October 18, 2007

5 Phases to Email Marketing

Tip! AVOID the Word FREE in Your Message: Why, because the spam filters will get you. While FREE might be the most attractive word in email marketing, it’s also one of those that spam filters will likely detect to block your message.

When using email marketing to sell a product or service you can’t just start selling to your readers in the first email. The reason is the odds of the reader knowing who you are or what you are all about are pretty low, even if they subscribed to your newsletter from a form on your website. People do not purchase from those they do not know. So the key to a successful email marketing campaign is “warming up” your readers to the sell.

The “warming up” process can be broken down into five distinct phases. It’s a good idea to keep these in mind as you work to warm up your lists.

Tip! Start using a permission-based email marketing software that allows you to easily create newsletters, automatically manage subscribes, unsubscribes, bounces, and view reporting statistics like opens and clickthroughs.

Phase 1 — “Cold Readers”

These are folks who have just filled out the form on your website, or whose details you have received via co-registration.

You know nothing about them, and they know nothing about you, so at this phase, your primary job is to introduce yourself, and begin to establish yourself as a source of credible and useful *free* information.

I emphasized the word *free* in that, because “cold” leads are very unlikely to buy anything from you, no matter what you do.

PHASE 2 — “Curious Readers”

At this phase, people may have opened one or two of your emails and have at least decided to stay on your list long enough to find out what you’re about, and what they can gain by reading your emails.

Tip! Automate Your Programs and Routines. To optimize your email marketing software efforts you should automate processes including subscriptions, unsubscribe, monthly newsletters and more.

Another way of thinking of this group is that they are the ones who are actually opening and reading your emails, whether they open the first or the tenth that you send them.

Your job with this group remains essentially the same as was true at Phase 1 … you are still in the process of “warming them up” to the idea that you are credible and trustworthy.

Again, not a time to be trying to sell them things, because few of them will buy, anyway.

PHASE 3 — “Interested Readers”

These are the folks who have opened and read several of your emails, and now continue to read them. Perhaps they have “moved” themselves from your “cold” list by opting-in to one or your newsletters or free mini-courses.

Tip! I will have to try really hard to get the customer back (without the aid of Email Marketing - which will be super hard and in some cases impossible).

By doing so, they have “told” you that they are interested in what you have to say, willing to read more of your emails, and may, in due time, buy something on the basis of your suggestion.

One way to know who your “interested” prospects are is to offer a free ebook or mini-course, and make them “register” for it by opting in to a second autoresponder.

Another is to run a survey form on your site, invite them to participate, and capture their contact information when they do so.

Tip! Don’t be afraid to go long. In the early days of email marketing, short copy was the rule.

The point is they have taken some *action* based upon your previous emails, and have told you by that action that they are interested in what you have to say, and willing to read what you write to them.

PHASE 4 — “Excited Readers”

Tip! Boring Email Marketing messages don’t keep your customer’s attention.

These are folks who are almost ready to buy. They may have written you asking for more information, or visited your sales page several times. Maybe they are thinking about joining your business opportunity, but for some reason not quite ready to sign up and pay their money. They need some sort of “push” or “nudge” to get them to take action.

Maybe they need a “special offer” of some kind, or simply a personal follow-up email or phone call from you. Whatever it is, these are your *HOT* prospects.

Tip! My Email Marketing messages were boring and sleep inducing (which is not really the ego strokes I am looking for).

PHASE 5 — “Customer”

The final phase is, of course, obvious. These are the folks who have bought your product, joined your opportunity, or bought something that you promote as an affiliate.

Tip! Often, boring Email Marketing messages don’t get read.

In the long run, these are the folks who will make you the most money, because it will become easier and easier for them to act on your recommendations, as long as you don’t betray their trust by endorsing poor quality products or programs.

You need to think of these folks as *friends*, because that is what they really are. They have now given you permission to send them follow-up offers and program endorsements.

Tip! More often, boring Email Marketing messages get put right into the delete box.

Even though they may represent only a tiny percentage of the entire population of your list, these people are your long term gold mine group.

Treat them with respect, they have warmed up to you and what You have to offer. Maintain a high level of integrity and they will continue to follow you for years to come

Christopher Stirling is the owner of Top-Work-From-Home-Directory.com His website is geared for people who are interested in finding an online work at home opportunity. If you would like to learn more visit his website at: http://www.top-work-from-home-directory.com

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