So…you hear Email rocks. You see them arrive in your Inbox every day, and you think,  I want a piece of that pie

However, you’ve also began reading about how email is on its last legs. That it’s perceived as SPAM and nobody opens them anymore. After all, who needs email when you have Twitter, right?

WRONG!

In fact, nope, that wasn’t big enough. Lets try again…

WRONG

That’s better. Ok, so where was I? That’s right, email still has a place in this world, it just needs a new spin on things. As a Strategic Marketing Consultant, I believe I have the answer.

Get Strategic

I discuss what makes a modern day marketer in my Free Ebook, What Is Strategic Marketing. I’m going to use the same premise for email, so please bare with me.

The future of success, in my opinion, is this simple formula:

Creative Thinking + Strategic Thinking = 21st Century Success

Wow, that’s really simple. How does email fit into this?

It’s really easy, actually, and by coming to Aweber you’ve made a fantastic start.

It’s In The Message

The bad press email has, has come from companies sending messages to huge lists of people (many of which never signed up for or heard of them) with a plea to buy.

This is neither Strategic nor Creative.

By all means make it pretty and full of images, but it doesn’t matter. This is old school and dying a death (thank God).

The alternative is to think Strategically. What does an email actually represent? Well, it’s a message. It’s like saying hello to somebody and beginning a conversation. Imagine bumping into someone you know in the middle of the street. Which of the following conversations is more likely to happen:

So, which is the winner? If you’ve gone for the first one, well…really?

No, I’m guessing the second scenario has come out on top. Why, because that is what a social human being does. Why then, should email be any better?

How To Email Strategically

As a Strategic Marketer, I use email in several ways (I use Aweber, by the way). I use it to:

• Consistently talk to people of interest
• Create automated campaigns for existing clients
• Remind people of Products, Services & Launches

Overall, I use email to retain, rather than acquire. You might be in the same camp or you might be in the acquision one. I’m not here to say which you can do, but I do have some tips to help you get the most out of your emails. These are:

1. What’s the purpose of your message: really think about this. What do you hope to achieve? What’s its purpose?
2. Communicate, don’t sell: even if the email’s purpose is to sell, communicate first and foremost. Give the reason to open, read, and engage.
3. Extend the conversation: always be looking for something more. Whether it’s pointing the reader to your website, asking them to join a new list, or to share something on Twitter; always look to extend the conversation.
4. What does the reader want to read: who is your reader? Who’s going to open it and what do they want to see? If they are looking for help, offer it them. Send them some tips or advice, and let the sales process happen later. Do you really need the sale right now?
5. Don’t be desperate: do you know what I think when I come across one of those bright, screaming emails? Desperation, that’s what. Do you want to come across like this?

Being Strategic is about looking at the bigger picture. It’s not about that one email, but everything that comes with it. What about the second email, or the landing page they’re taken to, or the conversation after the sale?

How does everything tie together?

Once you figure this out that’s when you bring in the Creativity. How can you do all this in an exciting, engaging manner? What will create a wow moment?

It’s Over To You?

This is how a Strategic Marketer (that’s me) does email. It’s taken 800 words for me to say this, but I could have done it in 1:

“Think”

How do you use your email?

Like me, do you use Aweber to make your life awesome?

Turndog Millionaire – @turndog_million