Email marketing is an excellent way to your message out to potentially thousands of people instantly and relatively cheaply.

But if you don’t do it right your emails will simply be deleted and remain unopened. So successful email marketing doesn’t start when you begin to compose your email copy, it starts when you begin to devise your strategy.

You do have a strategy – right?

Step 1 – Back to basics

At this point in the process you’ve made the decision to start an email marketing campaign. Great, so what’s next?

Well, before you start writing there are a few things you need to think about.

• What’s your offer?—not just the product you’re selling but also the emotional aspect your product – think about how it will make your readers feel?
• Who are you selling to?—who’s going to buy your product? What’s important to them?
• The timing of your offer—are there any trends in the market you can tie into?
• What do you want your reader to do?—your call to action; do you want them to email, call, complete online order form…

Step 2 – Your content

The first decision is do you write it yourself or do you bring in a professional copywriter. Remember it is essential that the email is about what you can do for them rather than being about your company.

But more than just what your email says, you must also think about how it will look. It must look inviting if you want the recipient to take the time to read it. And we’re talking here not just about the design but also layout, font, images etc.

If you want your email to have a big impact you have to look at the whole package, including:

• Font – a sans-serif font such as Arial or Verdana is easier to read than some of the other fonts available. It’s a small detail but it will have a bearing on whether your message is read or deleted. 
• Read aloud – this one is true for all content creation. The best way to ensure your message is clear, unambiguous and engaging is to read it aloud. This will highlight whether the rhythm is wrong, whether there are any repetitions or if it sounds stilted. 
• Pruning – most people toss in unnecessary words when writing. There’s nothing wrong with that but it does mean reading through and pruning is essential to tighten your copy. 
• Rhetoric – extra power can be injected into your email by using rhetorical techniques. The incorporation of three part list add punch and rhythm – remember Tony Blair’s      “…education education, education”?
• Moving forwards – every word has to count in your email so make sure your reader is carried through the text by using words such as ‘remember’, ‘but’, ‘consider’, ‘for example’.
• Variety – solid text is very unattractive so make sure you vary your paragraph lengths (but keeping them short), add sub headings, bulleted lists and sentence fragments to keep your reader on their toes. 
• Benefits – all marketing copy should be heavily benefits led and email marketing is no different. But make sure it is the benefits you talk about (i.e. what it will mean/do for your customer) and not just the features. 
• Second person – creating rapport is essential if you want your email to resonate with the reader. Writing it in the second person (i.e. you and your) will help make an emotional connection needed to get the reader on your side and to take action.
• Keep it short – no one wants to waste their time reading a mammoth email. Keep your communication short. If you want to impart a lot of information use your email to link out to another web page (which will also encourage people to visit your website) so if they want to read more they can.

Because we write emails every day many people are fooled into believing email marketing is simple. All they have to do is through a few paragraphs together and Bob’s your uncle.  But it’s rarely that straight forward.

You have to remember that although the recipient has opted in to receive your emails, they will receive hundreds a day. That’s a very crowded inbox that your email has to survive. By creating a strong subject line to encourage your reader to open your email and killer content, you will maximise your email’s chances of survival.

Give these tips and try and see how you get on.

Do you use any other techniques when composing your emails? If so leave a comment and share them with us. 

Your list is one of the most vital parts of your email marketing campaign.It doesn’t matter how great your offer or sales message is, if you don’t send it to the right people, it won’t work.

The quick option is to buy in a list but how can you be sure it is the right audience for your offer? Surely the best way to optimise your campaign’s chances is to use a home-grown list that you’ve developed over time from an interested audience.

So how do you get started?

Well it won’t be a quick process. Building your own quality list will take time. It will involve gathering email addresses from customers which means you have to maximise your opportunities to capture them.

You could:

• Have a sign-up box on every page of your website so your visitors can’t miss it
• Provide a free giveaway that’s of value to capture their email address
• Include a sing-up link in your email signature
• Promote your newsletter on your print materials too. Once  they’ve signed up for your newsletter you have their details to send other offer to as well
• If you use direct mail, send an offer that will drive them to a landing page that requires an email address to access the deal
• Promote your giveaways through social media (such as Facebook or Twitter) to widen your audience
• If you work regularly with other companies see if they would be willing to promote your newsletter within theirs

These ideas are easy to implement and in time will lead to the creation of a high quality in-house marketing list to which you can make offers and provide news and advice to constantly strengthen your customer relationships.

As I mentioned earlier, it will take time to grow your list but it is worth it as the results from your marketing campaigns will be much better than if you simply bought in a list.

Give it a go and see how it works for you.

Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter

Why do you want to blog?

That’s the first question you need to ask yourself. You’ve probably read quite a few, seen people become established experts and gather loads of loyal readers. In fact it’s probably the content of your favourite blogs that has inspired you to become a blogger.

So how can you replicate the success of your heroes?

First off, you can’t. If you’re going to blog you have to be yourself and offer people something new. What’s the point in producing a copy-cat blog? No one will read it.

So how can you become a better blogger? These 5 tips should help.

1. Don’t compare yourself to others

If you try to replicate your blogging hero’s style, you’ll produce something that’s sub standard because it doesn’t reflect you.

You are unique because there’s only one of you so use your posts to highlight your individuality, Use your own personal style and flare to carve out your own niche.

Will you please everyone? No – but you never will. Just be yourself and those who do enjoy your writing will become dedicated followers.

2. It’s not a closed club

The blogosphere appears to be controlled by a few big names. Forget about trying to be as good as them – just be you.

The internet and your potential audience is huge so there’s nothing stopping you from becoming a ‘name’ too.

3. Be unique

You have an advantage – no one else thinks like you, writes like you, or conveys a message like you.

Through your experiences, personality and ideas you’ll be able to write in a way no one else can emulate. By making your work your own you will attract readers.

4. Fresh ideas

Topics are constantly recycled in blogs. The secret to making yours stand out is to find a new angle to look at. It is this constant re-shaping of information that feeds the internet and helps generate new ideas and concepts.

5. Look at me!

Stand out from the crowd by incorporate your own personality. People love being entertained so if you write naturally in a humorous way use that to your advantage. 

Above all be true to yourself and don’t try and force yourself to write like someone else. It is tough coming with with new material but it’s a great way to get your ideas and opinions ‘out there’.

Give it a try—you’ve got nothing to lose.

Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter and blogger

People blog to get readers. Those readers then (hopefully) see them as an expert in their field, grow to trust their opinion and consider doing business with them.

Producing great blogs will facilitate this trust process, but your blogging platform and look will also have an impact.

Prolific blogger will write numerous posts. A few will grab people’s interest and be linked to, tweeted and referenced by other bloggers. Many however will be posted and then instantly forgotten about. So how to the big hitters manage to hit gold with their blog posts time and again?

Why are their posts so readable?

It all has to do with the whole package.

Focus

A lot of people write in  the first person – “I think the only way to generate great quality traffic to my site is through professional SEO copywriting”.

So what? That’s your opinion and right now it means nothing.

Changing the focus to the second person means you’ll address your reader directly – “Your website needs traffic to feed your sales. You can either pay through the nose with PPC or you can make the smart move and invest in professional SEO copywriting.”

It’s a small change but one that makes your post more relevant to the reader.

May I help?

Why do people read blogs? Mainly because they are looking for the answer to a question. So you have to ensure that no matter what you’re writing about it relates to a common problem that you then solve.

It could be about how to reduce your marketing budget, how to whiten your clothes first time every time, or how to reduce wrinkles. Giving your readers a solution is vital if you want your post to resonate with them.

Don’t over stuff

Keep you post focused on one main theme. Trying to incorporate several ideas your post will lose its focus and leave the reader somewhat bewildered.

Look nice

A solid wall of text is not attractive. If you want people to read your posts keep your paragraphs short so the page doesn’t look ‘stuffed’ with text. Headings and sub headings will break things up and show your reader what you’re covering within your post.

Write for your reader

You must write about subjects your reader cares about. Researching your market is if you are going to provide what they want. Just because you find a particular subject really interesting doesn’t mean your audience will.

Be natural

Many people think if they are writing about a subject in a blog they have to be very business-like and stiff.

Nope - the best blogs are written in a natural, conversation style that resonates with the reader.

That’s all there is to it, other than coming up with a great list of subjects of course. Just remember to write naturally, write to your reader and make it attractive on the eye.

If you’re into search engine optimisation the chances are you’re also a keen article marketer as it’s one of the most effective ways of boosting your web presence.

Not only will it help you ‘own more of the web’, it will also position yourself as an expert in your field and generate those all important back links to your website.

But your article marketing will only be effective it if is quality content that you’re putting out. It must be:

• Well written
• Written to addresses the needs of your readers
• Something that gives value

In a rush to produce shed loads of links, some companies become hung up on quantity rather than quality. They’d rather spend only a few pounds per article (these are written by writers who are frequently based abroad and for whom English is not their first language) than pay a decent fee and hire a professional copywriter.

It shouldn’t be a numbers game

It’s true that you need a lot of articles to build links but it’s better practice to submit quality, well written articles over a period of time than bulk submitting sub-standard ones.

Putting a considered, well researched and well written article together isn’t about scanning the internet and cutting and pasting bits from other articles. A copywriter will take the time to discover:

• What topic is to be discussed
• The focus of the discussion
• Who your audience is
• What they are looking for
• What tone should be used
• What do you want to achieve with the article

It’s your reputation at the end of the day

If you are entering into the article marketing world, what you submit and its quality are very important.

You’re putting your name to it; you’re using them as a way of establishing yourself as an expert. Sub standard articles will just make you look foolish.

Remember that your articles aren’t just about link building—people are actually going to read them. Can you really afford to be that careless with your brand?

You get what you pay for

As with all things in life, you get what you pay for so if you want quality you’re going to have to pay for it.

If you are more interested in your reputation, traffic and quality you’ll pay for it.

You’ll want to get the most from your marketing budget, but just make sure you also think about your reputation.

Whether you’ve got a website and need a revamp or you’re just starting out on  the web there are certain things you need to avoid when thinking about your design.

Remember that your website is, in effect, your online shop window. Think about how it will be viewed by your visitors, what they will want to see and what they’ll need to know.

Don’t be complicated

If a visitor lands on your website they will want to be able to find out what they need to know quickly and easily.

If they’re faced with numerous options, confusing navigation and a ‘busy’ Home page they are more than likely going to wander off and find another less complicated site. 

Although you need links within your text to aid navigation, don’t over do it. There’s nothing more off putting than text littered with links and – more to the point – vast quantities of boxes in the sidebar containing links and asking them to do umpteen things.

Make your navigation simple and logical.

Flash

At one time Google couldn’t read flash and so it was pretty useless when it came to SEO. Now, the search engine spiders can crawl through it but it still has limited effectiveness when it comes to search engine optimisation.

If you can live without it do, if you can’t keep it to an absolute minimum.

Pretty pictures

Pictures are great but can be over done.

Use them to enhance your text or show your products off. But make sure they are great images, bad ones can kill a website.

And don’t forget that images can also help you with your SEO.

How fast?

Long loading times are a killer. No one wants to hang around while your site loads, even if it does have a little count down graphic.

Google likes sites that load quickly as this post from the Google Official Webmaster Central Blog shows.

The offer

Your website is there to sell so you must have a call to action and an offer.

Some people get so wrapped up in SEO and the look of their site they completely miss it’s main purpose – it’s a sales tool. Without an offer and a clear call to action your website will be completely ineffective.

Of course, along with a new design, fresh content is always a good idea so hiring a good SEO copywriter is always a great investment

You’ve done your keyword research, you’ve designed your website so it’s easy for your readers to navigate, you’ve even found an SEO copywriter to write some great, targeted copy that your visitors will want to read. So what’s next?

That is just the start of your search engine optimisation strategy, if you want it to continue to work and bring in great rankings you’re going to have to become an active link builder.

How do links help?

Let’s go back to the beginning. Every web page is given a Page Rank (a number ranging from 0 to 10 to illustrate your page’s value with 0 being the lowest).

When another page links to you (using a follow link), a little bit of that Page Rank filters through to you (link juice) because it’s seen as a vote of confidence in your page. So the more quality links you get to your website, the higher your Page Rank and the more authoritative you are seen by the search engines.

So how do you get links?

First off, gathering links can a slow and lengthy process (and a continuous one). The best way by far to link build is by doing it organically.

How do you do that? Well it’s by:

• Writing interesting content that people will want to link to
• Submitting your website to directories
• Blogging and linking back to your website through your posts
• Article marketing

It’s time consuming and slow, but you won’t get Google’s back up.

Is there a quicker way?

Yes there is but I wouldn’t recommend it. Short cuts are never a good idea so don’t buy in links you could be asking for all sorts of trouble especially as you’ll be going against Google’s guidelines and could risk your website. If you don’t believe me take a look at Julie Joyce’s post on Search Engine Journal entitled “4 Huge Mistakes to Avoid When You Build Links“.

If you’re serious about SEO, your website and your reputation, go organic – it’s the only way.

Most people see press releases as off line marketing tools. But that doesn’t mean you should lose sight of the fact that they can also be published on online press release websites.

The main advantage of that is that where printed press releases appear for just one day and then become someone’s chip wrappings the next, online press releases will be attracting a new audience for months or even years after its original release date.

That’s why you should always write your press release to include your main keywords so it will continue to attract the audience you want. Although it is important you still follow the usual rules of press release writing.

The usual rules apply

Your press release should still:

• Be regarded as newsworthy rather than a thinly veiled advert
• Be brief and too the point. Any waffle will get it rejected immediately
• Contain quotes from real people and referenced back to them
• Ensure the first paragraph  summaries your story
• Make sure you send it to a targeted group of editors rather than going for blanket coverage

The on line press release

Keywords for press releases are just as  important as for your website copy. If you are unsure about how to go about it hire a freelance copywriter to help you.

Using keywords within the copy will make sure your press release is constantly picked up by your target audience for as long as it remains on the internet. The key things to remember are:

• Focus on your primary keyword for the headline, quotes and opening paragraph but taking care not to over stuff your content
• Make sure your summary also contains your keyword
• Still keep your press release brief and to the point
• Do your research and make sure you send it to journalists and bloggers who will be interested in your  subject

Following these simple tips will help your press release generate new readers and traffic for you for a long time to come. So, if you don’t already do it, start getting your press releases online and enjoy the benefits of longevity and constant traffic.