How to Write High-Converting Affiliate Emails Promote other people's products on your company missives or risk leaving a ton of money on the table.
By Svetoslav Dimitrov Edited by Bill Schulz
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
If you're only in contact with current customers about YOUR services, you might be missing out on a whole lot of profit. You're also leaving a huge segment of your clients underserved. The good news is that this can be quickly fixed by using affiliate marketing via email.
This tactic promotes other people's products to your subscribers. In return for doing so, you receive a commission on every single sale, (usually in the region of 5 to 30%).
To make bank with affiliate emails, you have to know the basics: They are far different from the regular newsletter or promo emails that you send to a marketing list.
Related: These 3 Big Companies Are Crushing It With Email Marketing
Segment your audience
If you're advertising a weight loss product to a guy who's interested in building muscle, your emails won't convert.
That's why it's important to divide your audience into several lists and then email only the products they will be interested in. By doing that, you'll be able to advertise the right services to the right people. As a result, your conversions will be higher.
Sell the click, not the product
When you're crafting affiliate emails, your only goal is to get the reader to engage a sales page or webinar. But to be able to sell the click, you'll need curiosity. To grab their attention, you need to craft an email that stops them dead in their tracks. Big-name affiliates only promote products that already have proven sales. That's why people who hock their stuff will "sell the click." Because they know the existing sales pageis proven to work on a high volume of traffic already.
Corralling curiosity
In general, affiliate emails are dripping with curiosity. This applies to the "from" name, the subject line and content. The more interesting you can make each of these elements, the better.
Here's what an affiliate email on that aforementioned weight loss product would look like:
From name: "Nancy's diary"
Subject line: "Nancy's weight gain had ripped her wedding dress"
Lead of the email: "As Nancy stepped out of the car on her best friend's wedding day? She heard a loud riiiip. "There's no way this is happening' Nancy thought. Then she felt it. A full 11-inch tear right up the back of her bridesmaid dress."
Make them want to read more.
Be punchy with your emails
Use the Hemingway App to ensure the email's reading level is at around second or third grade. This makes sure even the most average Joe or Jane will understand. Remember to never reveal too much about the thing you're selling in the email itself because your aim is to sell the click, not the product. By keeping some things blind, you increase curiosity.
Related: 5 Tips for Writing Quick-Read Copy
Keep your own voice
When selling someone else's services, you have to keep your own voice. Don't forget to inform your readers why you're selling a specific product and that you'll get a commission if they buy from your link. Being honest and upfront goes a long way when you're building trust. .
Email CTAs and subject lines
If your email's subject line is:
"Stop using Facebook ads NOW"
"Melt 21 lbs in 7 weeks with THIS"
"Get perfect 20/20 vision with this simple 7-second exercise"
Use the same line as your call-to-action.
If you have a few CTAs, make sure they're similar to each other or reflect the main body of the email. Industry norms show that when the subject line and CTA are the same, conversions are at their highest.
Be contrarian
Another way to stand out is by being a tad adversarial. Do your research and discover something that hasn't been played out yet. Then use it to craft an email that grabs the reader by the eyeballs. Keep your own voice, try not to sound too sensational and stay out of legal trouble.
