Loads of questions have been coming in the past month about email marketing.
Today I decided to take some time out to answer them.
Away we go…
Question: What is your favorite way to build your email list?
Answer: Joint ventures.
When someone else promotes you, it gives you immediate credibility and proof. In fact you’ll often see response rates at least DOUBLE what they are from cold advertising.
Here are a few of my favorite list building JVs.
Run a webinar where you promote a product 50/50 and register people for your list when they sign-up for the free webinar.
Participate in Amazon book launches where you give away one of your products as a bonus with the book. You add a whole bunch of “buyers” to your list for free.
Pay affiliates 100% commission on a low ticket product while you build a list of buyers.
Of course I love paid traffic also and use PPC Search, Facebook ads, CPV, banners, and more to grow my list quickly.
Question: Why aren’t you promoting _______ (insert newest and biggest IM launch)?
Answer: Because I don’t promote BSO’s.
Almost all of the hottest internet product launches are BSO’s (Bright Shiny Objects).
They’re a distraction you don’t need.
I do promote affiliate products from time to time, but they have to meet 3 qualifications first.
1. The product has to be excellent and worth at least 10 times the investment.
2. I take the time to try out the product myself and put it to the test.
3. It must be evergreen. It needs to work just as well next year as it does today.
Question: Do I have to use my name on my emails?
Answer: No.
You could create a pen name instead.
With my unique ‘Super Hero Writing Method,’ you could even think of your pen name as your alter ego.
Beginning email marketers are more confident using this alter ego persona.
One additional caution. In the US at least, you do need to have your business name and address on emails. It doesn’t have to be your home address. It could be a box you rent.
Question: Do you have to tell personal stories?
Answer: No, but you want to tell stories.
Some of your best stories may be about your clients.
Or you could tell a story one of your friends recently shared with you.
You could even talk about a book or movie character.
You could create a “parable” to illustrate your point.
Stories are simply a method of communication.
Question: How can you increase your open rates?
Answer: Write more entertaining subject lines.
Quit worrying so much about your open and clickthrough rates.
Sales are what matter. I’ve seen emails with 2,000 clickthroughs and 5 sales…and other emails with 350 clickthroughs and 122 sales. Which one would you rather have?
But to increase your open rates, try benefit + curiosity subject lines.
You offer a benefit plus make viewers curious about what you’ll say this time.
I have a lot of proven subject line formulas, and that’s one I regularly use.
If you’d like to dig deeper into writing “super hero” style emails, you will want to download January and February’s webinars from inside the Monthly Mentor Club.
Make sure you do it BEFORE the end of this month as I’m removing many of the past webinars at the end of May.
