Five great ways to use email

Ivan Levison —
Direct Mail, E-mail and Advertising Copywriting

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THE LEVISON LETTER
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Action Ideas For Better Direct Mail,
E-mail, Web Sites & Advertising

Published by
Ivan Levison, Direct Response Copywriting

April, 2001
Volume: 16 Number: 4

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Five great ways to use email
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Are you using opt-in e-mail to encourage visits to your
Web site? And then, are you offering visitors a product
"tour" when they arrive at your site?

Not a big surprise. This is standard operating
procedure.

What you might not have realized is that e-mail can do a
lot of other things extremely well. Allow me to suggest
just five ways to use e-mail that you might not have
thought of.

#1. Encourage the use of your downloaded product.

You don't want people to simply download your software.
You want them to actually put it through its
paces. So invite prospects to do just that in a follow-up
e-mail. Here are some things to include in your
e-mail:

+ Personally thank the prospect for downloading the
software
+ Tell them they just joined a family of over XX,000
satisfied users
+ Tell them that they are just seconds away from seeing
for themselves how great your product is
+ Tell them what they'll see
+ Tell them to try it RIGHT NOW!
+ Tell them to buy at a special price after they've
tried it

#2. Ask for the sale after the free download.

It's a real pity to let prospects download your software
and then not keep contacting them via a little e-mail
mini-campaign that gets them to try and buy. If you
don't pursue the downloaders aggressively, you're missing
out on some great opportunities. Here are some things you
might do in this kind of an e-mail:

+ Thank them for having downloaded your software
+ Tell them that they are eligible for a special,
limited-time offer (Mention the cut-off date)
+ Tell them why they need the product NOW
+ Walk them through the killer benefits
+ Provide clear ordering information
+ Stress the guarantee

#3. Cross sell your product.

Why settle for selling only one item in your product
family. You should always be looking for ways to cross
sell products. Points to cover in your e-mail:

+ Thank them for their business and acknowledge that
they're a valued member of your "family"
+ Explain that because they bought product "A," they are
eligible for a special deal on product "B"
+ Tell them that they are eligible for a special
limited-time offer (Mention the cut-off date)
+ Tell them why they need the second product NOW
+ Walk them through the killer benefits
+ Provide clear ordering information
+ Stress the guarantee

#4. Generate sign-ups for an online conference.

If you want to run an online conference or seminar, go
out to an opt-in list and make a compelling invitation.
Do it right and people will register. Here are some
bases to cover:

+ Make a personal invitation
+ Get the title of the event as well as dates and times
up front
+ Explain exactly what the event will do for the
prospect
+ Explain very clearly what technology they'll need to
attend (If people think it's complicated or difficult
they'll never join you!)
+ Provide clear registration instructions
+ Explain why the event is worth their precious time

#5. Get customer testimonials.

If you want to get glowing testimonials from your
customer base, send registered users a friendly e-mail
asking for their help. The results of such an e-mail can
be outstanding. Points to cover in your e-mail:

+ Thank them for their business
+ If you can, let them know what they bought and on what
date
+ Tell them, candidly, why you're writing them and ask for
their help
+ If possible, provide a "thank you" gift or future
discount
+ Tell them that they can e-mail a comment to you
+ Thank them again and express your appreciation

The take-away message this month? Don't stop after
you've sent the obvious "please visit my Web site"
e-mail message. Think long and hard about how you can
unlock the medium's full potential. Opt-in e-mail can be
used in a wide variety of ways, and it can make money
for you big time!

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How To Get In Touch
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Ivan Levison
Direct Response Copywriting
14 Los Cerros Drive
Greenbrae, CA 94904

Phone: (415) 461-0672
Fax: (415) 461-7738
E-mail: ivan@levison.com
Web Site: http://www.levison.com

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