cosmo

When I’m standing in line to purchase groceries I always like to read the magazine headlines. Cosmopolitan is my favorite. With a picture of a svelte model in a low-cut gown and titles like “10 ways to please your man,” I feel that if I just read the magazine my life would be great. Magazines use some common formulas to turn people’s heads.

1. Numbers: “5 Fabulous Head-Turning Headlines.” I know it seems bland, but readers like numbers in their titles. Not every title, of course, but posts with numbers pull in more traffic! I’m serious. (See Sonia Simone’s article “8 Ways to Use Numbers in Headlines” for more information.)

2. Questions: “Do Questions work in Headlines?” Questions get people to think. They subconsciously answer the question in their own minds and read further to see if you have the same answer they have.

3. How To: “How to Write Great Headlines.” People love to learn and how to headlines teach them.

4. Commands: “Boost Your Readership with Great Headlines.” Take a great selling point of your service or product and put into a headline.

5. Testimonials: “Write Thoughts Headlines Got Me More Readers.” Third-party testimonials are gold. Let your customers do the speaking for you.

Headlines are like a hook on a fishing line. They lure the readers to your site and the copy on your site catches them and keeps them there. A combination of both great headlines and good copy will increase your sales. So turn some heads with great headlines today.

You’ve set up your email marketing campaign. You hope you have content that your customers and prospects find interesting and relevant. How do you make sure you are engaging your customers?

The impact of your email marketing depends on several things:

1. Use an email provider. You can use the reports to track your effectiveness. (Don’t try to do an email campaign on your own.) Good providers that I have used include Constant Contact, icontact, and AWeber.

2. Get demographic information. When people sign up, get more than just their email address. Ask them for information to segment your list. Some things you might want are age range, occupation, sex, area of the country, etc.

3. Pay attention to bounces. In order for someone to open an email, it has to be delivered.

4. Look at opt-out rates. These should be very low – around 1-2% or less. If they are higher, your emails don’t reflect the interests of your list.

5. Track open rates. Are they up or down from a previous period? “According to the ‘Q1 2009 Email Trends and Benchmarks’ report by Epsilon, . . . 22.1% of e-mails were opened and 6.1% were clicked through” (emarketer daily 7/27/09). A good rate for your industry might be higher or lower than this. You won’t know your own rate if you don’t keep track.

6. Watch links. Make sure you have links that people can click on to get more information in each email. This helps you know people are actually reading the content and find it interesting. It can also help focus future messages.

7. Observe forwards. People who forward emails, not only read your email, they thought it was so good they sent it to a friend. If you have one particular email that was forwarded a lot, discover why.

8. Focus on trends. Every quarter or so combine the click throughs and forwards with your customer demographics. If you find trends, try segmenting your list to appeal to just those individuals.

9. Ask. About 4-6 months after someone signs up for your newsletter, send them a survey to see what they like, what they don’t, and what else you should cover. (It’s also a good idea to send a survey to someone who hasn’t opened 3-4 emails in a row.)

10. Keep trying. Email marketing campaigns get better as you get better. If you love what you have – either your service or your product – your enthusiasm will catch on. For help on actually writing your emails, see my Ten Tips for Newsletters.

Does your web advertising feel like a bucking bull? You only have 8 seconds to capture everyone’s attention, you’re not sure how to hang on, and it’s a long way down if you fall.

bucking bull

The solution: don’t ride the web advertising bull. Focus your efforts with edu-advertising. Educational advertising provides information your customers are seeking and develops trust in your products and services. This pays off in increased sales.

What is educational advertising: Web content that informs and sells, usually called web copy. This is includes web sites, newsletters, customer testimonials, white papers, and blogs.

What about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) writing? SEO writing is wonderful. However, search engines don’t buy things; People do. Great web copy comes before Search Engine Optimization.

Web Copywriting holds power: The old proverb “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me,” may have worked in the schoolyard, but on the internet words can break your business.

Here are 3 steps to writing effective web copy:

1. Know your customers. If you don’t know who your target market is, how can you write effectively for them?

2. Know your product or service. Why should people buy from you instead of the competition?

3. Know your objective. Do you want someone to sign up for a newsletter? Buy a product? Comment on your blog? What is your objective?

If you have an online business you are competing with everyone else on the internet for a prospect’s time. Let’s face it; there is information overload on the internet. That’s why it is important to develop relationships. People want to buy from those they know and trust. Over time, marketing campaigns can develop that trust.

Sometimes trust is developed the first time a person visits your website. Sometimes it takes a bit longer. Just like meeting a new dog; sometimes they take to you, and sometimes it takes a bit of time.

singing dog by rg daniel

I love dogs – especially my dog. I think people are a lot like dogs (in a good way). Before they pay for products or services, they like to sniff out all the information they can to make sure the purchase is exactly right for them. If you are kind to them you develop their trust and loyalty. Especially if you give them treats in the form of newsletters, case studies, and white papers which feed their need for knowledge.

Consistently sending newsletters with tidbits of useful information establishes you as a solid business. Newsletters keep your business in your customers’ minds. They might not be able to use your business at the moment, but they will remember to give a reference to someone who can.

Case Studies and testimonials help your prospects identify with your customers. They show people how using your services or products can help them. They also establish credibility in what you do. If you were job hunting, you would be asked for work references. Case studies are references for your business.

White papers are especially beneficial. They tend to be kept longer than brochures, fliers, or other marketing papers. They establish you as an authority in your field.

Well-informed customers feel more secure that what you offer is a good fit for them, and this boosts your sales. A carefully-constructed marketing campaign takes time to develop. It can reap rewards, however, for months and even years to come.

doginwater by snaps

Is email marketing worth the effort?

According to a survey by Forbes, email marketing is the second best method of online advertising. See the graph below for more details:

Although SEO optimization is the best method for generating conversions, email and e-newsletters were more effective than pay-per-click for these conversions! That is huge.

Email and e-newsletters continue to play an important part in branding as well. E-newsletters, and ads sent by e-mail, are part of an overall advertising strategy. The right kind of advertising helps customers feel secure in buying from you.

Even though I write newsletters for clients, I hadn’t realized until this survey came out how effective they are. I hope this motivates you to start sending newsletters. They are a fun way to connect with your customers on a regular basis.