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By Tatiana Velitchkov © 2002 There are several kinds of emails we receive everyday. There's SPAM, of course, which we either block or instantly send to the trash bin. Then there are those ezines, mailing lists, and newsgroups we subscribe to, which we either open or delete or save for later, depending on how much we need their particular kind of information at the time. There's also our regular business & social correspondence, from which we get most networking opportunities, business transactions, income and profits. And finally, there's that elusive kind of email: the kind that we know would only eat up our time, but still we find ourselves unwilling to delete them without first taking a peek. THIS is kind of email that I'd like to talk about. Because it amazes me that most people -- busy, stressed out, and email-jaded people -- still save this type of email indefinitely, opening them during coffee breaks and even doing whatever the message instructs them to do. Why do we do this? What makes these emails hold our attention, even when we're up to our necks in to do lists and useless information? 3 Reasons 3 factors actually compel us to save an otherwise "trivial" email: 1) We personally know the email sender. Whether it's someone we'd call a friend or simply just an acquaintance, this person is no stranger to us, and that instantly makes us wonder what he's got to say. 2) We know the kind of information that sender usually passes on. We have friends who will forward us ANYTHING they get in their own Inboxes (in which case we usually lump their messages together with the SPAM). On the other hand, we also have friends who've never wasted our time; we know that any message from THEM have actually been pre-screened to be "good enough" for us, based on their better judgement. Theirs are the emails that hold our attention longer -- whether or not we've heard from them just the week before -- and the ones we save for later. 3) Finally: We know that we'll usually get SOMETHING out of that particular sender's messages. Whether it's information that will keep us updated or just a line that will make us laugh, we know we'll always "benefit" from reading their email, and that's usually enough to make us open them and read on. A Lesson For Marketers Now if THESE emails -- no matter how "trivial" -- never make it to the trash bin before actually being opened, how do WE (Internet marketers) get the same kind of reaction from our mailing list subscribers and prospects? Following the formula that we saw above, we can see that it's just a matter of mixing the same ingredients to get the same delicious results. So before you send that next email -- whether it's a special offer, an announcement, or an actual ezine issue -- make sure it passes the "3-Point Message Check." This is actually a simple checklist that creates the perfect CONTENT BALANCE in all your emails, making sure that people will ALWAYS open them no matter how many others they've received that day. The 3-Point Message Check (Or, the 3 things you should include in EVERY email you send out, so you'll create a reputation for never wasting your readers' time.) 1) Include something that will build their trust in YOU. Whether it's a personal greeting, an honest peek into your life, or simply a paragraph that shows your awareness about what life is like for THEM -- give them something that would make them label you as their friend, and not "just another email marketer." 2) Include something valuable but free. This doesn't even have to cost you a cent! This valuable-but-free object can be anything from free advice, to an anecdote they could pick up a lesson from, or even a public online resource that you've particularly found useful, and you just thought they would benefit from knowing about it, too. 3) Finally, include something with a price, but you've tried it yourself and could guarantee that it would greatly improve their personal/business future. This is the part that would make sure your emails will bring YOU some benefits, too (which should be the goal of every smart email marketer). But remember that this only works if you've sincerely made it your priority to help your readers in the first place, with the profits coming in only as an added bonus. Sincerity, after all, is something no one can fake -- and something most people can pick up on and respond to, even on something as perfunctory as "electronic mail." People get so many emails in their Inbox daily, it's really become a challenge for Internet marketers to make their emails stand out, get read, and provoke any kind of action from their readers. But build a reputation for being someone they could trust, someone who generously gives them things for free, and someone who would recommend only the BEST VALUE each time... ...and they'll think three times before deleting your messages too, wondering instead what surprises you have in store for them next. © Tatiana Velitchkov About the Author: Tatiana is the publisher of: http://www.TheFortunesEzine.com, the FortunesEzineWeekly at http://www.TakeYourFortune.com, and owner of the traffic-solution slam advertising site http://www.Guaranteed-Hits.com |