Your email’s click through ratio (CTR) is crucial to your mailing list business’ success. There are no two ways about it. If people are not clicking on the sales link in your updates, you are not going to make any money. It’s just plain impossible.
It doesn’t matter how many people are on your mailing list, it doesn’t matter how many people open your emails, if they do not click on the affiliate link or product sales link embedded in your emails, you’re going to continue to struggle.
Unfortunately, most sales page links in emails are designed to fail. Otherwise intelligent, skilled and experienced list marketers commit the following errors. They obviously don’t do this purposely, but the end results are the same.
Many marketers send irrelevant offers. It’s easy to see why people fall for this trap. You have a mailing list about cars, for example. You’re so pumped up about the huge number of people joining your list and opening your emails, but the subject matter involves automobiles. So what do you do?
You hear that an affiliate program has an amazing high converting new product for hair care. You think that even though your list has nothing to do with hair care products, there should be enough people who might be interested, so you give in. You send out an update with an offer that is completely irrelevant. Let me tell you, if you keep doing that, you will kill your mailing list.
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You have to understand that your list members are very busy. They don’t have time for games and they have very limited patience. If it becomes apparent that you are sending out too many irrelevant offers, your list members will become blind to your updates. At the back of their mind, they have written off the value of your list.
Now, keep in mind that this happens regardless of the fact that they did not bother to unsubscribe. This is what makes it tricky. So do yourself a big favour, just because people remained on your list, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re still interested in your list. It’s only a matter of time until your open rates start sinking like a stone.
Another common problem with unresponsive emails is the fact that even though your offers are relevant, you’re too blatant about what you’re doing. You have to understand the premise behind your mailing list. The premise is to add value to people’s lives. It’s supposed to be a two-way conversation where you can help list members overcome certain problems.
While they understand, at some level or another, that you have to pay the bills, you can’t be too blatant about it. If it becomes apparent to them that the only reason why you have this mailing list is to make money, they’re going to tune you out. The relationship, while it is focused on certain content that they’re interested in, has become too commercial. It has become too mercenary for them.
Finally, you have to be careful of the length of your email. If it turns out that you’re sending really lengthy emails, which can be a chore to read, people will tune you out. You have to understand that people have better things to do than read through a wall of text. This is especially problematic if your emails are formatted in an intimidating way.
Believe it or not, the best performing emails tend to be short. They get to the point, they tell a story, they engage the reader, and they do the job. Writing your life story in an email might be cathartic for you, but it probably does nothing for the end user. If anything, it scares them because they might think that your future updates will be equally long.
The Solution? WIIFM
So how do you get explosive CTR rates? It boils down to WIIFM or “what’s in it for me?” You have to understand that people all over the world, regardless of where they come from, regardless of their colour, regardless of their religion, are always asking this question.
You need to address that question quickly, directly and instantly. You have to quickly get across what they will get if they click on the link. Otherwise, you’re going to lose a sale.
If you find yourself stumbling all over yourself trying to explain what the value is, then chances are, you’re doing something wrong. The key here is to send relevant offers that directly address the problems and concerns raised by: number 1, the general niche of your email list; and number 2, the specific problem raised by your email update.
If you do this right, you can then go on to number 3, which is to tie the call to action in the email to the main benefits of the solution you’re promoting. Fail to do any of these and your CTR rate will drop like a rock. In fact, you remain nonchalant to this. It’s only a matter of time until your email list becomes non-responsive because people feel that you don’t really get them.Â