Last week, I proudly introduced the miracle that is our very own Phuse Marketing Manager. Relieving the stress of the mail merge, and providing the solution to the heart-aching speculation of whether that laboured email actually landed in the inbox of anyone who was moderately interested. Sadly, in all it’s brilliance, the Phuse Marketing Manager doesn’t have the ability to write your email for you (we’re working on it folks!) and sadly, this week I have been subjected to further reams of dreary email marketing waffle. Come on folks – engage brains… 
It’s Not What You Say, But How You Say It…
Whilst you’re busy chewing over which key points you need to cram into your mail, are you actually thinking about the words you’re using?
Spam filters are infatuated with keywords that scream ‘sales’ and will weed your mail out straight into the Junk Box. In contrast, Gatekeeper PA’s are allergic to sales-rich keywords and on browsing your email, any sign of sales lingo sparks a finger-click reflex towards the Recycle Bin.The word ‘contract’ reeks of legally binding documents – which ironically require legal support to get out of! Consider opting for an ‘agreement’ or “strategy”. But don’t get trigger happy with the thesaurus – you won’t gain any points for a ‘legitimately long-term transaction’.
Mail Merge Mistakes
If you’re going to ask for their business, at least get their name right.Yes, we all know it’s very clever to insert a your contacts name half way through your subject, well done. But at least check that it’s relevant and makes sense. An email starting with "Hi firstname" is equally as cringe worthy as “A Special Offer Just For You name!”
What’s In It For Me?
Whilst it’s all very nice to read about what you do and your prolific list of clients, what exactly are you doing for your prospects business? Don’t just tell people what you do, give them the benefits of using your product. Be a resource – know the market so that you can assist in making good decisions and provide your prospects with the tools to improve their business. People that trust your opinions will become loyal clients.
Excite!
Your punchy, power-packed email has it’s recipient captured at their desk. You have them in prime position for closing with the result you want. Yet, as the end of the email looms, they are faced with nothing but an email signature and a lame ‘give me a call”. Your powerful email has now become nothing but a good read. Engage! You have their attention – keep it! A simple link to your homepage or a call to action button will direct that little cursor towards your site, as opposed to the ‘delete’ button. It goes without saying, always check your links work, are relevant, and professional. Something IT gurus, Experts Exchange (”expertsexchange.com”) might have wanted to look into.
Go Fish!
Would you send out invites to a party and not bother to call round to see who’s coming? Bashing out 300 emails and not bothering to follow them up makes for a poor salesperson and lazy business practice. The sooner you follow up on your marketing campaign, the more likely it is that you are fresh in their mind, they are available for any dates/deadlines you have specified, and less likely to have taken their fat wallets to the competitor that bothered to call. A tool such as the Phuse Marketing Manager allows you to see who has opened your email, enabling you to plan your follow ups accordingly. If you require a response, or action, it’s up to you to be tenacious enough to chase it. Cold leads = no sales.
If your campaign is simply to create awareness, a quick call in to the right people may just prompt them to pass it on to their own trusty database of contacts. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
Wind up your marketing rod, cast it out into your swarming sea of contacts, rein them in. And keep them warm... There’s never any value in dead fish.
