Here is how I just doubled my response to my email list

[CarolinaInvestor]

Hi warriors,
Hey, I'm not even selling anything! I have learned a lot over my short time here on this forum so let me give a little back. Some of you old dogs may already know this but it was a surprise to me.

I just sent out an email to the subscribers on one of my sites. I usually get a good bump in visitors from my emails, but this one was 5 or 6 times the bump I usually get. In fact I actually doubled the largest number of users I had ever had to the site. The funny thing is that the email I sent was just a correction I felt my users needed to know about. No sales, no come on down pitch. What I did do is personalize the email. I had never messed with the tokens capability of my newsletter module, but I thought I would experiment and see how it worked. In the past I started my emails with "Hi everyone" or something like that. This email I set up to be "Dear [firstname] [lastname]" with the info filled in from their profile and selected the replace tokens option in my newsletter module. Not only did my visitors spike as described above, but I received a bunch of responses back thanking me for the correction and the site. Actually its kind of funny that some of my employees that have accounts said they couldn't believe I had taken the time to send them a personal email (Boy my fingers are tired from typing those thousands of emails ).

I guess we all know that people like their name - always use it in a sales conversation and such. I never realized that I was passing up a big chance to connect better with my users. From now on all my emails will be personalized similarly.

[Nightengale]

Glad to see you had such excellent response from such a small change.

To make it work though, you have to maintain the integrity of your IM business. Constantly sending out sales e-mails or piking your JV partner's products won't earn your any Brownie points. It's extremely important to consistently provide useful content to your list.

I think we here on the WF are often very jaded. WE know that personalized e-mails aren't generally a personal communication, but the rest of the world doesn't know that. I think if you take the time to personalize your communications and really be sincere about building a relationship with your list, personalization will only help you.

I wish you continued success.

Michelle

[CarolinaInvestor]

Originally Posted by Nightengale

Constantly sending out sales e-mails or piking your JV partner's products won't earn your any Brownie points. It's extremely important to consistently provide useful content to your list.

True! You only have to be a recipient on a poor list to understand what a fragile relationship this can be. Anyone can opt out so I understand the importance and value of not abusing the list. Actually I was a little worried about sending out this email as it was a correction - not really the same level of quality I have sent out in the past, but it was necessary.

[mikeyman120]

I have been doing this with aweber. I always ask for first name and email. I know from my own experience that when I get an email with my name in it I know it is a list I subscribed to so I open it. And I believe other also like seeing there name it is much more personalized. I also notice a trend of marketers not asking for the first name and only asking for the email address. I decided not to do this as I feel getting the personalizeed email is something they will respond better to. That's just my opinion.

Mike

[Braveheart37]

Thanks for sharing that with us - im going to try it today!

[Chris_Willow]

Writing your emails as to a single person really helps. The name tokens used to be really impressive, but now when everyone's doing it, it has lost it's value. But outside out little IM world it can still be very effective.

Congratulations

Chris

[CarolinaInvestor]

Originally Posted by mikeyman120

I also notice a trend of marketers not asking for the first name and only asking for the email address. I decided not to do this as I feel getting the personalizeed email is something they will respond better to. That's just my opinion.

Mike, I think this proves you right. It's really one of those things you already know, but kick yourself for not really getting it. Like the invention you see and go, "wow i knew that so why didnt i make that."

Originally Posted by Braveheart37

Thanks for sharing that with us - im going to try it today!

Great! Hope it helps. Let us know how it worked for you. I have had enough science to know that a sample group of 1 doesn't necessarily prove anything; however, this was more of a slap in the face where I said of course! Do fill us in on your results.