Inspiring opt-in forms

Filed in Opt-In Forms on Dec.02, 2008

Have you come across any opt-in forms lately that inspired you to sign up?

I admit I’m a sucker for those Instant Slideup forms and want to start using them. They are unobtrusive even while being more noticeable than the typical form. Plus they are attractive so I’m more inclined to sign up even if the free goodies don’t interest me. You can see one in action at Michel Fortin’s blog.

Dali Burgado shares an opt-in form that she liked:

“Email List Name” - A Different Kind of Email List

Get the email newsletter that isn’t an email newsletter. ______ is more like getting short emails from your friends . 2 or 3 times a week, I have cool links and short bits of behind-the-scenes advice on _________, _____________-, ____________. Basically, it’s great stuff you’ll never see on the blog.

Subscribe now and get a 38-minute audio download of _____________ !

And yes, I will sell you stuff from time to time (what did you think, LOL). If you’re not comfortable with that, don’t sign up.

Sign up now:

Email:

I would sign up for a list like that. Plus I like the “38 minute” video; they are being specific and witty at the same time.

I’m going to keep my eye out for opt-in forms and share them here, like I do with email subject lines. If you have any you’d like to mention, please leave a comment.

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For the catalog copywriter or designer on your Christmas list

Filed in Email Copywriting on Nov.25, 2008

I’m not a catalog copywriter but I have a weakness for it and a secret wish to write copy for the J. Peterman catalog (my favorite catalog).

So this book jumped out at me and it looks quite interesting. It’s a collection of catalog snapshots from Sears, Neiman Marcus and many other catalogs over the years.

I hear there’s even a section for bathroom shag carpet. Brings back memories of the good old days of the 1970s.

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A new place for copywriters to hang their hat

Filed in Email Copywriting on Nov.25, 2008

I visited the Copywriters Board almost daily for a year and a half and had the pleasure of serving as moderator since February. Needless to say I felt a bit homeless when Michel Fortin decided he needed to shut it down.

Within 48 hours copywriter Bruce Wedding launched a new forum to fill the void. It’s called the Copywriting Board and I hope you’ll pay a visit.

Bruce insists it’s not his forum, it belongs to all of us, his name isn’t attached to it. Many of us old regulars from the Copywriters Board, including several moderators, are hanging our hats there now. Come join us.

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Email subject line weekly roundup: Joe Montana and Cocktail Parties

Filed in Subject Lines on Nov.25, 2008

Pickings were slim this past week, probably because Thanksgiving is coming up and people aren’t sending out as much email.

My favorite subject line of the bunch was Doug D’Anna’s “What Joe Montana Can Teach You About Copywriting.” I’m not a 49ers fan (if I have to root for anyone it’s the Packers) but anyone who was even dimly aware of football in the 1980s and early 90s knows who Joe Montana is and that famous play known simply as “The Catch” (man does Montana look young in that video). Anyway, that subject line aroused my curiosity enough that I read the email right away.

Another subject line that I liked was “The Cocktail Party Rule” from Marketing Profs. Sadly, I don’t have many opportunities to go to cocktail parties, but I wanted to know what the rule was anyway.

Kenneth Yu’s “STOP!” subject line got my attention. Sometimes it’s easy to forget the a simple one word, all caps subject line can do the trick. Did any subject lines catch your attention recently? Feel free to post a comment about it.

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Email marketing and copywriting is about making connections

Filed in Email Copywriting, Email Marketing on Nov.24, 2008

Ryan Healy’s blog post about how to get your email opened set me to thinking again about how marketing is ultimately about connecting with people.

Email is the true test of whether or not a marketer can or cannot connect with people. Most marketers can’t rely solely on email to do this. They need to use blogs and Twitter too.

I was recently reminded of the importance of making a personal connection when working on an email campaign for a client. She wanted to do Frank Kern’s 4 Day Cash Machine so I wrote the four emails using his templates. Three days into it the campaign was a flop.

So I rewrote email #4 and completely ditched the template. I wrote the email from the heart, exactly as if I was writing it to a friend. Frank’s template emphasizes bonuses but we eliminated that and also made her offer more simple. It worked and the campaign ended up being a success because of that one email.

It was also encouraging to know that people read email #4 even though the first three didn’t resonate with them.

So people still do read email. You just have to find a way to connect with them. Don’t hesitate to use other tools, like blog and Twitter, so your prospects and clients have other ways of getting to know you.

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Is it “pollution” to read email?

Filed in Email Copywriting on Nov.19, 2008

Email copywriter Sean Furey says he doesn’t subscribe to more than a few lists because he says it’s like “pollution” to do so. He wants his ideas as a copywriter to be fresh.

Most copywriters diligently study sales letters for inspiration. But that’s different. You have to deliberately seek out a sales letter, by pulling it off your shelf or finding one online.

Email is different ball game. We’re pelted with it all day. So, when you’re a copywriter, reading email all day long can have a pollution effect and dilute your creative thinking.

Plus…so much of the email out there just isn’t written very well.

I often find it somewhat disconcerting that I delete so much email by other marketers even though I write so much email copy myself.

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Do you use a frame for your emails?

Filed in Email Copywriting on Nov.18, 2008

Matt Furey says it’s important to have a frame for your emails and he uses time and place as his frame.

That is, in the opening of your email, you should have a setting and refer to a specific time.

Here are some examples from emails I recently wrote for clients:

“That car reminds me of one night back when I was a teenager. A friend of mine owned a yellow ‘69 Chevelle…”

“The other day I visited my favorite gadget store. It was the weekend so I had plenty of time and was not in a hurry. My wallet was flush with enough cash to make a decent purchase.”

“This is Susan and yesterday I watched the news about the stock market just like you did, I’m sure.”

“Mark Twain said he could live two months on a good compliment….I’m still living on a compliment a store clerk gave me 14 months ago.”

This won’t work for every single email you send to your lists, of course. But the more often you use a frame like this, the better your chance of connecting with your reader.

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Email Subject Lines: Weekly Roundup

Filed in Subject Lines on Nov.14, 2008

Every week I hope to gather up a few email subject lines from my inbox and bring them here for discussion.

The “from” field is probably the most important part of an email in terms of determining whether or not an email will get opened and read. But the subject line is a very close second.

Here’s my favorite subject line of the week, from an email from copywriter Ben Settle: SEO Copywriting “Hell-Bitch.”

Yep, I opened that one right away and read it. It’s about how Google is a hell-bitch (cowboy lingo for a horse that throws you off its back again and again).

I also liked Ben’s “10 Tiny Marketing Tips” subject line too, from earlier in the week.

Another good one was: “5 Trends That Will Rock Email Marketing.” That was from Target Marketing and I opened that one right away.

Marketing Profs sent a newsletter with the subject line: “Kermit Got It Wrong.” That subject line arouses curiosity.

Perry Marshall used this subject line: “10 words you want to use in your headlines: reasons why.” Another strong subject line.

As you can see, for the most part, subject lines are very different from sales letter headlines. Especially when the email is from an individual instead of a company.

Please feel free to post a favorite subject line in the comments.

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Blogging and Email: The Two Should be Inseparable

Filed in Blogging, Email Marketing on Nov.13, 2008

Do you have an email list? Then you should have a blog too.

If you are a copywriter and a client asks you to write email copy, you should always ask them if they have a blog. If they don’t have a blog then offer to create one for them.

Why? Because you can get more mileage from an email if you turn around and post it on your blog too.

Plus a blog gives your readers another way to interact with you. As a marketer you need to do more than just crank out content; you also have to LISTEN to your market and some people will be more inclined to leave a blog comment than they would to reply to one of your emails. A blog is a great way to tune into the thoughts of your prospects and customers.

Also, search engines love blogs. When you send an email it eventually ends up in the trash or falls to the bottom of the inbox. But a blog post can sit there on the web indefinitely and draw traffic to your website. So your emails can have an extended shelf life if you also turn them into blog posts.

If a client of mine doesn’t have a blog but wants email copy, I tell them that the emails I’m writing for their series give them the beginnings of a blog. If there are seven emails, I offer to create a blog and use those emails as starter posts.

As a copywriter I can provide more value to their business this way and also set up a monthly retainer arrangement that includes both email copy and blog posts.

If you are using email copy in a blog post, it’s best to edit and change it a bit for the blog; don’t just simply copy and paste.

I highly recommend Wordpress. Even if you don’t know much HTML it’s easy to install Wordpress and set up a basic blog. The plugins and widgets make it easy to customize the blog. If you create a Wordpress blog for a client, it won’t be difficult for them to update the blog on their own because Wordpress is user-friendly.

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“Dangerous” email marketing tip from Herschell Gordon Lewis

Filed in Email Marketing, HTML emails on Nov.12, 2008

In his book Effective Email Marketing, Herschell Gordon Lewis gives a “dangerous” general rule about email marketing. He says it’s dangerous because stating that something is a general rule opens up one to criticism. But here goes:

Text tends to outpull HTML when your message suggests urgency. HTML tends to outpull text when your message suggests artistry.

Unless you have really strong storytelling skills, it’s easier to create an emotional reaction in your reader when you use both images and words.

But of course not every email falls into the “urgent” or “artistry” category, so do your own testing here. There’s much to be said for text emails in those in between situations.

Which do you tend to use - HTML or text?

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