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