| Email marketing - is creating an effective offer a | | | | There is both science and art to making a compelling |
| science or an art? | | | | offer that will evoke a good response from a list of |
| The list is a significant component of promotional | | | | prospects. The science of good offers has been |
| success, but where many marketers go wrong is | | | | developed through years of empirical testing -- |
| failing to make an appropriate "offer" to the list. They | | | | principally through "split-testing" of different offers |
| may create a beautiful and clever email, they may | | | | (sending one offer to group A and another to group B |
| send it to a well-qualified email list, but they fail to offer | | | | and statistically comparing results). Testing in this way |
| the prospective viewer any reason to act. In effect, an | | | | has proven that different offers have different |
| email marketing program without an offer is like me | | | | strengths. For example, a sample list of offers is |
| introducing myself to someone I've been dying to meet, | | | | shown below, in order, from strongest to weakest: |
| and then saying only "Hi, my name is Sean" and then | | | | - "Sweepstakes" or contests (e.g. "Win $2,500 cash |
| walking away. What's the point? | | | | and a trip to Costa Rica...") |
| An offer is an invitation to act -- a call to action. An | | | | - FREE! |
| offer can be as simple as "Buy GeeWhiz today!" or as | | | | - 25% Off! |
| complex as "Buy GeeWhiz at 20% off, while supplies | | | | - No Risk, Money Back Guarantee |
| last, one to a customer; offer expires September 30, | | | | - Limited time or quantity (e.g. "Offer good only until ..." |
| 2007". Some offers work better than others but any | | | | or "Only 100 available! |
| offer works better than none at all. | | | | |