Make an Offer They
Won't Refuse
Creating special offers that get your readers to take action

By Gail Goodman, Constant Contact CEO

Take action. Isn't that what you want your readers to do when they receive and read your emails? You may want them to buy a product, pay for a service, come to a special event, or volunteer for your organization. Whatever your goal may be, you are looking for a "direct response" from them.

When you email the people on your list, you engage in some level of "direct response" marketing—marketing that requests an action on the part of the recipient. One element of good direct marketing is an offer that engages the reader (or watcher, or listener) to take action.

Why is the offer so important? The 40/40/20 rule of direct response marketing says that the success of a campaign (in this case, an email communication) is based 40 percent on targeting the right audience, 40 percent on the offer you make, and 20 percent on your creative execution (including copywriting and design). This month's article reviews different types of offers and the common characteristics of all great ones.

Offers that Prompt an Immediate Sale

The first question to ask yourself before you consider what to offer is, "Is my product (or service) one that I can sell directly?" Do you sell a product that people can (and will) pick up the phone or visit your website to buy immediately as a result of your email? If you sell jewelry, clothing, pet supplies, a workshop, or a host of other products, then, yes, you can expect direct sales as a result of your email. Also, if you want to get people to sign up for a special event (fundraiser, golf tournament, summer camp, etc.) then you can expect a direct response as well.

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I'm a Realtor who is also training to be a life coach. I have a chapter written in an e-book (life coaching related) that I would like to distribute to my email list. Most of my list is definitely opt-in...but the people on the list opted in to receive email from me as a real estate agent. Is it a problem to use that contact information for another business?

--Kathi F., Texas

Kathi, this is a great question and one that comes up often. The best practice in this case is not to use the list from one business to promote another. It could be, and most likely will be, perceived as "spam" (unsolicited email) by many of your recipients. There is also a very good chance that you will lose a large portion of your list as a result.

I suggest that you include a small blurb in your next real estate email promoting your e-book and offering your list members the chance to opt-in to your life coach email list. Instruct them to click on "update profile" at the bottom of their email and check the "life coaching" box to join.

As tempting as it is to use those addresses to promote your book, it can hurt more than help to do so. Letting your list members make decisions about what they receive from you builds their trust. And trust will keep them on your list and interested in what you are sending.

--Gail Goodman, Constant Contact