working in online business as a pro blogger from 2004. His blog on Imbasics (Internet marketing Basics) is all about making money online ethically without resorting to tricks, techniques and gimmicks.

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By Varun Pratap | Filed Under Marketing Rant, Online Advertising 

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