Creating Messages That Get Results

Posted on: 2005-11-08 13:24:00
Author: Javier Salces

This is where the real meat of e-Marketing begins. You have a listof hungry subscribers at your fingertips and now you need to convertthem into customers. You want to send them the best offer possible, presented in the best possible light.

In order to accomplish this, you need to create effective sales copy.

Good copy includes many elements: voice and style, propergrammar, spelling and punctuation, emphasis on benefits andmuch more. Let's talk a bit about each of these.

Voice/Style*

Your messages should sound professional without sounding "stuffy'.

You need to find your unique voice to connect with your subscribers.

Pretend that you are sitting across the table from a friend and writeas if you were speaking to them (leaving out, of course, things likeswear words or references to your personal life).

You should also keep close watch over pronoun usage. Talk directlyto the subscriber and avoid using the word "I" as much as possible.

Be personable, but not too personal.

English 101*

We all make mistakes in our writing at times. Your subscribers will probably forgive you for a few gaffes. However, you don't want to send out horriblywritten messages. Always run your copy through a spell-checker. Brush upon your grammar and punctuation skills if you've gotten rusty.

Focus on Benefits*

Never place your focus on selling the product or its features alone. Peoplewant to know what the product can do for them. For example: will it savethem time? Will it save them money? Will it bring more love into their life?

Remember that most consumers, even if they swear otherwise, purchaseproducts that they desire, and not products they need. Self-gratificationand self-improvement always lay behind the buying impulse

Offer Useful Content First*

Are you giving your subscribers useful information? You need to win themover first with lots of high quality, free content before you begin makingoffers. Your sales pitches should be periodic in nature.

It's a really bad idea to flood your list with offers every single day of the week. If you want, you can bury an affiliate link or two in eachnewsletter as long as it points to a useful resource in the context ofyour content. Just go easy on the special offers, though.

The best way to prime your subscribers is through scarcity. Your offersshould be something subscribers look forward to receiving, rather thansomething easily predictable.

Calls to Action*

When you do finally send an offer to your list, don't be shy about lettingyour subscribers know what action you want them to take. If you want themto buy a product, sign up for a membership, visit a site, etc., then offerthem the link and tell them to go for it.

Sprinkle your link several times throughout the copy for maximum effectiveness.