After you build up your email list, you are ready to actually write the emails. However, right before you start, you will need to decide if you want to send an HTML email versus an all-text one. HTML emails, which can be sent through email marketing services or email software, (both of which will be discussed more in detail in Chapter Three), utilize HTML coding to make an email look like that of a web page. They contain graphics, interactive forms and clickable links.
They are visually more appealing than text-based emails and can increase response rate, since they allow you to cloak affiliate links, (which will be discussed in the upcoming sections). Additionally, it doesn't take much more effort to make them. How do you do this? Some email marketing services will allow you to make them through their network; otherwise you can use a word processing program such as Microsoft Word to create them. All you would have to do is select 'Save As' HTML document once you are finished and you have an HTML email.
The downside to HTML emails is that sometimes the images don't load, which can give your email a spam-like appearance. Even if they do load, there's no guarantee they will look right once it is sent over. Emailing a sample HTML email to yourself can help you determine what it is going to look like, though be aware that just like any other web page, HTML emails load differently depending on the browser that is used.
If you want to make sure that your email will look appropriate, you have the option of sending it as text-only. Text-only emails do not contain graphics or clickable links. They almost always come out looking okay. You also do not need email software or an email marketing service to send them. However, the disadvantage to text-based emails is that you do not have the opportunity to include a clickable link. Readers would have to copy and paste the link into their browser in order to visit your website. If your offer is extremely interesting to them, they will go on and take that extra 'step', but it's still inconvenient, even if it's for literally one second. Yet, if you must send text-based emails, there are ways to make your link more memorable and 'catchy', at least if it wasn't already. The exact techniques will be discussed shortly.
Once you have decided whether you are going to write an HTML versus a text-based one, you are ready to start thinking about what could be considered the most important element of your email: the headline or subject line. The headline is what determines whether or not your email will even get read. Headlines that are not attention-grabbing and/or those that look 'spammy' will result in your email being thrown away in your subscriber's online trash bin. Examples of spammy email headlines are those that try to deceive the reader into opening them. The spammer often makes the reader think they are a friend responding through the use of RE: (which is short for regarding). They may also use headlines like: Attention: Important Information Regarding Your Account to make the reader think the email is from a legitimate service they may be a member of. Other spam emails make the reader think they've won or received something when they really didn't. Avoid these tactics because not only are they not professional, they eliminate any type of interest the reader may have had in your content. Worse, the reader may even report you for spam, regardless of whether or not they were on your email list.
So, what's the best way to write email headlines? Ultimately, you will want to captivate the reader in some way. Using the term 'free' for example, will get their attention, but if you do not write it properly could make the reader think your email is spam. In fact, try to avoid using the term 'free' in your email headline unless you are offering something that: 1) is a legitimate sample that truly is free and 2) is not commonly promoted by spammers. While spammers technically can promote anything, the things that are the most common tend to be sex-related sites, fraudulent work-at-home schemes and pharmaceuticals.
If your site happens to be sex-related, legitimate work at home or pharmaceutical-related, you may want to consider avoiding using the word 'free', or use it in a different way. For example, if you actually did receive a free sample from the company you are promoting you could say, "Learn how I received free sex toys from whatever company." This is preferable to: "Free Sex Toys". While on the surface the latter may appear to get more results in practice it doesn't. First off, such a headline is more likely to put the email into the spam filter, since 'free' is the first word. Secondly, it doesn't make a connection with the reader. A person seeing it sees just an advertisement… a person out to make a buck off of them. The other email is an advertisement, but the approach is more testimonial-like, which people respond highly to.
Another type of headline that people respond to, at least according to Yuwanda Black (who is author of Email Marketing: How to Write Headlines that Get Your Email Opened!), are those containing the word 'not.' This is because the word 'not' gets people to think a lot more than more positive headlines. It is not often they are told what to not to do to avoid certain types of things, so when they see a headline like that they are more tempted to click on it and see what the email is about. An example of this in practice could be a headline like: "How to Not Get a Job." The corresponding email would talk about how not to get a job and in some form or fashion include your affiliate links, which in this case would be job-related.
Creating headlines that contain deadline information is another way to capture a reader's attention. An example could be: "50% Discount For the Next 24 Hours on such and such item," or "Respond in the next 48 Hours to Receive such and such item." However, try to not use these when you first email your subscribers, because these are clearly advertisements. Establish a rapport with the reader through testimonial-like emails or informational ones. Once the reader trusts you, they won't mind as much opening up an email that is a direct advertisement.
Other headline techniques as explained by Bob Bly, (author of The Copywriter's Handbook) include: news headlines, question headline, command headline and reason why headline. News headlines announce upcoming services or products that might be of interest to the reader. Question headlines ask the reader an attention-grabbing rhetorical question, such as "How much are you spending on your mortgage?" Command headlines 'demand' that the reader take action on something, while reason why headlines show why a reader should take action.
Do you still feel confused at what type of headline you should choose for your email campaign? Then you might want to consider buying software that can help you determine what your headline should be. Headline Creator Pro is an example of software that does exactly this. You start by answering only 4 questions, then the program will return 100 recommended headlines. These headlines are derived from the information you give the program and commonly used terms that have been used in successful headlines. It does all of this for only $37.
Once your headline is complete, whether you write it yourself or you use Headline Creator Pro to use it, you need to start creating your content. To make things easier, Microsoft suggests using the P.A.S.S. model created by McGhee Productivity Solutions, (also known as MPS). P.A.S.S. stands for Purpose, Action, Supporting Documentation and Subject line. Since this e-book has already discussed how to go about writing an effective subject line, (also referred to as headline), focus shall now be centered on the other elements of the P.A.S.S. model, which would be Purpose, Action and Supporting Documentation.
1) Purpose
The purpose of your email summarizes what your email is about. Most advertising emails will have the purpose of informing readers of their products or services. State your purpose in your first paragraph in your email. You could do it by simply saying: "The purpose of this email is:" or put it more towards the end of the first paragraph preceded by introductory sentences to arouse interest. Introductory sentences that capture attention can be quotes, humorous statements or compelling facts.
2) Action
The next portion of your email needs to try to compel the reader to take a certain action, though the actual 'request' for an action should be put towards the end of the email. This is of course if you want a physical action from your reader. Some emails are designed where the desired action is that the reader just read the email. This is especially the case with newsletters. With this approach the marketer establishes interest through a series of newsletters, then with their final newsletter email makes the request for an action. This method takes longer, but tends to be more effective because it creates trust between the reader and the marketer.
Regardless of how or when you ask your reader to take an action just make sure of one thing: that your email contains worth while content before the request is sprung up. Do not under any circumstance create emails in which the whole content is simply an advertisement. Emails that contain messages like: "This is great, click here," while meeting the requirement of requesting an action, do not make any personal connection with the reader. These types of emails usually end up being thrown away in the email reader's trash bin.
3) Supporting Documentation
Supporting documentation are attachments that help further aide in the process of the reader taking an action. It is highly common among business emails, though should be used with caution with marketing emails. This is because most email readers are not comfortable opening attachments that are from people that they do not know. Exceptions could be things that they signed up for, such as free e-books. Therefore, make sure to get a reader's permission before sending an attachment.
Do you have a good understanding of the general idea behind writing email content? With P.A.S.S. hopefully you should, but it doesn't end there. The next factor to keep in mind when writing email content is length and formatting. You want to make your paragraphs short, with no more than three or four sentences each. In terms of formatting, make sure you put spaces between each of your paragraphs, but don't put in too much because too much means excess white space, which makes an email look unprofessional.
Also, don't put spaces within paragraphs, as these should be single-spaced. Additionally, do not indent your paragraphs; make it flush up against the left margin. Most importantly, make sure you spell-check your email before sending it out. Many email providers will even let you spell-check your email as you are inputting it. Emails that are misspelled or have grammar errors are classic among spammers and are quick to be deleted, even if they contained useful information.
The final thing you should remember when writing your email content is how you list your links. If you are creating an HTML-based email, you can do what is known as 'cloaking', which is basically when you provide a hyperlink within a word or phrase rather than having to list a full URL. This is especially helpful when providing affiliate links since: many people won't click on a link that they think is from an affiliate program. Even top-level domain names can benefit from cloaking, because it prompts the reader to take immediate action right there.
So, how do you go about cloaking a URL? If you are creating your HTML-based email in a word processor, HTML editor or email program, there are options available that will allow you to do this. If you want to use straight HTML, you use the following tag:
<a href="http://www.samplelink.com/">Sample</a>'Samplelink' would represents the URL you want your text to link to while 'Sample' represents your text. What would happen is 'Sample' would be hyperlinked, so if it's clicked on it will lead the reader to the samplelink.com. A reader would never even know that what they are clicking on originated from an affiliate link, if of course this is the case.
What about if you're sending a text-based email? Well, text-based emails do not allow cloaking, so you will have to list a URL. If you have a URL that is short and easy to remember, then it isn't a problem, but if you're promoting an affiliate link the reader might not be interested. This is why if you have an affiliate link or really any other type of very long URL, you have to use what is known as a URL redirection service. URL redirection services allow you to create a new domain name that, if selected, will redirect the reader to the true URL. Some, like Tiny URL, are free. An example of a Tiny URL link would be: http://tinyurl.com/3bkztd. Notice, it's significantly shorter than the original URL which was an affiliate link. To use Tiny URL, you just simply enter in the original URL into a form.
There is a downside to Tiny URL, despite its convenience. Even though the URL is shorter it still has an affiliate-like look, especially with the number combination at the end of the URL. If you are using text emails and you do not want your URL to appear this way, you will need to use a paid URL redirection service. Paid URL redirection services work just like Tiny URL, with one exception: you can use a regular domain name to hide your affiliate link. Network Solutions is an example of a company that offers this type of service. At a price of $12 per domain name per year, you can register up to 10 domain names that can point to your URL. All you have to do to use this service is enter in the domain names you want and the URL you want them to point them. In the latter step, you have the option of masking the original URL. This means that the original URL won't even appear in a visitor's browser… only the redirected URLs do.
Sample Email:
To better help you understand how to create email content, a sample email has been provided along with analysis of how it fits the guidelines you have just learned.
Subject: Are you not paying your debts?
According to USA Today, two-thirds of people in their twenties are laden down in debt. Of this number an alarming 50 percent are unable to pay their bills at all. If you are a part of this percentage, you may want to read on to learn about a way you can legally erase your debt.
How can you go about trying to delete your debt? The answer involves disputing records on your credit report. If any type of data is incorrect, or the credit card company does not have your records on file, (a scenario that occurs often), they are legally required to expunge your debt.
The best way to dispute your credit card debt is to get a law firm to do it for you. Academy Law, a law firm specializing in credit repair, can dispute your debt for a small monthly fee. To find out more about Academy Law please visit:
www.academylaw.com
Notice how the headline makes use of Yuwanda Black's suggestion of using the word 'not'. If a person is not paying their debts, (which unfortunately encompasses a lot of people), such a headline will get their attention. The headline also meets Bob Bly's definition of good headlines by asking a question.
The structure of the email also follows what you have learned. The first paragraph starts off with an interesting fact, meant to compel the subscriber to keep reading. The second sentence expands on this fact, while the third sentence gives mention to what the email will talk about, otherwise known as the purpose of the email. The purpose is implicitly, but if you want to state yours more directly, you are welcome. Note that although on the surface it may seem the last sentence in the first paragraph is requesting an action, (something that is normally a no-no until the last paragraph), it really isn't, because it is written in such a way to give the reader the choice to read on.
The second paragraph provides content that a person with a debt problem may not be aware of. Hopefully, after reading this paragraph they are interested enough to take the requested action, which is to visit Academy Law's website. Notice that the link at the end is not hyperlinked nor is it cloaked. If you were writing a text-based email, this is how it would appear if the browser has no hyperlinking capabilities. If the email was HTML-based the words 'Academy Law' could be hyperlinked to the Academy Law website.
