In the previous lesson we looked at how to segment your list, and we’ve spent the past eleven lessons looking at how to build your list and cultivate a relationship with your subscribers.
But it’s all for nothing if your subscribers never open your email and take action, so that’s what we’re talking about today…
(Watch this video…)
Main points:
1) Getting subscribers to open your emails
2) Getting subscribers to click the links in your emails
-Sole objective is to get the subscriber to open the email.
-Use the news (ie. Yahoo headlines)
-Get headline ideas from Digg.com
*Must be related to the content of the email message. (Do not bait and switch)
-Use the word THIS.
-Use mystery.
-Personalize it or Depersonalize it.
-Make it LOOK personal/informal.
-Use RE:
-You must change them up frequently. If you use the same tactic repeatedly it loses effectiveness.
-For the past decade marketers have been saying Tuesday and Thursday are best.
-A study by AWeber showed Sunday and Saturday had the highest open rate.
-Weekdays vs. Weekends depends largely on your niche/market.
-Business people generally check their email FIRST THING in the morning.
-I’ve found 3:30AM to 8:00AM is usually best for me.
-A study by AWeber showed 8:00AM was the best time, and 3:00-4:00AM was the worst.
-Use the scheduling feature on your broadcast emails. Test it on your follow-up emails.
-ALL of the above can and should be tested. Your niche may be different, and it’s EASY to track your results in AWeber.
-I’m often a contrarian. Most marketers in my niche don’t mail on weekends, so I often do…. and I sometimes mail in the evening.
-If you send at the same day/time, your subscribers will recognize the pattern and EXPECT it.
-I usually use multi-part MIME.
-Don’t send HTML only!
-Plain text has slightly higher deliverability, however…
-Deliverability of multi-part MIME is comparable and…
-Multi-part MIME has the advantage of formatting the HTML.
-HTML allows you to BRAND yourself.
I try to keep spam assassin score below 2.
-Keep your email short
-Put a link above the fold
-Give the link a couple times (I usually use 2 or 3)
-Use a P.S. with a link (occassionally)
-Add personalization to the links using AWeber tokens.
-Alternate anchor text and plain URL’s (only applies to HTML version of your multi-part MIME)
-Good copywriting gets clicks. Keep working on it, and if you stink… outsource it.
-See lesson #69 for more info about segmentation.
-Bottom line is you’ll get more opens and clicks if you send more email.
Action step:
1) Implement strategies to increase your email open rate, and click-through rate.
*This particular action step must be done on a regular basis.
Soon we’ll be talking about web traffic generation, but first we need to talk about tracking in the next lesson.
As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below 🙂
Have a great day!
Hi Eric
I KNOW — that methods like using RE — and using headlines that appear PERSONAL, but of course aren’t — and deceptive headlines , like using PayPal in the script — or pretending to be from SUPPORT — or re your OPEN DISPUTE,,– re your REFUND — and etc. as soon as I see a DECEPTIVE headline — I IMMEDIATELY — UNSUBSCRIBE !
I am NOT — prepared to stoop to such tactics,that ultimately just ANNOY people – and damage YOUR rep — immesurably !
Peter
Hi again Eric
Even MORE people use the subterfuge ” ADMIN” in their headline and such tactics as ” Your website is ready” — ” your ORDER is ready, DOWNLOAD here ” — all absolute BS.
I spent 55 years as a Commercial TV station Engineer, assisting OTHER PEOPLE to manufacture deceptive BS for the consumption of – Primarily, — the mentally challenged and NOT TOO BRIGHT – in our community.
I did this MOST reluctantly and ONLY – because my employer DEMANDED it .
Do you really think that i am going to CONTINUE to do THIS — on my OWN behalf ?
No way Jose !
Peter
Hello Peter,
We agree. Many of those tactics can prove harmful to your business in the end.
As a user I will only open emails from friends and Family. As you Eric are on the trusted list I have to see your name on the email. I probably wont opt into a link to another website. So you might consider selling someone elses produc on your own website…. Hope this makes sense
Hi Eric
your lessons just get better and better each day.
The whole package is coming together nicely and everything else out there is making more sense now.
I now recognise both emails and websites for what they really are and don’t fall for the sales pitch these days.
It’s nice to be able to use your training to analyze different websites and sales pitches and get idea’s from the best bits.
Keep up the good work
I Eric just would like to know if i need a website, i am new and would like to work from home iam working now about 12 hours a day and have little time would love to stop, plase let me know? i will get some one to help me thanks.
Hello Yvonne,
You don’t necessarily need a website, although they are useful for many online businesses.
Here is the link to Eric’s lesson called, 18 Ways to Make Money Online:
The details you provide in this lesson are essentially shortcuts for a higher success rate in emails being opened. This is extremely helpful and a time saver in itself. Sending email at those hours are off peak hours, the days of week you chose are days that are not as heavy with emails and the other important factors help to connect more with the subscribers you have and keep them interested without bombarding them with lengthy emails.
Excellent strategy.
P.S. I personally like shorter emails myself.
Great tips on increasing email open rates. I learned something today. Thanks!
I don’t know who ever started the idea of sending emails everyday but I will tell you from my vantage point I abhor it, despise it, and if I could come up with another adjective that really puts it as I feel it I would, and even worse than that is getting business emails on Sunday, my day. As far as I am concerned it is rude and inconsiderate that somebody abuses the privelage of having me as a subscriber by doing this kind of stuff. Not only is it exhausting to the point that I don’t want to spend every damn day reading emails, but the deals that I would be interested in, if i had enough time to go back through them, get shoved aside because I am bombed by that same marketer with another deal the very next day, to the point I have to unsubscribe because it certainly is not me he is concerned about.
I get lots of email with the bait and switch tactic. That is the quickest way to get me off the list. I get upset when I get a subject that has nothing to do with whats in the email. If I feel like its a trick and I get annoyed that that email just wasted my time. I don’t get it because if its of interest to me I will read it but don’t trick me into it. If the email isn;t of interest to me it doesn’t matter what the subject is, if im not interested im not going to read it. Just saying