This article is going to be short and sweet. More importantly than that, it’s going to be concise – just like your emails should be. When you email your list, you have to remember that each member of that list is a person. They are getting an email from you, and it’s your job to make them want to look at it, read it, and to click through. More important than all of that, is for you get them to feel closer to you after they close the email. It’s important in email marketing that your reader feels as though you have taken the time to write them something personal, or at least something that they personally care about. This is similar to how you would write or what you would share if you were sharing something with your friends on social media. What would you say, what would you send a friend. Those are the things that you should send to your readers. Keep it clear. Use short powerful statements, and don’t always sell.

1. Be a friend to your readers and send them things that you know they would care about. This does require you to read into the response that you get from your campaigns, such as unsubscribe rates on different types of emails, as well as click through rates. Also, if you ever get written feedback from members of your list, cherish it, because for one who speaks up, there were likely many others who didn’t take the time to write in, but who had the same issue or concern.

2. Speak in a friendly conversational tone even though you are speaking to your whole list. Make it easy for the person on the other end of that email to want to keep reading. Help them trust you and they will be much more likely to follow through when you call them to act.

3. Deliver what you promised to give them when they signed up for your list. When someone signs up for your list let them know what they are signing up for. If you caught them on an offer for a free eBook, they might not know what to expect from being on your list, so make sure you setup an autoresponder set of welcome emails to let them know the purpose of the list, it’s frequency, and why they should want to be a part. Note: I recommend automatic welcome emails no matter how you generate members of your list, but this is especially important if they aren’t going to be completely clean about what they are signing up for – like a check box at checkout giving them the option to sign up for future deals.

4. Have a direct call to action in Every Single email campaign that you send out. This does Not have to be a sales pitch. As a matter of fact, it should be most of the time. You should be sending content that your readers will enjoy and care about. If you have a new product that you knew they would love to hear about, then yes; send it to them. If you are just sending the ‘weekly email’ though, your logo and the link to your website at the bottom are enough if they are looking to buy something this week and you don’t have anything exciting to tell them about. Share some relevant news, or a great article within the niche that you and your readers live that you found that week. Call them to read it and connect with you by enjoying the same content that you enjoyed. Do you see how that reflects what friends would do on a social network?

5. Send emails to your list on a regular basis, about relevant content, and more importantly than all – just do it. If you are struggling to have success with email marketing it is likely that you either aren’t doing it, or that you aren’t doing it. Just like any other form of marketing there is plenty to learn as far as ‘being perfect’ goes, but starting today will help you be better tomorrow. If you’re needing help, reach out to those who have gone before you, learn from the great emails in your inbox, or drop up a line. More important than anything else, remember that the best time to start email marketing is last year, but the second best time to today, so get to it.

Thank you for reading our article on how to have more successful email marketing by becoming a friend to your reader with relevant content. If you are struggling with email marketing or with other marketing concepts – read our other articles here – or drop us a line here. I with you the best on your business treck to success.

– David Ashby, CEO Bistreck LLC