Email Best Practices: Don’t Piss Me Off

by Debra Jason

Today most every business has a website, writes blog posts, uses Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. in an effort to increase their exposure and get more business. And, most savvy online marketers also have those wonderful opt-in boxes to capture leads – myself included.

I wrote this post because it feels like some marketers out there are going overboard. You sign up for their free offer and before you know it, your inbox is flooded with messages from them. For instance (and I’m guessing you’ve experienced this as well), one day I attended a webinar. Before it ended, I did sign up for the presenter’s offer. It didn’t take long before the e-mail barrage began.

It started with a thank you confirmation, but each day after that, I received at least 4-5 e-mails. Each and every one was promoting something new. It began to feel a bit too pushy with a LOT of sales hype. Do you want my business or do you want to piss me off? I got ready to click that “unsubscribe” link.

Let’s face it, as business professionals, while passionate about what we do, we do it to make money. Each of us needs to put food on the table, pay our mortgage, take care of family, etc. So, we need to sell.

Look, I’m a copywriter. It’s my job to write marketing content that sells products and services. However, I am aware that there is a balance.

In other words, #ditchthepitch – at last with your first round of emails. If people become subscribers because they opted in for a free report, checklist, etc. then what they’re looking for is helpful information. They were drawn into the value you brought during your presentation, on your website or social networks, or in a blog post. They appreciated your expertise on a subject.

Now, if you’re going to continue to contact them (which, most likely, you will/should do after they subscribe), your role is to provide ongoing value to them. Here’s an example . . .

There is a company that made an offer I signed up for after listening to their webinar. After that, about every 2 days, they e-mailed me. I’m pleased to say that in that time, only one of those e-mails was an up-sell to purchase a product. The rest of the e-mails have all been really informative messages providing me with great tips and pointers. It makes me feel like I did the right thing connecting with them. Isn’t that how you want your subscribers to feel?

When you opt-in to my e-mail list, you won’t receive multiple e-mails from me in a day. You won’t even receive one e-mail a day from me. I send an e-mail when I have something of value to share. Yes, on occasion, it may be a promotion, but on occasion. Perhaps I’m not bringing in as much money as some of my online marketing colleagues, but I feel better knowing that, when I send an e-mail, my subscribers aren’t opting out because they’ve gotten pissed off.

I’m also becoming more discriminating about opting-in and I think many others are doing the same. What say you?

The post Do you want my business, but don’t want to piss me off? appeared first on Write Direction.

About the author: Debra Jason is a direct response copywriter, national speaker and author of the award-winning book, Millionaire Marketing on a Shoestring Budget™. Having written thousands of words for hundreds of clients, she works with business professionals who want to communicate their marketing message in a way that captivates and converts their prospects into loyal, raving fans. You’ll find her online at https://WriteDirection.com, https://DebraJason.com and https://MillionaireMarketingonaShoestringBudget.com