Email marketing? Ratio of Promo emails VS Content emails?

by entry
10 replies
If you have 20 emails in your series, how many should be promotional (affiliate links) and how many content?

from a % point of view, what would be the minimum % of emails you would say to be promotional emails (with the rest being just content only).

Email promo message =?? %
Email content info message = ?? %

and would it be the same ratio%, if you have 40 emails in the series?
#content #email #marketing #ratio #sales
  • Profile picture of the author E. Brian Rose
    You're not providing enough information. Are you talking about general emails to your list or a series of emails promoting a specific product that people opted in to learn more about?

    If you are talking about a general list that you will be in communication with for a while and will be addressing different topics, then focus on relationship building before you ask them to hand money over. Get to know your list and let your list get to know you. When they see you as an expert in your field and trust you know what you are talking about, then they will take your recommendations more seriously.
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    • Profile picture of the author entry
      Originally Posted by E. Brian Rose View Post

      You're not providing enough information. Are you talking about general emails to your list or a series of emails promoting a specific product that people opted in to learn more about?
      oh, a bit of both.

      1} General emails promoting my product
      2} Generatel email promoting affiliate products (in a different niche)

      both types of niches got the subcribers with squeeze pages.
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  • Profile picture of the author Zeus66
    Don't think in "either, or" terms like that. Some of the most effective emails you can send provide both good, informative info and a related sales pitch. The trick to this is writing in such a way that you transition into the pitch in a seamless way. Eric Louviere's a master of this, for example.

    Let your product recommendation drive that bus. In other words, figure out what the major benefit of your product (or aff. recommendation) is, then create your informational copy around that. Use that to illuminate the issue and to give details about it, then transition into a solution. Just don't beat them over the head with it! Make it subtle and keep it friendly and personal. Works amazingly well!

    John
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    • Profile picture of the author paulie888
      Originally Posted by Zeus66 View Post

      Don't think in "either, or" terms like that. Some of the most effective emails you can send provide both good, informative info and a related sales pitch. The trick to this is writing in such a way that you transition into the pitch in a seamless way. Eric Louviere's a master of this, for example.

      Let your product recommendation drive that bus. In other words, figure out what the major benefit of your product (or aff. recommendation) is, then create your informational copy around that. Use that to illuminate the issue and to give details about it, then transition into a solution. Just don't beat them over the head with it! Make it subtle and keep it friendly and personal. Works amazingly well!

      John
      You'd do well to follow John's advice. This way you don't come off as being someone who just pitches stuff all day long. What you could also do is describe how to do something the free (and usually hard) way, and then segue into your solution which makes things so much easier. Just make sure that you provide enough details when explaining how to do things the free way.

      Your list will absolutely love you for using this approach as you're providing them with real, actionable information instead of endless sales pitches. You'll develop a much better relationship with your list when providing real value such as I've described.

      Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author astnpwrz
    According to Mr Frank Kern. 25 to 1 ratio of Content to Promo. With a strong emphasis on being "really cool" to your list while providing valuable content and giving away free stuff. cheers!!
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  • Profile picture of the author briankoz
    There's no easy answer to this -- every market and every list can be different. Some will swear by having every e-mail have a promotion, while others will swear by having tons of content.

    My personal finding is that if it's a new list, you want to come right out with promotions, especially in the first e-mail, because that's where you'll get more attention from a new list.

    It's also a myth to assume that people want more content than promotions.

    Don't believe me? Look at this very forum and tell me how many viewers are currently viewing the WSO forum vs. the main forum (pitch vs. free content). I'd be willing to bet that nearly 100% of the time that you check this, you'll see that the WSO has way more viewers -- by at least 30% to 60% more. Sometimes even double.

    - Koz
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  • Profile picture of the author tobyR
    I think & in my experience the last reply is spot on - its about the quality of what you send and obtaining your list's trust
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    • Profile picture of the author Brian Mullis
      I agree that each email doesn't have to be strictly content only or promotional only. But even if the message is content only, I have found it effective (at least with my insurance agent list) to put a link in my signature to a related service - usually a lead company in my case. If I make the link a catchy headline, it has worked even better. So I'm basically "selling without selling" but still providing good content.

      Brian
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  • Profile picture of the author E. Brian Rose
    When you start talking to your subscribers instead of at your subscribers, then all of this ratio of info to promo stuff will go out the window. I don't care what Frank Kern says!

    Your subscribers need to get to know you before they will take your recommendations seriously. Let that happen by being yourself. Tell them about what you do and what tools work for you and why. That is the type of recommendation that works. And these recommends can be in passing, somewhere in an email about what kind of day you had.

    One of the missing key ingredients in most IMers mailings is personality. It is very important to fill every correspondence with your own personality. Will everybody like your personality? Of course not! Some people think that I am abbrasive and don't get my humor, while others think I am funny and wise. You won't please everybody, just as everybody doesn't want to be your friend in real life.

    If you are boring, then your boring subscribers will relate to you. If you are hyperactive and full of energy, then those with a similar personality will take to you.

    Be yourself and don't worry about what Frank Kern says about info to promotion ratios. As long as you are doing your best to provide your subscribers with quality information in a way that entertains and informs them, then you will do well.
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