Email Fails: Why Your Marketing Emails Don't Work on Me

ahh - the first time I've seen a thread title like this, and actually agreed with it!

Great post, Dennis! So many miss the point of relationship building. They think it means you need to send candy and flowers. Want to build a relationship? Be honest. You don't have to shower the reader with gifts.

Fantastic tips! There are alot of people who could really benefit from them!

I especially like the one about story-telling. Sure, there is a time and a place for a really great story that drives home your point. However, those times and places are rare. The last thing you want to do is make your email all about you, when it should be all about your readers and how you're working to help/benefit them.

Problem is and time and time again I have to explain this to customers:

People don't have time to read long emails
People are not interested in YOU until you created trust,credibility and value

Recently I worked with a real estate company, they wanted long 700 word emails, they wanted to educate them

This is what I told them

When it comes to emailing. When I say that people don't have the time to read a long 700 word email, its true to think that they will... no offense, is fooling yourself.

You see the BIGGEST CHALLENGE that email marketing today faces is JUST GETTING PEOPLE TO OPEN an email. Never mind read it!

In fact, before even opening, it’s getting it delivered! Many isps filter and have certain words marked to set of their spam filters.

As you probably already know…People are slaughtered every day with emails from countless places and so the next challenge is getting it read

Now when they are dealing with one realtor before they sign anything I guarantee you they are dealing with up to 10 other realtors

That is why the emails have to be short and sweet and straight to the point. Beyond 300 words and you will lose them as it’s no longer an email it’s a long article.

People don’t have time for articles at the best of times ( that’s why video, audio are good ), let alone long winded emails.


Third, because of the topic “ Real Estate “, there is only a limited amount that can be said before you end up rehashing the same stuff, so keeping emails short and straight to the point is vital for getting them to take action.

If you are looking to educate them, email is not the place to do it. Educating on what you do and who you are should be done in person ( selling yourself ) or via a BLOG or area of articles on a website and then email is ONLY used as means of contact, delivery of FREE stuff, news/change, urgent message and reminding and urging them to take action

Educating should be done in a blog or your main site and then the email being short, gives them a STRONG reason why they should ( walk away from facebook, twitter, tv, movies, emails from friends all the umpteen things that you are competing for their attention with etc ) to read an article on buying or selling

It comes back to the dilemma that all people face ( people are slaughtered with email daily and they don't have the time and if they do it has to either give them something, entertain them or people just dont bother opening it.

Real estate simply is not entertainment it’s just part of the process of what people need to do to get what they need ) so it’s vital that emails be short, focused ONLY on what you want them to do.. i.e phone me, email or click through to site.

And it’s after that point of clicking… you educate through articles, blogs, videos, audios, webinars in person or on the phone

Try to do it in an email and especially on the topic of Real Estate and you will lose them, I guarantee you that!

So if you must educate them. My suggestion is you have someone create X amount of Articles add them to your site, then use the NEXT batch of 12 emails to get people over to the site to read them as I can assure you having done this now for 11 + years and tested all manner of long, short and style based emails. Long emails lose people.

Add to that long, boring emails and it’s like death to a business’s bottom line.

The problem is not “ Educating” its ….“ How “ and “ Where” and “ When” you should be educating them.

And as mentioned above educating is for articles, blogs, videos, audios, webinars in person or on the phone NOT email.

And definitely NOT email if you want to get read and get them to take action.

If educating is the goal, email should ONLY be used to drive them to the blog ( article ), article, video, webinar or audio ( nothing more )

Remember people are saying to them “what does this have to do with me?, let me get back to facebook, an email from a friend, tv show, newspaper, book etc )

Remember and this is the hardest thing for clients to get. People are not interested in you. I know it sounds harsh but it’s key.

It's like someone going to buy nails. People are not interested in nails, they are interested in what they can do with the nails, what it will give them, how fast and easy it will be and cost effective.

They are interested in getting... where they want to go... and getting what they want. if you need to expand on your 20 years of experience ( even though the email does say you have established trust and a network through the years ), allow your bio on your website to do that.

This gives people the OPTION if they need to see that by using one of the next batch of emails to drive them over to it for reading it and it doesn’t lose those who don’t care about how long you have been in business. ( and there is lots of people who don’t )
Email is not the place for a long winded bio as you will lose them, its dry, its dull and its irrelevant to what they want. All they are thinking is " Is he available?, how does he market houses " and " how much is he going to charge us vs a realtor down the road " that’s it!

Remember as well people are very sceptical and ANYONE in ANY business can say they have been at something for years and years, people take that with a grain of salt. And in your business, having dealt with realtors myself when I have needed to sell my last 4 houses.

The only thing that was on my mind when I got an email was those 3 things above

In fact…

If I got an email from a realtor and it was 700 words ( rare that I did ) I would be scanning it to find out where the person gets to the point

i.e As all MOST people are thinking is…

Why are you contacting me?

And what do you want from me?

And if you can’t answer that FAST, they will click away. It’s a simple as that.

Think of it this way …. Every time an email arrives in someone’s inbox, its infringing on their life.

The goal with effective email is simple:

1. Get it open (create curiosity through subject line and first line)
2. Get it Read (straight to the point, here is what this is about and keep it short and sweet)
3. Get them to take action (tell them what to do next i.e. phone, go to video, article, email-)

AND DO IT FAST!

I assure you at least 80% of businesses don't get past 1 and 2 because they are not aware of what it takes to get it open, get it read and get them to take action. They get trapped in spam filters, they don’t create curiosity in their headings, they don’t get to the point and think it’s important to give people long winded emails thinking that they will read it and they need to know it ( most won’t read long emails and if they need to know, they probably already do or can search it out on google or your site )

So to sum it, as I said at the start

People don't have time to read long emails

People are not interested in YOU until you created trust,credibility and value

When they are interested in YOU, get to the point fast as you are competing with lots of distracting things they have going on in their life

The irony was born from his passion about the topic, I'm guessing. Jon did make some good points. His summary of his own post makes his main points more succinctly:

People don't have time to read long emails

People are not interested in YOU until you created trust,credibility and value

When they are interested in YOU, get to the point fast as you are competing with lots of distracting things they have going on in their life

On a related point, one of the things that gets me to
begin to tune-out of a list owners messages is when
they...

Mis-represent the Sender-Subscriber Relationship

Some list owners come over all gushing like they're
your best friend.

Guess what?

They're not!

So quit the 'Hey buddy' BS and other crap that tries to
portray a depth of relationship that simply isn't there.

To me, the 'Hey buddy' line and other similar tags come
across as insincere.

Instead, when you write your e-mails, imagine that the
person you're writing to is right in front of you. How
would you talk to them? What degree of formality or
informality would you use?

Go with that and quit the buddy sh!t.

Dedicated to mutual success,

Shaun

I hate it when the email starts... dear friend. or even using my name when they obviously don't know me.

I hate it even more when the email says it knows what I'm thinking.

Spam is spam, even if you have subscribed and it's the quickest way to get me to unsubscribe after I just subscribed.

I think the acid test is to read the email as though someone sent it to you. If you don't believe it or like it, DON'T SEND IT!

Great post Dennis!

I wanted to add a little tip that involves these two points...

I KNOW some people can't be bothered with long emails because I'm one of them. So to help this - I try to put a "skip my story and see the goods here" link towards the top of the email...

This also helps with your third point - because sometimes I may think the story is awesome but it could bore the socks off of someone else. So this has been my compromise...

Hope this will help someone

This is a great thread about emails and I get thousands every day of which I may open one or two. I just look at the subject lines, and the majority are the same old boring sales line. Yesterday I cleared out one of my mail boxes deleting all but one which said
North Borneo Railway : Full Steam Ahead on 4th July 2011
Now that is of interest because I have been waiting 3 years to ride on the old steam train, unfortunately I no longer live in Malaysia. The 12,000 mails deleted were selling snake oil, Rolex watches, fishing for my personal details etc

I think people need to think much more about titles, I also send out emails to my subscribers using titles such as marketing your business tips from David Ogden, so they can see who its from and what it is about

I love it. So many people advise building a relationship with your list, which is fine, but lots of marketers (even ones that have really good, interesting products that captivate me for the entire length of time it takes to read their product) send long, boring stories via email that I don't give a crap about.

I still buy whatever they're promoting based on my past experiences with their products, but NOT from their lame (IMHO) email marketing technique.

True.

Thought I'd share a recent 'story email' I enjoyed putting together
AND many on my list enjoyed reading!

All success
Dr.Mani

Excellent post Dennis.

My pet peeve is those pre-canned affiliate emails that start off: "I was just chatting with my buddy John on Facebook, and he's agreed to let me offer you this great deal." Then you get the same email the next day from someone else.

Unsub ... unsub ...

Dennis,

Great post bring with it some excellent points (from all) - Haven't got the time to read it all now, but am definitely going to bookmark this one for my next coffee break.

(I think much the same of long emails as I do many "long posts" or "long sales letters" or "long WSOs" - )

If they don't grab me right away they don't get read.

Paul

Lots of great points here. I am wondering if anyone can post a sample email that they consider to be well written?

Here's a little tidbit from the other side of the fence as well.

If your list isn't reading your emails, maybe you have the wrong people on your list.

Just a thought, but you know, if your list members:

- Don't have time to read your email,
- Don't give the right answers to your questions,
- Find your stories boring, and
- Think you insult their intelligence...

Maybe it's not so much that you're writing the wrong emails, but that you have the wrong list.

Just getting any people you can get on your list has never been the goal in listbuilding. The goal is to find the right people, and then get them on your list.

Brilliant post. I'm on so few email lists because I do unsubscribe. Got another one.

Bait and Switch: Don't tell me the list is just for product updates and then blast the hell out of my inbox with affiliate offers every day. A lot of product owners do this, and I end up unsubscribing and probably end up not getting an update if one is actually ever offered.

Maybe I'm on all the wrong lists, I think it's about impossible to get my attention through email anymore. Matter of fact, I think it's pretty much impossible to get my attention for any product anymore.

Even though I've never been "burned" by the industry or really even ripped off, I consider myself to be extremely jaded when it comes to IM products.

As pertaining to the constant bombardment of emails (many of them exactly the same from different marketers), I quickly grew weary of the "grab my attention" headlines and amazing offers. I simply dropped off every list I was on and life has been much better since. I highly recommend going cold turkey and beating the addicition of opting-in....

Very useful thread! I have a lot to learn about email marketing and all this definitely helps. Even though I'm a competent Web and print copywriter, emails are a different animal probably because they must be opened to be viewed.

From my experience, the most important thing to start the relationship off is to build a brand of trust and sharing of useful information *first*. Sell later.

This is such a awesome thread - learnt so many mistakes I have previously done. And yes, if thinking it from another angle, I wouldn't open that either.

It's not about building relationship but it's all about building trusts in between.

Useful info ty dennis. Im new to email marketing.

A-friiiiiiiiiiiiiickkkkiiiiin-Men. crap comes in everyday, and some think they get away with it... but really, even if i know you're the shady affilliate all you ever do is pitch me with "Earth SHATTERING" emails, i'll even give you a chance... Not to LISTEN to you. You've already lost that privaledge... No, im now to trying to vouch for you, before i write your name off... forever.

I've learned alot about different personas and styles and most of them i learn what NOT to do.

@Shane and Dave, some people don't like the personalization, but in my experience the majority do. I write a newsletter and offer it in a personalized format and a non-personalized format. Most people opt for the personalized format. One lady told me it was "creepy" once, but most people like to see their name. Be careful not to overdo it though. Do it too many times and it looks like you're trying too hard. I only use a person's name once or twice in my newsletter or any mailing.

@Sarge, learning what not to do is important too. Keeps us from finding out the hard way by making all the mistakes ourselves.

Interesting post here! I'm learning how to right my emails short and sweet!

This is the key aspect to e-mail marketing. As I read so many e-mail whereby I just bin them straight away as I know they were just thrown up real quick. Building an relationship can only be established by appearing to be on the same page or being in a mutual agreement.

Great, Very Useful Tips about E-mail Marketing. It really gives me something to think about!

I believe that yes, building a relationship with a list is important. But not in the e-mails to the list, do it back on your blog/site or in your e-books etc that's when they are going to give you more time. When someone opens their e-mail folder to see what they've got they are giving themselves a few minutes to do just that. They aren't looking for their new best friend etc..

Great post Dennis, pain felt by all i'm sure.

It seems to me there is recent trend from the affiliates of WSO-Pro that have all gone to the same school of "tell a long, heart string pulling, personal story" each and every day. This includes the subject line. It works the first couple of times but then...

Guess what happens when I see this - I call on Zesus to ZAP the e-Mail.

Come on guys, buy the product your recommending, point out the pros and cons and a specific reason you think it might help me. You then earn the right to call me friend and keep me on your list.

Ken

The Old Geezer

I usually feel it's basically impossible for marketing to work on me, even if it's something I want. I just want raw information, and prices.

I often wonder what kind of people are actually susceptible to marketing, especially on the internet where the first thing I tell old people I'm helping with computers is "never click on ads!".

Excellent post, Dennis!

A lot of good points have been made, and it's hard for me to add much to the original post. Ken Leatherman's post made me realize that a lot of these techniques are being used by those with the "slash and burn" mentality.

What I mean is that they latch onto something that supposedly "works" and they will use it mercilessly...until they realize it's not working well enough. Then they will move on to the next "technique" and slash and burn their way through that one.

The funny thing is that if they would take the 1st post in this thread to heart they wouldn't have to slash and burn, instead they would make more sales and be able to get nice and comfy right where they are.

It's just so much easier to stop hustling and to start properly follow proven principles.

All the best,
Michael

Fred, even the thought of using some of these emails for comic relief says a lot about quality of the emails, IMO. Good post.

Very informative post, thanks Dennis.

Another long thread of marketers complaining about marketing.

These advice means nothing if your target audience is NOT
experience marketers. Most people here are sensitive to
these issues because you already know the "tricks" that
are used. But they work for fresh eyes who don't spend
all day in the IM world.

You are NOT your customer. So if your customers
are NOT experienced Warrior marketers then these
advice means nothing.

-Ray Edwards

I think people new to list marketing will keep making these mistakes because they're so easy to make.

A lot of people are stuck on "how to build a relationship" with a list. And I kind of agree with Ray - what works in IM might not work in other niches and vice versa. But, a general principle of "do unto others,etc" works well.

I make a lot of mistakes with everything. But the one thing I try to do these days is provide value to my list.

Yes, I've read the definition of value for an IM list being targetted offers, good prices, the chance to get in first, etc. From an IM "guru". I don't think that's right - I don't want to get offers every day and nothing else.

And yes, I do write long-ish emails. But my CTR rates are pretty good, so I guess I must be doing something right. I don't have much stories (I think they're boring!) but most of my emails are tips on productivity or earning more, so I hope they're useful.

An earlier poster said it's about trust. I think that's what it boils down to. I may not be best friends with my list, but I see them as people I respect and I'm not trying to just strong-arm them into buying stuff!

TOTALLY agree with every single point! It really annoys me to see several emails from different people with the same copy (the ol' copy and paste trick)...and unfortunately for them, THEY ALL GET DELETED without me even bothering to see what they are talking about just based on that mistake alone!

My inbox is precious and I, like you, am often looking for an excuse to delete...or even unsubscribe so be careful about giving me one!!

These days, every morning i put a tick in the "all emails" box and then i specifically untick the emails that I want to read and then just delete all the rest.

My point being, these days unless you've got a good previous history of sending useful emails and/or have an incredibly good headline, the default is delete.

Great Post. Reading different comments definitely a good learning post and we can all learn more. Thanks

What about subject line. 99% of emails never get as far as opened with me.

Dennis - I agree with you so much about repetition! This is one of my pet peeves too

I read each email I write over and over again, trying to delete as much of it as I can without losing the meaning or the vibe Learning to delete is definitely one of the most important copywriting skills!

@mypctechs - Writing good headlines is a different skill all in itself, definitely critical but also easily separable from the actual email copy.

Awesome post. Really made me reflect on what I have been doing wrong.

The reason why they fail is that people can smell the stench of their desperation!

Some guy just emailed me a weird subject line like "I know what's wrong with you" (or something similar) which I deleted and then unsubscribed from the list.

Creepy stalker language makes me feel icky.

Nice tip, if many Internet Marketers realised there is someone at the other end of that email message just like them who joined the mailing list because they were looking for useful tips, alot of email newsletters wouldn't end up in the junk mail or trash

Magnificent post Dennis. "Asking the wrong question" is a whole new idea. Never thought about it. Thanks a lot.

Great post Dennis! I especially liked this...

In just that one sentence you give us a very important email marketing goal.

@ Caliban, creepiest stalker lines I can think of:

Every move you make, I'm watching you....

I'm watching what you're doing

I'm watching you and I'm not really happy with what you're doing, so I'll .... (?)


Let us know how your stalker email is going

Ray, it didn't seem to me like I got personal, but you twice declared my advice meant nothing. That seemed kind of personal to me, but maybe you didn't mean it that way. That set the tone for my responses, though.

Sure Ray, no hard feelings. I was responding all throughout this thread according to the tone I felt you set in your first post. You want to discuss the issues politely, that's cool. What issues are left though? I thought I addressed the issues you had.

As far as I know, it came down to you saying people outside of IM don't analyze their email, and I responded with this:

Did you want to discuss that further, or are we just going to call it a stalemate? Maybe that's not the issue you're talking about? Where do you want to go from here, Ray?

Love it! Great advice. Especially about the drawbacks of the "not so perfect product". Very rarely see that.