How to Start an Email so the Subscriber is Recipient to Read to the Very End!
Once an email has been opened by a subscriber in your email marketing campaign, the next thing you need to do is GRAB the reader’s attention so the thought of backing out or deleting the email does not even cross their mind. In this post, “How to Start and Email so the Recipient is Obliged to Read to the Very End,” we will go through 6 proven ways to keep the reader engaged until the end.
Ask a provocative question – Don’t pose a question that has an obvious answer, such as “Who wants to get better results marketing your small business?” Ask a question that makes people stop and think. Use questions that begin with “what” or “how”, open ended questions, as these are better than questions that can be answered with one word. For example “how much time do you spend marketing your business online each week? And how much of that time is will spent?”
State a startling fact – Tell the reader something that will startle them or pique their interest. To really drive your point home, you might want to state two or three facts in a row. For example: “in a recent survey, a thousand small business owners estimated that they spent 50% of their time marketing their business online. They also stated that half of that marketing was a complete waste of time.”
Make a Bold Statement – Summarize your thoughts on the matter at hand in one direct statement. “Sometimes I think we tend to waste for too much time marketing our business” or “Internet Marketing is a hinderance to revenue growth. It’s a colossal waste of time, energy and money and should be banned.”
Cite a penetrating quote. Quoting someone is like sharing an opinion, but because someone else has said it you can be a little more outrageous resulting in credibility for you. For example: “Half the money spent on advertising is wasted,” says Lord Leverhulme (Founder of Unilever), “and the problem is I don’t know which half”
Refer to a current event – Bring up something that has just happened to establish the relevancy of your topic. Strange or funny topics work especially well. For example “On the news yesterday I heard about a small business owner that refused to take orders online….
Mix and match. Combine a number of different options. For example: “how much time do you spend marketing your business online each week? And how much of that time is well spent? In a recent survey, a thousand small business owners estimated that they spent 50% of their time marketing their business online. They also stated that half of that marketing was a complete waste of time. Maybe that’s why Lord Levenhume said “Half the money spent on advertising is wasted, and the problem is I don’t know which half!”
It’s my belief that marketing your small business is paramount to your success or failure. If you do not get your name, expertise and influence in to the market place then you will not win new business, or even secure repeat business. Small business email marketing is not dead it should be a critical component of any small business marketing campaign.
If your readers are on your email marketing list then they are there because they have an unspoken hope, that you will make great use of their time.
Increasing readibility is one of the challenges faced with business email marketing. Get your opening first couple of sentences right and you will win the reader’s attention, respect and good will. Then they will more than likely read the entirety of your mail, including the call to action and progress the relationship further.
About
James Debono is a small business owner and Internet entrepreneur. James dedicates his time to helping other small business owners leverage the power of the Internet to drive business growth and positive change. Click here Join James Debono on Google+
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