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Email Content Sent To Your List

by Tocholke
21 replies
What would typical content be when writing emails in your autoresponder to you list? Do you always focus directly on your niche?

How long are you emails generally?

I've heard many diferent things from many people. I'd like to hear what everyone on WF is doing.
#content #email #list
  • Profile picture of the author Zeus66
    You'll get a range of opinions here. Some of the more hardcore marketers will say always send something that will make you money ("churn and burn"). Some of us will say it's better to build trust with your list by sending a lot of good tips and links without trying to make money with every email.

    Both can work. But there's a middle ground, too. Consider sending emails with good content your readers can walk away from and feel they learned from, but that also pitches a related product at the end. The good content lessens the sales pitch hype of the offer at the end (when you do it right).

    This takes a bit of practice, but it's a simple idea really. Start with what you want to promote and work backwards. Craft a few paragraphs of useful info that naturally leads to the sales pitch at the end. Kind of reverse engineering.

    Re: length, experiment. What works for me may not work for you... it probably depends on the niche and how you built your list. Maybe start by writing emails of roughly the same length as the ones you get yourself that you like to read. Then try shorter and longer and track results (open rates, click-throughs, sales conversions).

    Treat it like a serious business and it will reward you. Full-time incomes are made every month by a lot of people who do nothing more than build and mail to their lists.

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

      You'll get a range of opinions here. Some of the more hardcore marketers will say always send something that will make you money ("churn and burn"). Some of us will say it's better to build trust with your list by sending a lot of good tips and links without trying to make money with every email.

      Both can work. But there's a middle ground, too. Consider sending emails with good content your readers can walk away from and feel they learned from, but that also pitches a related product at the end. The good content lessens the sales pitch hype of the offer at the end (when you do it right).

      This takes a bit of practice, but it's a simple idea really. Start with what you want to promote and work backwards. Craft a few paragraphs of useful info that naturally leads to the sales pitch at the end. Kind of reverse engineering.

      Re: length, experiment. What works for me may not work for you... it probably depends on the niche and how you built your list. Maybe start by writing emails of roughly the same length as the ones you get yourself that you like to read. Then try shorter and longer and track results (open rates, click-throughs, sales conversions).

      Treat it like a serious business and it will reward you. Full-time incomes are made every month by a lot of people who do nothing more than build and mail to their lists.

      John
      Thats what I am doing
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  • Profile picture of the author Tocholke
    Thanks John.

    I like the reverse idea. I was struggling with directing the end of me into into an offer and it never flows properly. Great stuff.

    Do list builders typically promote lots of different offers over time or sort of promote the same ones until they convert a reader to a buyer?
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  • Profile picture of the author Zeus66
    I can't recall ever mailing for the same affiliate offer more than 3 times. For my own stuff, yeah, I'll often mail 2-3 times in the first couple of weeks, then again occasionally as long as I'm offering it.

    But this is also something you'll get a wide range of opinions about. It's also a niche thing. If you're in a tight niche without a lot of new products coming out - or if you don't make a lot of new stuff yourself - then you might be left with no other choice than to promote the same stuff more often.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tocholke
    I'm leaning towards the content first leading to a pitch. Seems like it would have the best results if done pproperly. I wish I had some previous data to use as a benchmark for testing, but I guess that will follow.

    Thanks again for the feedback. I really appreciate it.
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  • Profile picture of the author talfighel
    It is always a good idea to send your list offers that are in that particular niche. That is why they subscribed to your newsletter in the first place. I would not send offers that have nothing to do with your niche. Bad idea.

    People subscribed to my list because they wanted to learn how to earn money online. I am not going to send them an offer that talks to them how to "help women get pregnant who have a hard time getting pregnant".

    For your offers, if you are offering one specific product, I would do everything in my power to pre-sell them this program from as many angles as possible. You can send them free content such as articles and you can tell them the benefits of your program.
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  • Profile picture of the author Joe Benjamin
    Originally Posted by Tocholke View Post

    What would typical content be when writing emails in your autoresponder to you list? Do you always focus directly on your niche?

    How long are you emails generally?

    I've heard many diferent things from many people. I'd like to hear what everyone on WF is doing.


    This area is greyer than a black and white movie.

    The way I do it is entertaining and informational.

    ...as well as promotional.

    Certainly not the easiest way -- but it does the job.

    ...for me.

    There are emails that are focused on information
    only.

    Emails focused on promotion only (Churn n' Burn).

    Emails combining both but lacking entertainment
    value.

    Emails that combine all three.

    Clearly there are many directions you can go that
    will make the most sense -- and money --

    ...for you.
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  • Profile picture of the author MKCookins
    I like to keep my emails short and to the point telling my subscribers 3 keys things...
    1) what i have
    2) why they need it
    3) where they can get it

    This can be a educational email or promotional. People are busy and don't have time to read every email - making it short this way will get more click through rates.

    As far as what i send to my subscribers - i send information I believe will be of high value and they will want to know more about.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Yes i always focus on my niche - and it depends on the backend products that i'm promoting. I generally keep my emails relatively short.... maybe around 250 words long. I get in, and get out.
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    • Profile picture of the author Tocholke
      Originally Posted by Randall Magwood View Post

      Yes i always focus on my niche - and it depends on the backend products that i'm promoting. I generally keep my emails relatively short.... maybe around 250 words long. I get in, and get out.
      Makes sense. If I was reading the email I would want the key info as quick as possible. I'm also a bit of an impulse buyer...but I'm sure people feel the same. Thanks for your input!
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      • Profile picture of the author isaacsmithjones
        As everyone says, this is a total grey area. But for me, my open rates increased when I started being more entertaining, and speak as though I'm speaking to a friend (with less profanity =P).

        I'm a bit of a rambler sometimes, so it takes a lot of proof reading.

        I always try to write as though I'm writing to one person (even though I don't collect names)... But I don't say stuff like "Hi Guys" because it seems really impersonal to me.

        I like to tell parables in my emails - If it's good enough for ma boy Jesus, it's good enough for me. And it helps the email to flow into the offer.

        I almost always put some kind of offer - And it's usually for my own products (except on my solo ad list) - But that's a whole different thing, that we're gonna leave alone today.

        The goal is to build trust, and position yourself as an expert. So I'm basically telling my subscribers about myself, and my life, and how different life experiences relate to my niche.

        You can exaggerate the most mundane things to make a decent email, and it can be a lot of fun. I once wrote an email with the subject:

        "Why only real winners microwave their doughnuts"

        Just be creative, and experiment with different styles. TRACK EVERYTHING, and then you'll KNOW what works for you. And it will even differ in your own business if you're working in a few niches.

        If I talked some of the gibberish I chat in my main IM list to some of my other lists, they'd HATE me =P!

        Happy testing!

        Isaac

        P.S. I think mine are usually 300-600 words. At least 300. Today's was 372 =)
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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Originally Posted by isaacsmithjones View Post

          I always try to write as though I'm writing to one person (even though I don't collect names)... But I don't say stuff like "Hi Guys" because it seems really impersonal to me.
          It all depends on what your readers expect.

          If you lead them to expect a series of one-on-one, personal emails, then "Hi Guys" would be inappropriate.

          On the other hand, if you are sending emails in a traditional newsletter format, "Hi Guys" could be taken as the personal touch lacking in more formal newsletters. The reader already knows he's part of a group - pretending he isn't won't make things more personal. It's like a performer going on stage and asking the audience "how are all y'all doing tonight?"
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  • Profile picture of the author TimK06
    Originally Posted by Tocholke View Post

    What would typical content be when writing emails in your autoresponder to you list? Do you always focus directly on your niche?

    How long are you emails generally?

    I've heard many diferent things from many people. I'd like to hear what everyone on WF is doing.
    Tocholke Hi! I think you should stay in the pocket you don't want to send none related content to someone who signed up for your list for a specific reason.

    The emails don't have to incredibly long unless the content is extremely valuable. Just a few tips here a couple updates there. Wala! You have an active email list.

    Kind Regards
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  • Profile picture of the author wakey7
    My weekly schedule goes like this:

    Monday - Free, useful content
    Tuesday - Free, useful content
    Wednesday - Promotional content
    Thursday - Free, useful content
    Friday - Free, useful content
    Saturday - Promotional content
    Sunday - Day off

    Times vary but usually I send at 5pm GMT for promotions and 12 Noon GMT for free content. I see a good open rate with this schedule.

    I try build relationships with my readers by offering really high quality content on the free content days. I always include a picture of myself at the bottom of each email too to give it personality.

    I know this works because I sent one email out recently asking all my list to reply to me if they had any questions at all with anything I could help them with. I got a great response with loads of personal questions that allowed me to relate and find out what my list crave.
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      The email marketing method I use perhaps will only work with highly targeted and warm traffic. Emails are sent on a daily basis promoting only one product at a time for up to 4 months.

      Every email contains topical or niche-relevant news, tips, stories, jokes, free resources, bonuses, and a hard-hitting relevant promotion at the end. Buyers are continuously moved to another list for more rounds of product promotions, and non-buyers or inactive subscribers are culled after each sales cycle.

      My reasoning for this marketing model is that solid relationships seem to be more quickly and firmly established through successive positive experiences as a result of consistent product quality rather than just giving away freebies or "warm fuzzies". But, that's just me.
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  • Profile picture of the author Broyde
    I think you could look at the email you send as a sales letter, but a whole lot shorter. Try to have the letter briefly tell what pain the product eases, how your product can ease the pain...tell them about a guarantee and try to get them to either order, or go to a sales page. The letter only needs to be as long as it takes you to properly convey these things.

    As far as focusing on your niche goes, what do you think about using your email to interact enough with your list so that you are able to get them the things they need whether it is your niche or not. If you can find a cross section of your list all wanting something outside the niche then inform them and sell them what they are needing.
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  • Profile picture of the author KevL
    Seems to me that many marketers over the past few years have given up emailing anything of value and just send one affiliate offer after the next - including some well known marketers who I didn't expect this from... seems strange to me as you would think they would only send what works, and I wouldn't have thought this would work, a small paragraph and an affiliate link!
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  • Profile picture of the author JasonBennet
    One thing that I like to do is to create a new email address which is mainly used to subscribe to many other marketers list. I will observer the email sequence that they have used to email their list and I will also take note of the content that they are sending them.

    What I like to do next is that I will create my own piece of content with my own point of views and reasoning. I realized that my subscribers like it and it is a great way to leverage on other people's content to give values to the subscribers.

    Just my 2 cemnts
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  • Profile picture of the author ayu2013
    Yes, you should send them your followups with your niche content, the best result is you write the content of followups by yourself, send them to your list.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jtraits
    i would prefer something more trustworthy rather than something that will give me profit
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