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Marketing with Email: Part 1

by Ani M. Cole

Emailing is one of the most efficient and effective ways of connecting with large numbers of people. When it comes to promoting a product, emailing offers the convenience of composing your main message once, then modifying it to suit any particular person or group.

Of course, being the powerful networking/marketing tool that it is, we are all constantly inundated with too many emails to sift through. Therefore, yours has to stand out enough to not be deleted or passed over to join the graveyard of unread messages sitting in most people’s inboxes.

To introduce your email, try to come up with a catchy, meaningful, intriguing subject line and topic sentence (first line of text). Think over the main message to be delivered. Then close the email in a way such that the reader is left wanting to hear more or wanting to try the product.

Helpful Hints for Composing an Effective Email

• Create an excellent subject line that commands the reader’s attention. Weak, vague or ineffective subject lines may kill any possibility of getting your email read or at the least read right away. Make sure your subject line includes something your reader can relate to and/or benefit from.

• While composing (and perhaps later editing) your email, keep three big Cs in mind: communicate clearly (be precise with your choice of words, consider using bullet points to separate different ideas/messages), concisely (use fewest words possible to convey message), and creatively (perhaps start with a thought-provoking or amusing question, or include colorful graphics/images).

• “Hook” the reader with the initial sentence or two. If a reader already familiar with the product has inquired about it, go right into the benefits to them of trying it. If the reader has an interest but is unfamiliar with the product, provide a brief but informative explanation (e.g., how a water ionizing filter differs from any other water filter on the market) followed by its benefits (highlighting a few key, health-improving benefits).

• Substantiate your claims about the product with evidence, then close with whatever the reader’s next step should be – clicking on a link leading to your WFL site, replying via email or phone call, etc. If your message is time-sensitive, emphasize that fact in the subject line or at the start of your email to prompt the reader to take immediate action.

• Clear and accurate communication can lend more credibility to your writing. Thus when writing, always have www.dictionary.com up. This site offers more than just looking up spelling and definition of words. At the top, next to Dictionary, are links to: Thesaurus (to get synonyms of words when you need a stronger or more accurate term for what you’re expressing), Encyclopedia, Translator (will translate up to 2000 characters—roughly 330 words—into just about any language; can serve as a creative tool to communicate some bits of info and/or a p.s. in the prospect’s own language), and Web (provides info on dictionary.com apps for Android & Blackberry).

• The length should be kept to no more than 2 or 3 paragraphs and under 300 words. Upon a second look at your completed email before sending, cut out as many unnecessary words/sentences as possible. The more brief and to the point it is, the more likely it will be read, appreciated, and acted upon.

After creating a first draft of an email, step away for several hours or, time permitting, until the next day to see it again with fresh eyes and a clear mind. This will usually lead to your noticing room for improvement – be it editing it down, clarifying important points, or adding points you originally omitted.

Please note that, if you don't have an understanding, permission or request to send information to someone, it may be considered spam, which is an illegal act (particularly when done on a large scale).

In the next article, we will discuss emailing using marketing tools/emailing services.