email marketing

According to recent interviews with buyers of legal services, if you really want to get their attention, send your message though the mails. In fact, recent studies prove that email is showing some gray with email engagement dropping at a fairly steady rate.  But if you insist on cluttering up the inboxes of buyers everywhere (actually 50% of our respondents prefer email; 50% don't), then follow some rules. If you do, then you've got a fighting chance your emails will be read:

Nothing is more important than the subject line

Proven winners begin with "Six Reasons to Reconsider Your Estate Plan." Specific numbers promise the scanning reader they will learn something…specific and actionable.  Wouldn't you read "10 Tips for Effective Email Marketing"? Otherwise make the subject line (your title) active, exciting and credible. On the other hand, don't scream or oversell either.

Use imagery but label it

If the image fails to load, at least let the individual know what they are missing.

Eliminate attachments

Your email is the "attachment."

Provide an executive summary

Give the reader a break. Let them know what they are going to read and why it is valuable to them. Let THEM make the choice. That's only courteous.

Make your email mobile friendly

More and more readers are accessing your newsletter via smartphone, believe it or not. Design the email to be phone-friendly right out of the gate.

We could go on and on.  Here are some good tips from other smart people whose thoughts we admire:

Put personality Into It

“It’s so boring when you get an email newsletter that has no personality to it at all and it’s easy to hit the delete button. Most keep reading from the start if it pulls them in and they can relate to it. Write it as if you were talking one on one with them and as if they are a friend. People can tell if you’re actually sending out an email just to send one or if you have something good to say.”

- Ashley Bodi, ABC Of Email Marketing! | http://businessbeware.biz/

Don’t cut corners! 

"Use a professional email marketing service provider like aweber or constant-contact so that you can better manage the subscriptions, lists, and send professional looking emails. B. The best word in anyone’s dictionary is their own name so, greet them with their name & avoid writing mass emails that start with “Dear Friend” or “Dear Subscriber”. C. NEVER spam! Period.”

- Devesh Dwivedi | http://www.BreakingThe9To5Jail.com/

Set expectations

“Set expectations: type of content, frequency of content, etc. Ensure that subscribers know what they’re getting themselves into by providing them with newsletter samples before they join your mailing list. Explain your goals and your mission. On Brazen Careerist, our goal it to tell members about the best networking opportunities occurring each week in our community. We don’t stray from that.”

- Ryan Paugh | http://www.brazencareerist.com