I hate getting emails that are not on target to my interests.
No, I am not talking about spam…that is annoying for a completely different reason. I just think that if I am going to sign up on your email list you better deliver.
Don’t wander and send me pictures or your cat, camping trip, or remodeled house.
And definitely don’t send me watered down content that’s only job is to get me to buy something.
Don’t get me wrong,
I know you are going to sell me at some point. Matter of fact, I might even be looking forward to it. I don’t even mind if from time to time you run some sort of “sale” where you hit me with several emails over a holiday weekend.
I am going to be pissed if you don’t deliver most of the time.
I want content and want to be treated fairly.
Giving you my email is an implied relationship. I suspect it is like dating and giving up your phone number (except it is easier to change your phone number nowadays).
If you fail to keep up your end of the relationship (delivering good content), I am going to opt-out and find someone else to date.
Here is what the email relationship should look like…
1. Raise my curiosity.
Get my interest by promoting your information. This could be in a blog, an advertisement…whatever. It is my first impression of you. If you like golf and I like golf- I will look in your direction.
2. Impress me.
Some people are too quick to go for the email. Hey, I want to get to know you first. Show me that you know what you are talking about.
3. Offer me an incentive.
I am not going to give you my email unless you have something I want. This is key. Special report…access to some videos…a secret recipe. But you have to offer me something. My email is valuable.
4. Keep the fire burning.
Once you have my email the courtship is not over. I only gave you my email in exchange for the bribe…I am hovering over the ‘unsubscribe’ button on your first email to me. Set the tone and give me something good. Something extra..something that leads me to believe you have a lot of info and I better stick around.
5. Remind me again.
In the later stage of the email relationship I will need to be re-energized, re-engaged, reminded why we are together. Don’t ever take me for granted and don’t ever start sending me information on stuff completely unrelated to why we got together in the first place.
Many people nowadays realize that you must have some sort of database of potential people to market to if you want to succeed in a product launch or online marketing. But how you handle those people over the long term is very important.
The lifetime value of a customer can be huge…so don’t enter into the email getting relationship without a long-term plan.
