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How to write followup emails? - I need some help...

by hjalte81
14 replies
Hi everyone...

I'm slowly moving into new territory and are playing around with selling trough email instead of just from blogs...

I've converted a couple of my niche-blogs into squeeze blogs and I'm slowly, but steadily, building a couple of lists in niche-markets.
Now, my problem is selling...

This whole thing with email and autoresponders is somewhat new for me... I've had lists in the IM niche for a while, but I've only used it to broadcast...

Let me give you guys a very concrete example of what I'm dealing with:

I have a couple of websites/blogs in a very specific niche market. The websites deals with how to get a job in a certain area...

Right now, I send half my traffic to the squeeze page and the rest to the presell page (later I'll send all the traffic to squeezepage). I get around 10 opt-ins a day.

The people who optin to my list are very targeted and all look for jobs in this specific area...

As of now, I have a followup sequence where I send them ideas, tips and promote a service that'll help them get a job in that area...

Now, I'm not really selling anything.. I mean, I get an occasional sale every now and then, but it's far from consistent. I'm starting at square 0 here and I have no idea if what I'm doing is right or wrong...

Can you please guide me in the right direction and tell me what I need to read, buy, try etc.

Thanks guys
#autoresponder #email marketing #emails #followup #write
  • Profile picture of the author George Langer
    Hi,
    there is not exact recipe for that (or at least I don't know it), but
    the best think you should be doing (and you are probably doing it already as I read your post) is giviving your people a solution to their problems.

    As you are in touch with them you understand what is it what they need mostly, simply find it and offer it to them. You won't go wrong if it is paid solution as long as it is valuable for them. Many people are willing to pay for good solution.

    You can go further in inestigation of your list needs by sending them small questionaire (every good autoresponder allows it), paricipate in forums, ....

    Best regards
    George
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    • Profile picture of the author Robert M Gouge
      Originally Posted by George Langer View Post

      Hi,
      there is not exact recipe for that (or at least I don't know it), but
      the best think you should be doing (and you are probably doing it already as I read your post) is giviving your people a solution to their problems.

      As you are in touch with them you understand what is it what they need mostly, simply find it and offer it to them. You won't go wrong if it is paid solution as long as it is valuable for them. Many people are willing to pay for good solution.

      You can go further in inestigation of your list needs by sending them small questionaire (every good autoresponder allows it), paricipate in forums, ....

      Best regards
      George
      I agree with this.

      I'm also new to email marketing so, like you, I'm interesting topics like these. So thanks for this thread.

      The only thing that I can offer that might help you out is to simply speak to your list as if they are your friend. After all, they are real people. You know what problems they have (they need a job). Speaking to them on a personal level about this and then offering them a product you *really* believe in is what it is all about I think.

      If you have a product for these people that you would offer to a friend or relative, then offering it your list should be no problem. Simply treat them as if they were a friend or relative and not only will they be greatful for the information, but they will thank you by checking out your offer. I think you'll know you're doing it right when your list starts to thank you for advertising to them.

      Obviously I'm not an expert in this area by any means, but there is just my view and a little about what I've been learning about list marketing. Hope this helps some or gives you ideas. Good luck.
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      • Profile picture of the author hjalte81
        Originally Posted by Robert M Gouge View Post

        I agree with this.

        I'm also new to email marketing so, like you, I'm interesting topics like these. So thanks for this thread.

        The only thing that I can offer that might help you out is to simply speak to your list as if they are your friend. After all, they are real people. You know what problems they have (they need a job). Speaking to them on a personal level about this and then offering them a product you *really* believe in is what it is all about I think.
        Thanks... I always try to imagine writing to a good friend when I'm doing crafting the followups... It's actually very seldom that you use your friends name in emails, isn't it
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    • Profile picture of the author hjalte81
      Originally Posted by George Langer View Post

      Hi,
      there is not exact recipe for that (or at least I don't know it), but
      the best think you should be doing (and you are probably doing it already as I read your post) is giviving your people a solution to their problems.

      As you are in touch with them you understand what is it what they need mostly, simply find it and offer it to them. You won't go wrong if it is paid solution as long as it is valuable for them. Many people are willing to pay for good solution.

      You can go further in inestigation of your list needs by sending them small questionaire (every good autoresponder allows it), paricipate in forums, ....

      Best regards
      George
      Thanks a lot...
      I believe I have what they need... or at least what can help them get what they need...

      I have played around with the survey thing... I probably should spend more time in forums and similar...
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  • Profile picture of the author Neil Morgan
    My advice would be this.

    Write your follow-up emails to be as information packed as possible but make sure that each one has one (and only one) very clear action that you want the reader to take.

    That action might be replying, clicking on a link, phoning you or something else.

    But, whatever it is:

    (a) Make sure it's crystal clear what you want your reader to do.

    (b) Give clear incentives for taking that action.

    (c) Make it very easy for them to do what you want them to do.

    If you don't have an action that you want them to take, sending follow-up emails becomes a pointless exercise as fas as moving your business forward is concerned.

    Cheers,

    Neil
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    • Profile picture of the author bobby_shahzad
      You should really look for some good writer under warriors for hire to do the job for you. I get my followup messages done in under $5 per message and they are of good quality too
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      • Profile picture of the author wayne60618
        Originally Posted by bobby_shahzad View Post

        You should really look for some good writer under warriors for hire to do the job for you. I get my followup messages done in under $5 per message and they are of good quality too
        I would argue that this is a bad idea. You shouldn't outsource a core part of your business strategy to someone who charges $5. You are abdicating responsibility for your business to a low level "employee". If you want to outsource your number one selling function, outsource it to a real pro. Every $ you spend driving traffic is wasted when your "salesman" can't sell.
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      • Profile picture of the author hjalte81
        Originally Posted by bobby_shahzad View Post

        You should really look for some good writer under warriors for hire to do the job for you. I get my followup messages done in under $5 per message and they are of good quality too
        Nice... do you see better results after you get them made for you?
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        • Profile picture of the author Heather H
          This one stumped me for a long time too. Now I craft a story. It usually works better than facts. Since you are in a niche you care about it shouldn't be too difficult. You want to pull at their emotions a bit. That always works.
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    • Profile picture of the author wayne60618
      Originally Posted by Neil Morgan View Post

      My advice would be this.

      Write your follow-up emails to be as information packed as possible but make sure that each one has one (and only one) very clear action that you want the reader to take.

      That action might be replying, clicking on a link, phoning you or something else.

      But, whatever it is:

      (a) Make sure it's crystal clear what you want your reader to do.

      (b) Give clear incentives for taking that action.

      (c) Make it very easy for them to do what you want them to do.

      If you don't have an action that you want them to take, sending follow-up emails becomes a pointless exercise as fas as moving your business forward is concerned.

      Cheers,

      Neil
      Neil offers some really good advice, so I will build on what he says. First, put on the hat of your reader. They subscribed for a reason and generally that reason was the "bribe" that you offered, which gave them something they were searching for, perhaps an answer. Carry that theme forward and show genuine interest in helping them get where they want to go.

      I would start your thought process by addressing what their biggest questions are and write from there. What obstacles do they need to overcome? Help them. You can also poll them and ask.

      Moving beyond that though, think story. Part of your job is a marketer is to keep them engaged. Tell stories about you or others and use that to wrap your message. It doesn't need to be anything too over the top, a good story structure starts with an objective (of the hero) and a challenge and what they did to overcome that challenge.

      Try to make your "hero" like your prospect. It will resonate with them. Your stories can be tangentially related to the actual topic. For example, if you are selling an IM product you might use a metaphor of your training for a marathon to illustrate a point.

      To me, this is an easy way for most people to not only humanize their message to their audience but develop a loyal readership. If you haven't done it already, I suggest to you get on Paul Myers list and pay close attention to the way he creates his emails. They all have value and there is an element of entertainment/story woven into a lot of them.

      Wayne
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      • Profile picture of the author hjalte81
        Originally Posted by wayne60618 View Post

        Neil offers some really good advice, so I will build on what he says. First, put on the hat of your reader. They subscribed for a reason and generally that reason was the "bribe" that you offered, which gave them something they were searching for, perhaps an answer. Carry that theme forward and show genuine interest in helping them get where they want to go.

        I would start your thought process by addressing what their biggest questions are and write from there. What obstacles do they need to overcome? Help them. You can also poll them and ask.

        Moving beyond that though, think story. Part of your job is a marketer is to keep them engaged. Tell stories about you or others and use that to wrap your message. It doesn't need to be anything too over the top, a good story structure starts with an objective (of the hero) and a challenge and what they did to overcome that challenge.

        Try to make your "hero" like your prospect. It will resonate with them. Your stories can be tangentially related to the actual topic. For example, if you are selling an IM product you might use a metaphor of your training for a marathon to illustrate a point.

        To me, this is an easy way for most people to not only humanize their message to their audience but develop a loyal readership. If you haven't done it already, I suggest to you get on Paul Myers list and pay close attention to the way he creates his emails. They all have value and there is an element of entertainment/story woven into a lot of them.

        Wayne
        Thanks a lot wayne, you gave me some good pointers there...
        Will definately check out the Paul Myers (Meyers?) thing.
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    • Profile picture of the author hjalte81
      Originally Posted by Neil Morgan View Post

      My advice would be this.

      Write your follow-up emails to be as information packed as possible but make sure that each one has one (and only one) very clear action that you want the reader to take.

      That action might be replying, clicking on a link, phoning you or something else.

      But, whatever it is:

      (a) Make sure it's crystal clear what you want your reader to do.

      (b) Give clear incentives for taking that action.

      (c) Make it very easy for them to do what you want them to do.

      If you don't have an action that you want them to take, sending follow-up emails becomes a pointless exercise as fas as moving your business forward is concerned.

      Cheers,

      Neil
      Thanks Niel...

      Would you recommend mixing up the actions or doesn't it matter?

      Couldn't the purpose of an email be to create a relationship with the reader before you start selling to them?
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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    http://youtu.be/wo_Vv82Y-KU

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  • Profile picture of the author lvnworks
    You can use Aweber. It is the best Email Marketing provider for me.

    They have a user-friendly platform and a prompt support.
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    2011 Email Lists - 5m and growing....

    Contact me: lvnworks (at) gmail (dot) com

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