Email marketing is the online technique with better selling conversion rates.

Then, why so many people struggle to use email marketing to sell?

I’ve been asking this question to some of my clients and most of them admit that they don’t have time to nurture their lists. They only remember their beloved subscribers when they want to sell something to them.

And that’s not how it works.

Do you want to successfully use email marketing to sell? Follow these simple tips.

1. Get and retain subscriber

It all starts with your first subscriber, right? But, how do we get that first subscriber?

• Offer something very valuable

Or what is called a lead magnet. Something that will attract new leads to your list. However, you can’t just create a random piece of content.

Ask yourself: what am I going to use this list for?

Depending on your objectives, you’ll be interested in attracting a certain type of audience.

If you create a piece of content for X audience but then offer a different type of content or offers, your subscribers will unsubscribe from your emails. That’s why you have to keep your lists well segmented.

Once you have decided the use for a concrete list, create something very valuable for your audience, something that they can’t resist.

• Keep your audience’s expectations

Now that you have offered something very valuable, you can’t stop adding value. That’s cheating!

You need to keep the quality of the content that you share with your audience, but in smaller pieces of content.

If you opt for risking the quality of your emails, you’ll be giving your subscribers a reason to leave your list, so think carefully about what they really want to read from you, and write!

• Build relationships with your audience

I already talked about the importance of building relationships with your audience.

This is one of the most important things in email marketing. Your subscribers should know you before sending them a first offer.

Set a routine so your audience get used to the days when they should expect news from you and know what you want them to do.

2. Technical details about your emails

Content is important to get and retain subscribers. But that’s only half of the battle.

If you want to maximise your results, you have to implement a series of tips:

• Catchy headlines matter

Your subscribers are super busy people.

You need to grab their attention if you want them to stop to read your emails.

Headlines are the first thing they are going to read, so make sure that are catchy and straight to the point.

 Here you can see some examples of the headlines that worked best for me in the past:

Of course, it will depend on your audience. Icons work very well, they make your email stand out in your reader’s inbox. If you personalise the headlines with the name of your readers, they will feel that you’re talking directly to them.

The trick here is to make your readers want to open the email.

• Personalise your emails as much as you can

As mentioned before, add the name of your reader in the content of your email.

Don’t start with “Hello David,” be more creative than that. Here you have more examples of real campaign that I sent:

[Tweet “Your message will have more impact if your readers see that you’re talking directly to them.”]

• Add a strong call-to-action

Add a strong call-to-action, only one. Tell you audience exactly what you want them to do and don’t give any more options.

If you want your audience to visit a landing page, add links, buttons and images that link to this landing page.

However, if you include a link to, let’s say, one of your blog posts as well, your clients could leave your email without doing the action that you really want them to do.

Decide the objective behind the email and adapt this call-to-action to it.

• Optimise your emails for mobile devices

Half of your emails are going to be read from a mobile device.

It’s important that you take some time to send yourself a test of your campaign and open it from your mobile phone. You should very if images can be seen and the text is readable, as well as any graphic element such as buttons.

3. Presenting your products through email marketing to sell

Now we’re getting a constant flow of subscribers and you email campaign is almost ready. But, how are you going to plan the sales of your products or services?

• Copywriting

Words are the key in your emails.

Emails that say nothing are always ignored.

You need to use words that sell, to persuade your audience. You’ll also have to connect with your audience.

Forget about sale pitches and even forget about the features of your product. Focus on your audience pain points, and explain your audience how your product is going to solve them.

Talk to your audience as you talk to an old friend. No business language or jargon. The more approachable you sound, the better.

Spend some times working on the copywriting of your emails and consider hiring an expert if you’re not able to write a persuasive text, you’d be surprise of how a text can make the difference in your campaigns.

• Automotion can save you a lot of time

You need to spend some time writing a series of emails so new subscribers can get to know you and be at the same level as the rest of your subscribers.

Automotion is the key here. You need to plan a series of emails that your new subscriber will get from the very first day that joins your list.

I recommend sending between three and five depending on your campaign.

Be strategic here and send every email with an objective in mind. For example:

Email 1: Give your reader your lead magnet, a very useful and exclusive piece of information. An exclusive gift only for your subscribers.

Email 2: Talk about the benefits that your subscriber is going to get by belonging to your list.

Email 3: Give your reader a list of useful resources (include some of your blog posts) so he can start reading some of your content to get to know you.

Email 4: Present a first product with an exclusive discount for your leads.

You could plan these four emails for every new subscriber that gets to your list and forget about it!

• Scalable pricing: the perfect selling strategy for email marketing

This is my own theory.

You can agree or disagree, but I would love to hear your thoughts about it.

A subscriber is a person that has been following you for a while. This person maybe read a couple of your blog posts, liked them and decided to give you the power to send him a email every now and then.

He likes what you do, but not as much as to buy from you. That’s why he’s a subscriber and now a client.

That’s why he reads all your blog posts and emails, but when you talk about your £200 webinar, he runs away. He’s not ready to buy it.

That’s why you need a scalable pricing strategy.

Getting back to the webinar example:

Imagine that you’re selling a £200 portrait photography course. You think that the price is reasonable because it’s a quality course. However, when your reader could think that that’s quiet an investment, if he doesn’t know you well enough to know the actual value of your course.

Then, why don’t you write an ebook about the most important tips when taking portraits and sell it at £20?

This person that reads all your blogs and emails may consider making a first small investment to get to know your products, before investing in a final product.

Once he verifies that your ebook had enormous benefits for his business, he’ll be more likely to buy your final product.

Now apply this scalable pricing strategy to your business. How can you adapt your final product to offer an initial product to your subscribers?

 

It can be overwhelming to start building a subscriber list and make it work for your business. Remember that you’re not alone, take your time to implement this tips and analyse your result. You’ll be amazed about how quick your list can grow!

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