INCREASE YOUR SUCCESS WITH E-MAILS
Mass permission e-mail services such as Constant Contact can provide an inexpensive and easy way to stay top of mind with potential clients and generate leads. I've used this method successfully since 2007 and have grown my mailing list to almost 600 recipients. According to Constant Contact, I have a higher than average rate of people who open my e-mails than 90% of their users.
If you want to increase your success with sending mass e-mails, follow these 10 tips:
#1 Personalize the E-Mail
Most mass permission e-mail programs allow you to insert the first name and last name of the person in the greeting line of the e-mail. I use just their first name myself, because I want the greeting to be more informal. In order to find out their name, I require people who sign up to provide their names. I may get fewer sign ups because I'm requiring more information, but the people who do sign up are more likely to become leads than someone who refuses to give their name.
#2 Send E-Mails at Least Monthly
Somewhere between once a week and once a month is the right number. You don't want to become just one more item in their e-mail inbox that they automatically delete, so there is a right number for your audience. Figure out what it is and then set a schedule to remind yourself to send the e-mails out.
#3 Create a Compelling Subject Line
The most well-crafted e-mail doesn't matter if your recipients hit delete without opening it. I get over a hundred e-mails a day and I delete a lot of them based on the subject line.
#4 Provide Targeted and Timely Information
My e-mails have a high open rate (I'm in the top 10% of Constant Contact's 500,000 users, a Constant Contact All Star) because I provide information that is specifically targeted to my audience. I have several e-mail lists, but for those who sign up for information on the Black Rock Real Estate market, that's what they get. When the FEMA map changes came into effect on July 1 in my area, I sent out an e-mail on how to shop for flood insurance and make an appeal to FEMA. I don't use automated drip campaigns because the information is generic. I also want my audience to get to know me. My e-mail messages show that I'm aware of their concerns and I'm providing them the information they need at the right time.
#5 Make the E-mail Visually Attractive
Take the time to create a visually attractive template and then break up your e-mail into easily readable chunks with headlines in a color that complements your template color scheme. Use images to break up the wall of words and keep your e-mail short, if possible. Provide a link to your website for more information.
#6 Have a Call to Action
You want your audience to contact you. I offer a free pricing estimate on their home. Your call to action might be different, but you need to give them a reason to call or text you.
#7 Provide a Way to Share the E-Mail Via Social Media
Some e-mail providers have this social media sharing option and others don't. I like Constant Contact because it provides that option and allows me to Tweet my e-mail link. Constant Contact provides a link to a webpage with my e-mail in addition to sending it out via e-mail. (See first image at top of this post. The social share icons are above the mast head on the e-mail.)
#8 Showcase Your Listings At the End
I provide a brief narrative and a thumbnail photo of the property along with a link to a single page website that showcases their home. The link is preceded by the words "For more information and photos visit" and the anchor text itself is the address of the home.
#8 Provide a Way to Share the E-Mail Via Social Media
Some e-mail providers have this social media sharing option and others don't. I like Constant Contact because it provides that option and allows me to Tweet my e-mail link. Constant Contact provides a link to a webpage with my e-mail in addition to sending it out via e-mail. (See first image at top of this post. The social share icons are above the mast head on the e-mail.)
#9 Put a Sign-Up Widget for Your E-Mails On Your Sites
Constant Contact provides a widget that allows the new subscriber to sign up for e-mail updates right on your blog or website. The subscriber types in their e-mail address and it takes them to a landing page that gives them the option of which topics they are interested in. I provide three options for the different e-mails I send out.
#10 Market Your E-Mail Updates
You must constantly remind people to sign up for e-mail updates via your websites, blogs, postcards, and encourage your current subscribers to forward the e-mail to others. I provide an 8-page annual review of the Black Rock Real Estate market that is available only to subscribers of my e-mail updates. There are some people who subscribe for that reason alone. Give them a compelling reason to sign up. And, of course, provide links in your e-mails to drive traffic back to your websites, e.g. for more information visit (put link here).
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