It’s cheap, easy and its return of £36 for every £1 is off the charts. 

You’d be pretty hard pushed to find something more valuable than a direct line into someone’s attention. Your message beamed right into their brain. And yet, email marketing still gets a bad rap.

Why, you ask?

Because a bad workman always blames his tools. 

It’s that simple. 

People who say email marketing is ineffective:

• Don’t understand how it works
• Were not doing it properly. 

In fact, they were probably going about it completely the wrong way. 

Don’t believe me? Here are three prime examples of rubbish email structures they’ll have been using. 

These atrocities caused them to fail at email marketing. But instead of learning from the data and changing their tack, they now say email marketing sucks. 

You and I both know they couldn’t be more wrong. 

Nevertheless. Let’s make sure you never try these out for size. First up… 

1 – The ‘Newsletter In An Email’ Approach

YAWN.

They’re always really long, aren’t they? Self-indulgent, wordy paragraphs in a tiny font that screams BORING. 

No single dimension of this world exists where I care about your new set of office chairs. Trust me.

These types of emails:

• Are not relevant to your target audience
• Don’t educate or entertain
• Offer no value
• Don’t build trust
• Don’t… do anything. 

Sending content for content’s sake is pointless. And just really, really annoying. 

Especially when it’s also crap.

Instead, connect with your well-understood target audience. Give them a story about WHY you needed new office chairs, cleverly link it back to your values and please…

Please.

Use fewer words.

2 – The Cold Sales Email

This approach is disastrous and can lose prospects altogether. 

Jumping straight in with a pushy email is like trying to get lucky on a first date… it’s just not on.

You’re asking for far too much, far too soon. And they’re highly unlikely to give you a second chance. 

Instead, work by the ‘love jar’ analogy.  Sending sales emails before adequately filling your love jar kills your chances. 

Let me explain…

Imagine each of your readers has a ‘love jar’. The fuller the jar, the happier they are in your relationship.

Shower your readers with love by regularly:

• Imparting wisdom

• Sharing stories

• Entertaining them

• Building trust

• Giving value

It might take longer for some to feel ready than others but consistent nurturing will up the love levels in their jars. 

Consistency is key. Why? Because every time you ask your reader to do something for you in return, you take a scoop of love straight back out. Reminding your prospects that they’re important to you regularly keeps their jars topped up.

And the fuller the jar, the more chance you have of converting them.

Make sense?

Good. 

3 – [Your Name], Check Out Our Latest [Insert Boring Item Here]

But this isn’t it.

It’s SO overdone. Your email might be full of super-valuable information and a legendary giveaway for your readers, but with a subject line that dull, it simply won’t get opened. 

Subject lines need to be:

• Short

• Relevant

• Interesting

• Original

And once you’ve captured the reader’s attention, don’t just flaunt what you’ve got to offer. Anyone can do that. Tell them why they should care. And tell them why you care.

What is it that makes you, and what you’re offering, better than the rest?

 So There We Have It.

Three excruciatingly common types of email marketing that Do. Not. Work.

You’ve seen them a gazillion times. You’ve also probably binned them immediately. 

Effective marketing emails need to be relevant to the reader at the stage they’re at in their buying journey. And most importantly, they need to be far more engaging than the three examples we’ve run through today. 

Want to avoid the trash? Interested in email marketing that does work? Read this blog that I wrote. It’ll change your life (well, your marketing life).

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