Rookie Mistakes: Not Selling In Content Emails

This may take some explaining, but here we go.

You’ve heard about that thing about how in email marketing, you should mix your selling emails with content emails, and do it consistently.

50/50%, 70/30% or even 80/20% in favor of content versus selling.

Right?

Well here’s the thing a lot of newcomers get wrong.

photo credit: Bennett 4 Senate

Um… oops, sorry about the NSFW image. Not mine. Moving on now…

The fact that you’re sending out content in between pitches… DOES NOT mean you should not be selling in them.

Come again? I know. Here’s what this means.

Sure, you’re sending out content without trying to hawk a product at the same time. Sure sure sure. No backhanded slipping of URLS or anything going on here, nuh-uh.

Okay. We’re good so far.

However… that doesn’t mean those content emails can be some lazily put together, shoddy excuses to mail out just to fill out some quota before you can sell again.

If you eventually intend to sell something in some other email down the road, it should not come as a surprise. You’ll sell more from those eventual pitch emails when you:

Make your content very, very high quality – SELL the idea you’re writing them about
Make the content something that is instantly actionable – SELL yourself as someone who helps them out
Write about something they haven’t heard of before (come on, I know you have something you’re not divulging – and they suspect it too) – SELL your business as being way above the norm
Make it engaging and personal – they need to need to hear from you (get it? yes I spelled that correctly) – SELL yourself as a person
Have it logically lead up to the offer so when it finally comes, they’re pre-sold and had zero resistance to it – finally, SELL the product.

Seriously, there’s so much sloppy emailing going on I’m finding myself unsubscribing from something almost every day now. Better for those who do it right and stand out, but many more could succeed still.

I’m rooting for you.

Selling cannot be an afterthought if you’re serious about selling something via email marketing. Carefully check your mindset before you whip out the autoresponder and you’ll end up with results that positively surprise you.

Juho Tunkelo Member since May 22, 2007

Long time marketing strategist, superstar skills in copywriting and conversion optimization. Ring me up on Skype or send me a free-form email and I’ll lend you a keen ear.