Five Ways to Produce More Sales from your Email Promotions
Do sales come from your ezine regularly? How many well-written articles do you submit per week to Online ezines? How often do you send thank you's and follow up messages to your different email groups?
If you answered not many, then you need to re-evaluate. The answer to Online success is the same as traditional Success--promotion, promotion, promotion.
Use these easy ways to boost Online credibility and sales:
1. Market and Make your Ezine a Sales Tool
Ezines are one road to sales if you have targeted subscribers who stay with you at least 8 months After 4-7 issues, their trust builds and they eventually will buy from you. At the end of a great article or time, offer a hyper link straight to your sales letter for your related services or products. Your ezine readers will become Web site buyers.
Many professionals complain that many subscribe to their ezine, but not many buy. Ask yourself why?
Is your ezine list of subscribers one preferred audience?
Just like a book audience, you must visualize your preferred buyers. What are their interests, their major problem that you can solve, and what do they spend their money on? Are they online and comfortable with it? Go beyond age and sex for this audience profile.
As a book and Internet marketing coach, my ezine may not appeal to free-lance writers looking for work. While my ezine reports news on traditional publishing route, its focus is on self-publishing by non-fiction writers. It offers information on how to write an eBook as well as a print book.
Be sure to give your targeted audience what they want. If you don't know who they are, write a short survey of less than five questions to potential readers. Ask them, "what do you want?" Include the answers in your ezine and send a thank you to those who participate. .
How are you building your ezine subscriber list? What do you offer people who subscribe?
This sign on most Web sites turns people off: "Subscribe to Our Ezine."
What's the motivation? None. To increase your targeted subscribers Include a free eReport or book with every subscription. Get a strong testimonial like Dan Poynter's for The Book Coach Says... ezine: "Filled with useful tips and resources--definitely worth your time." Place it on your home page. Give visitors a reason to buy.
Another way to build ezine subscribers is to submit articles Online. Many Webmasters and other business people who subscribe will see your professional article and want to post it on their Web sites or in their own ezine. Why? Because they need fresh content for their site and ezine. They want and need your information. What great publicity for you!
When you get an article accepted by one to thirty opt in ezines, each with 1000 subscribers or so, you will reach at least 30,000 ready-to-buy potential customers in just one day. You can also submit to Web sites directly such as Marketing-Seek.com. When people see your articles, they will see your hyperlink to your Web site and visit, even buy. This viral marketing spreads the word fast and wide. It pushed your coach to # one and two in Google and 35 other search engines.
It increased new subscribers from 10-25 each time new articles were published. Building your email lists is one key to Online marketing success. You can see why I'm sure to submit at least two articles each week.
After just nine months of submitting over 105 articles to various sites, the key words I listed and distributed throughout the article placed me much higher on the search engines. Rarely do I update on the search engines, but I love what these articles do.
2. Submit Articles to Ezines and Web sites
After seeing different articles by you, your audience from the opt-in ezines and other Web sites will take advantage of your benefit-driven signature file, take you up on your free offer, visit your site, subscribe to your ezine, and eventually buy. Each time you submit an article, like me, you can boost new sales $50 to $100 a day.
Read articles on "How to Write a Publishable Article," "How to Write an Article Fast," "How to Submit Articles to Ezines and Web sites." Remember, the trick to promoting yourself and your products is giving away free information. It's like tasting chocolate cookie samples at Mrs. Fields. Visitors will be more likely to buy after they experience a piece of you.
Keep your articles categorized too. At first, I submitted random articles. Then I realized 20 years of coaching experience could be put into six categories:
- Writing/Publishing
- eBooks
- Online Promotion
- Web Marketing/Promotion,
- Offline/Traditional Marketing
- Under 500 words
Now, I offer these categories and a new tip category by auto responder to specific audiences who want specific kinds of articles. They appreciate the categories and the easy way to receive promotional articles.
Don't disappoint yourself by dropping the ball and not letting people know about you and your products and services. Your customers and clients are waiting for your message.
Do sales come from your ezine regularly? How many well-written articles do you submit per week to Online ezines? How often do you send thank you's and follow up messages to your different email groups?
If you answered not many, then you need to re-evaluate. The answer to Online success is the same as traditional Success--promotion, promotion, promotion.
Use these easy ways to boost Online credibility and sales:
3. Send Follow up Messages to your Customers, Subscribers and Customers
Do you keep email lists by category such as subscribers, potential clients, customers, or teleclass participants?
Talking with many small business people, I discovered many only keep one list, primarily subscribers. While giving my subscribers information once a month, I make it a point to connect with many other groups. Each month or so, I send them some free information, sometimes with a sales message, sometimes not.
How often do you follow up?
The people who hear from you over time develop trust in you. Once They trust you, they are more likely to buy from you than new contacts.
Keep a file of your loyal customers, your potential clients, your subscribers, your teleclass participants, and ePublishers.
To each of these, send a different, targeted follow up email. Send a "thank you" message offering a freebie. To my loyal customers I offered a free question answered by email.
In the same email, I followed with "Ways to Benefit and Succeed with the Book Coach." These included a free subscription to my ezine, a free teleclass on book writing and promotion, or an introductory coaching price. It's best to make one offer at a time.
Recycle those articles you post online. Give them away as free reports to your potential clients. No cost to you and they take very little time. When a publisher asks me for a longer article, it's easy because I have several versions of each article I write.
Put your online promotion groups in a buying mode. Make an irresistible offer that is real. Give them one or two free bonus reports they want. Caution: It's a turn off when the free bonus reports are worth more than the major package being sold. I just noticed one--the book was $39.95--the free bonuses were supposedly worth $500. That certainly doesn't speak truth.
For an eBook of 30-75 pages packed with how-to's and resources, offer two free bonus reports taken from your article files or book excerpts. These can be 3-7 pages.
4. Display your product or service's benefits clearly.
What do you do when you see in the subject line "Book announcement" or "Book Signing" or "Teleclass Marathon?" What motivates you to want to open that email? Even targeted ezine subscribers are likely to only open 50% of your emails.
Why not give your email lists a reason to open more? Give your potential buyer a picture of how their life would look after using your expertise. Write ad copy that appeals to their emotions, so they feel they must buy now.
5. Place your signature file at the bottom of every email you send.
Entrepreneurs who are new to the Internet may just sign their name at the bottom of their email. It's time to learn that this signature file is your great sales force. Subtle, but effective, what you put into those 4-7 lines is so important. Include your name and title, then what you do for your audience. For instance, "Helps small business people manifest their book and Web dreams." Include one free offer, possibly your ezine. Name your ezine and sweeten the pot with another freebie such as a free report for new subscribers. Include your Web and email address and your local phone number, so people outside the U.S. can contact you easily.
Don't disappoint yourself by dropping the ball and not letting people know about you and your products and services. Your customers and clients are waiting for your message. 5 ways to make more money with your e-zine
Have you been publishing an e-zine for at least six months but still aren't seeing real results (read: revenue) from it? Don't fret -- you may just need a tune up. Here are five ways to kick your e-zine income into gear this year:
1. TOOT YOUR OWN HORN MORE
The adage goes, "If you don't blow your own horn, someone else will use it as a spittoon." If your focus is providing your readers with useful information that enriches their lives and businesses, bravo! That SHOULD be your focus. But now I want you to look out for yourself as well: Take at least 25 percent of your e-zine space and make it all about YOU.
Give promos for your services, products, books, workshops, etc. List raving testimonials from clients and customers who LOVE you. Weave your business success stories into your articles and tips. Share something funny about your weekend that makes me feel closer to knowing you personally. (For more self-promotion tips, see my article "7 Ways to Self-Promote Within Your E-zine." (http://www.ezinequeen.com/7ways.htm)
2. MAKE ME AN OFFER I CAN'T REFUSE
Let's suppose I'm one of your subscribers. Even if I realize you offer am^zing products and services, I may need a kick in the pants to make a move. To entice me, offer me a special, limited-time deal. Examples: three months' of consultation for the price of two, a 20% d1scount on your latest book or newest service, or one of your usual offers with a few exciting bonuses thrown in. Make the offer obsolete within a few days or by next week. By putting a time limit on it, I'll be more apt to act n0w instead of later.
Don't overlook how powerful this tactic can be. Some of my most profitable weeks have resulted from running a limited time, special pr0motion of this type in my e-zine.
3. PACKAGE IT AT A L0WER PRICE POINT
This is a super strategy for service professionals such as consultants and coaches. As your subscriber, I know the way to get the BEST service from you would be to hire you one-on-one, but perhaps I can't afford that right now. BUT consider that I may likely be interested in lower-priced options such as group coaching, teleclasses, online seminars, or a manual/e-book.
This is exactly how I became an author. When I started my first e-zine, my main business was writing corporate communications. After I gained a few thousand subscribers, I realized that my readers were mostly small business owners and entrepreneurs. So I began creating products and services geared toward them. And now I profit more from those each month than I did from my corporate work. (And I'm having more fun, too!)
4. PROMOTE A PRODUCT/SERVICE THAT COMPLEMENTS YOURS
Do your readers and clients often ask you about a certain topic that's related to -- but not exactly -- what you offer? Then resell a resource that you heartily recommend and would put your reputation behind.
For example, while my specialty is e-zines, I get many questions about creating and selling e-books online. So I continually research credible resources on this topic to share with my readers. Many of the creators of these products offer a handsome commission on any sales I refer to them. (I do this myself by paying up to 35 percent commission on any referred sale. (http://www.ezinequeen.com/affiliate.htm)
NEVER recommend any service or product to your readers that you haven't personally tried and wouldn't back 100 percent. Otherwise you'll blow the trust that you've worked so hard to build up in your readership.
5. SELL AD SPACE AS IT SUITS YOU
E-zine ads won't make you r*ch, but they can make for some handy extra c^sh. (I call it my "margarita money.") Most e-zines offer one sponsor ad at the top and several "classified" ads at the bottom. Sponsor ads typically cost three to five times more than the classified ad, but you'll see the ranges vary greatly.
Start by offering ad specials to your own readers. Then also list your e-zine in the many e-zine advertising directories on the Web. These services help match advertisers with appropriate publishers just like you. (Need help? My manual gives step-by- step instructions on how to accept and profit from ads in your e-zine.)
Remember that you have every right to be selective about the type of ads you accept. While your readers know these ads don't represent YOUR business, their quality will indirectly influence their perception of you.
REMEMBER THE SILENT BENEFITS OF YOUR E-ZINE
Keep in mind that even if you aren't getting direct business from your e-zine at this time, it's still delivering many benefits that may be less obvious. Your e-zine is helping to establish you as an expert in your field. It's giving you massive online exposure. You're gaining further credibility with your current clients and customers. And it's forcing you to package your knowledge into concise articles on a regular basis, which you can recycle for many other marketing uses. How to publish a profitable newsletter without writing a word...
Have you ever considered publishing your own newsletter with a list of subscribers who read it on a regular basis? Have you ever thought about the income that this newsletter could provide? If you haven't, I think it's about time you start...
Why? Because, if done properly, your newsletter can be a goldmine for you!
Without your own "content concentrated" newsletter with an avalanche of subscribers who trust you, you might as well kiss the Internet riches goodbye.
Publishing your own newsletter still remains the only 'real and effortless' way to earning a steady income on the Internet. The best part? You can set-up your own newsletter in just minutes
Many people think that running their own newsletter is extremely difficult. They run away at even the thought of it! They fear they lack the expertise they need to write.
Well, behold, your worrying days are OVER! Yes, you CAN have a newsletter, even if you don't know a thing about the topic. Heck, you can have your own newsletter if you don't know English! How?
You can let other people write for you. There are many services on Internet who offer to write your newsletters for you.
One of these services is (http://www.elance.com/). You can find writers and services of ALL kinds here - if it deals with writing, you can find it here.
That's it, click of a mouse and you have a writer. Still think it's too hard to have your own profitable newsletter?
Here is another place where 'I' have had oodles of success finding people to write for me, internet marketing and writer forums.
You can easily find experts in all kinds of writing on these forums, and the best part is, they love helping! Even better, they take pride in their work, so you can make sure you always get the best of the best. Many times, they won't even charge you a penny for it. Why? This is their way of getting their name out there - more assurance that they're work will be flawless.
So now, all you have to do is know the topic and you can have others do ALL the writing FOR you - all for as little as $20.00.
You simply give the writer the topic, idea and style of writing you want - and WALAA, out comes your newsletter! When it's done, simply send it out to your subscribers - they'll never know that you didn't write it and you never have to credit the writer for it.
Now, you're probably worried about that $20.00 you spent, right? Well, if the issues are written well, just one issue of your newsletter can end up resulting in thousands of dollars in sales!
$20.00 turns into a possible thousands, and you didn't write a single word!
Just make sure you include links in the article to your affiliate products, or even your own products - as your subscriber is reading, he/she will click the links and BUY!
NOTE: The number of sales you make through your newsletter depends on the quality of the content you provide. People want quality information and not just information meant to sell.
There is a lot of crap on the internet nowadays, so if you want your readers to trust you as an expert in your field and buy from your recommendations - you NEED to provide very informative content.
If your content is helpful and fresh, your readers will learn to trust you - pretty soon, they will purchase everything you recommend!
Ok, so now you know how to get content for you newsletter, but how about the subscribers to actually read the content? There are some services that can get you subscribers very quickly. The best among them include:
(http://profitinfo.com/leadfactory/)
(http://www.hiplists.com)
(http://www.worldwidelists.com/)
(http://www.listopt.com/lbsignup.html)
Now, because they are offering you subscribers FAST and with little work on your part, you have to pay them. However, their costs are quite affordable, starting at just $0.09 per subscriber.
With quality content well packaged with your promotions, this minimal investment of buying subscribers can easily pay off. Our research at (http://www.affila.com/) shows that, if done properly, you should make an average of $10 a year per $0.09 subscriber you buy. And that, my friend, is not a bad start at all.
What else do you have to worry about? You now have subscribers and great content. Now, just choose some great products to promote, and sit back and watch the checks roll in.
How To Write Effective Email Subject Lines
You probably already know how critical good sales copy is to the success of your business. But how much thought do you put into your subject lines?
When doing e-mail promotions, your subject line can literally make or break your success -- a critical point that the majority of affiliates and marketers miss.
Think about all of those e-mails you're probably getting on a daily basis with subjects like:
"MAKE $75,000 EVERY WEEK GUARANTEED!"
"EXPLOSIVE STOCK PICK AT $0.45!!!!
"newsletter"
"THIS IS NOT SPAM!"
Do you open these e-mails? Because I know I sure don't! The subject line makes it obvious that the e-mail is spam... that it's from someone you don't know... or it doesn't offer a clear benefit that makes you want to read it.
Now let me ask you a question... How many of your legitimate newsletters and e-mails are mistakenly deleted by your subscribers who read your subject lines and assume it must be spam?
How many potential sales could you have saved simply by rewriting your subject lines?
Obviously I can't answer these questions for you. However, I can teach you how to write subject lines that will compel your subscribers to open and read any e-mail you send them.
When you write your subject lines, you basically have 3 choices:
1) You can make an announcement or give news. (i.e. "IMC shows affiliates how to write killer subject lines")
2) You can make the reader curious. (i.e."IMC gives affiliates this secret marketing strategy...")
3) You can emphasize how the reader will benefit from opening your e-mail. (i.e. Discover tips for writing subject lines that will increase your affiliate sales.)
Out of these 3 techniques, you will always be most successful if you write subject lines that state a clear benefit and tell the reader exactly how they are going to save money, save time, make their life easier, etc... by opening and reading your e-mail.
If you can state a benefit AND create curiosity, so much the better! (i.e., Discover this proven marketing strategy that will increase your affiliate sales!)
But again, the key when writing subject lines is to emphasize benefits by considering your product or service from your customers' point of view...
1) Will they benefit from taking the time to read your e-mail?
2) What will they learn?
3) Is your product/service going to save them time?
4) Is it going to save them money?
5) Is it going to improve their lives in some way?
Write subject lines that emphasize these benefits and I guarantee that you'll dramatically increase the number of subscribers who open and read your e-mail.
Two other key points to remember when writing your subject lines are:
a) Keep it short and sweet! Don't let your subjects run any longer than 60 characters -- and make sure that the most important details are mentioned first so it doesn't get cut off.
If your subscribers can't read your entire subject line because it's too long, chances are they won't open your e-mail.
b) If possible, personalize it! A subject line like "Bob, here's the info you need..." is going to get a MUCH better response than simply "Here's the info you need" because the recipient assumes you know them -- and is therefore more likely to open the e-mail.
We've proven that personalized e-mail like this can increase the response you receive by as much as 64%! So don't take this technique lightly...
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