15 Jun How to keep your newsletters out of the trash
We all get hundreds of emails a week. So how do your clients and prospects decide which ones to open and which ones go straight into the trash?
- Subject lines are King. When we first open our email most of us scan two things. First,we look at the sender. To make sure your newsletter will be opened make sure it’s sent from a specific person: if not you, then someone who has agreed to be the “face” of the company. Many firms make the mistake of using their company name. Don’t be one of them. Corporate senders look like commercial messages because they are.
Second, we look at the subject line. The more personal and intriguing your subject line, the higher the open rate. Don’t be afraid to use humor or even put the recipient’s first name in the subject line to grab their attention. Put yourself in the recipient’s shoes. What would make you curious enough to open an email?
- Quality is Queen: Once they have opened your email, make them read it by providing valuable information. Don’t try to sell stuff all the time or people will opt out. Start with a few thoughts about what’s been happening over the last month. Follow up with one article that provides helpful financial planning information or talks about the market. Then take a few minutes to think about what might interest your clients and their friends. Would they like a golf tip? A recipe? Five great books to read? Information about a local event?
You might only be providing links to existing information. What content you chose to link to is an often overlooked way to create your marketing “voice” and get your message across. Provide value and you will not only create a great reputation, but also increase the number of potential prospects — friends, family, colleagues — your clients forward the newsletter on to.
- Hit the Road, Jack: Keep your newsletter short and sweet. Your clients are very busy and most do not have the time to read a long message.
If you keep your communications short and full of value, your audience will realize that opening your message does not represent a huge time commitment. One way to make a long message seem like less of an investment is to break up the text with images.
PS: A post script at the bottom of your message will actually get read. So make sure you use it if you have something important to say after your signature.
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