The technical term for an email series from an entrepreneur to his or her following is the autoresponder series. Such is a sequence of related emails that can be put together as a course or series of practical helps or sales success stories. The idea is to give away valuable content with no strings. You only want to help people and get known and thereby build trust and loyalty. Increase in sales will follow. Think: how can I bless my customers? That is, how can I prosper them and not harm them? Answer: Keep their needs uppermost in mind. Then social media sharing happens, buyers become regulars, and readers stay subscribed.
1. First consider your own email system setup needs
MailChimp is best for startups as it is free when you have under 2,000 subscribers and less than 12,000 monthly emails. MailChimp provides free templates or for a more custom look an easy to use drag and drop template editor. AWeber is better if you serve multiple markets, have multiple email lists, and varying offers. AWeber can integrate a shopping cart on your site. Then, iContact is noted for excellence in service and excellence in the way it manages your contacts. MadMimi provides the most graphically beautiful emails. MadMimi utilizes WordPress-type themes that are customizable. When ready for that expensive upgrade, study Infusionsoft and Ontraport. These track customer actions, opt-ins, and orders for the sending of more targeted emails. Smarter marketing can result. Others such as Vertical Response bill on a pay as you go basis. Also check out ConvertKit, a new player in automatic follow up for different market segments. Once your system is in place, do check to make sure the technology works.
2. Know what is involved in writing ahead of time
A writing program and the right writing software can make you quite efficient. Consider Scrivener vs. Word or Pages or Google Docs or Quip. Analyze these programs in terms of your content delivery needs. Then once installed, write all of your emails for the series and do a grammar check. Carefully edit for meaningful content within each email and the logical progression of the series. Then copy and paste everything into your email marketing system.
Write like you are talking to one typical prospective buyer and not a whole subset of buyers or the whole world all at once. Think: “I am having a face-to-face helpful conversation with John Q. Buyer.” Use persuasive and colorful language. Use words that evoke sense impressions and images. This makes communication concrete. Finally, don’t overwhelm with too much content. Know ahead a projected length for each email. Inform your subscribers upfront about how many emails you are sending, how often, and what types of tips, tutorials, ebooks, reports, informative helps you plan to send. Ideas are: (1) resources created by you, (2) resources found and recommended by you, and (3) consultations or media you are asking them to buy from you. Always keep in mind their allotted reading time and their responses.
3. Your content is king. Make it interesting and exciting
As you outline and compose each email in the series, define your overall goal and the goal for every email. Have one main overarching idea for the series. Have a main point with well-related subpoints in each email message. Be exciting and interesting. Know that succinct communication is better and can happen as you ever concentrate on the customer and problem- solving for them.
A great practice is to always be surveying your field for what is emerging in terms of trends and developments. Do keyword research to discover what lots of people are looking for. A feedback loop from all your media is invaluable. Note comments, current issues, grave concerns, problems, and pain points out there among your market. Do engage in “social prospecting” by
listening to Twitter chats, LinkedIn groups, and Facebook groups. Design your company to glean from your salesforce and customer service reps re: what the users of your goods and services are saying all the time. All this helps you have an email series that targets true needs. Your emails will ultimately sell your company and what it does because they are relevant to what is happening. Finally deliver what you promise in your writing. Ask the reader to take action. Put in requests such as “subscribe here” or “order below.”
4. Emerge with writings that brand your company as the problem-solvers and industry experts
Do let people get to know you and have a recognizable company voice. Stand out from the pack by your qualifications and accomplishments. Readers will want to know what you think and what you do for answers.
5. Study examples of successful email marketing
Look for examples such as a single welcome message giving away online tools followed by emails to keep a good reputation out there. Or a three-part email sequence demonstrating practical uses of a product. Or a ten day course that teaches a full how-to on a subject leading to why the market needs such a top problem-solver.
Business Marketing Engine can help you develop all of the above. Contact us today!
