The 3 Types of Marketing Emails That Nobody Has Opened in Years Email remains the workhorse of online marketing but these steeds have been flogged much too long.
By Kimanzi Constable Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Email marketing is a tried-and-true method entrepreneurs use to get new business. Though email marketing has been around since the beginning of the Internet, many entrepreneurs still aren't harnessing it's true potential. Some old school tactics get their emails deleted unopened, costing them an opportunity to turn new leads into customers.
Learning and testing is the key to figuring out what works, but there are three types of emails that won't turn that lead into a customer. The reason email marketing has gotten such a bad rap is because of these spammy emails. If you want to build your business through email marketing, avoid these types of emails.
Related: Launch an E-mail Marketing Campaign in 7 Steps
1. The "quick question email"
In this email you're told to convince the person that you have some quick information that will blow their mind. The subject line is designed to be "click bait."
This email usually looks like:
- "I just want to ask you a quick question. How would you like to make more money than you thought possible?" You may not say money but insert some cheesy line that people see right through.
The problem is, once the person realizes what's going on, they will delete the email and never do business with you. A wise man once said, "be direct, people don't have time to entertain games."
If you're really sincere about asking a quick question, or offering some quick advance, contact the person on Twitter. That limit of 140 characters will test your motives.
2. The "this is what you're missing" email
In this email, you're told to point out where the person is "missing an opportunity" in their business. These emails usually look like:
- "I noticed you only have 500 Facebook fans. You need to have at least 2,000 for people to respect your company."
- "I noticed you're not ranking on the first page of Google. Our company can get you on the front page and bring you thousands of new visitors."
These types of emails sound helpful, but are actually very irritating to the person that receives them. You may have the best pitch in the world, but they'll never do business with you because this makes the wrong first impression.
Peter Drucker said, "People buy with their hearts, not their minds." When you upset new leads right off the bat, they'll be thinking with their minds about why they'll never do business with you.
People buy from someone they know, like and trust. Your goal with a first email to a potential new customer should be to establish a relationship.
Those initials emails should be packed with value and content that shows a potential new customer that you know what you're talking about. When they get value from that first email, they will open your next several emails. Then the relationship is established.
This is also how you establish trust and authority in your industry and separate yourself from your competition. Many entrepreneurs will try to overwhelm leads with fancy marketing schemes. In the long run, that's not what grows your business.
Related: Six Tips for Maximizing Email Marketing Campaigns
3. The "I made seven-figures using this system" email
In this email, you go over the top showing the potential new customer the amazing results your product or service delivers. Once they see the results, they'll be hitting that buy button before they even get done finishing the email.
This email usually looks like:
- "Learn how I made one million dollars in 30 days using this no-hype formula."
This email doesn't work because they won't believe you. There have been some unscrupulous Internet marketers wh've made it hard to believe these claims.
Despite all the hype out there, some entrepreneurs have gone out of their way to try to win back trust. Pat Flynn and John Lee Dumas do a really good job with transparency.
Remember, people buy from someone they know, like and trust. If your first email is a claim that they don't believe, you have lost the chance to establish trust and you won't get another chance to earn it.
It's a stretch to think that you can send a cold email to someone, who doesn't know you or your company, and get him or her to buy from you. It happens but that's the exception, not the rule.
There are better ways to handle your email marketing efforts. These methods won't deliver instant results, but over time they will increase your bottom line.
Focus on building a relationship with new leads. Focus on better headlines that get your emails opened and, once they're opened, deliver value that helps people solve their biggest problems.
There is no easy road when it comes to email marketing but it can be highly profitable for your business, if you avoid these cliche emails that always get deleted.
