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