It appears we’ve come full circle in the case of speaking with our prospects and purchasers. I seen just lately that I’ve been paying so much much less consideration to on-line newsletters and people fairly HTML bulletins that arrive in my in-box each day. There are a couple of exceptions in fact. However for essentially the most half I’m within the CONTENT of what’s being delivered, not the design or graphics. When given the selection I now not ask for the HTML model of something – as an alternative I select the text-only model.
There was a time when it was uncommon to obtain something however plain textual content into your electronic mail field. Then we moved to designing branded newsletters and “postcard-like” invites that might seize the eye of our readers. Now, due to ever-improving SPAM filters quite a lot of these fancy invites, bulletins and emails aren’t even making it to our desktop. And for those who do get by the fire-wall, we’ve change into jaded and bored with all these designs. We simply need the knowledge – brief, candy and easy.
Taking part in on this hunch we just lately experimented with a consumer that has been holding a sequence of seminars. As is typical, invites had been despatched out utilizing HTML and branded design. However registrations have been down and we have been on the lookout for a approach to drive attendance. So we despatched out one other announcement in regards to the occasion, besides this was a easy textual content electronic mail. Within the “from” part we had actual individual’s identify. Within the “topic” line we inserted the identify of the seminar. Within the physique of the e-mail was a sentence inviting the recipient to attend the seminar. We had about 3 key “what you’ll get” bullets and the essential description of the two hour session.
Inside 24 hours of sending out the textual content electronic mail we obtained a further 10 registrants for the occasion. For the reason that occasion was capped at 25 attendees, this was virtually 50% of our viewers! We thought we may be on to one thing, so we did once more for one more consumer occasion. And once more, the outcomes have been comparable. The plain textual content electronic mail out carried out the HTML invitation by over 50%. Why? I believe our brains are just a bit drained. You possibly can evaluate this to strolling down the Las Vegas strip at evening. At first the lights are stunning and every part captures your consideration. However stroll the strip each evening for months and months and after some time these fairly flashing lights aren’t going to seize your consideration any longer. You’re going to merely concentrate on arriving at your vacation spot.
Due to this, I imagine that we’re coming full circle again to a extra old style method of speaking. I don’t have time to learn my on-line newsletters as usually as I would love. However I discover that on Sunday afternoon I sit down and browse a number of print journals I get within the mail every month. The “cold-call” electronic mail blasts by no means seize my consideration however final week I acquired a really intelligent junk mail piece that gave me pause and really acquired me to name the service supplier. And I just lately signed up for a webinar on superior search engine advertising and marketing methods that I discovered about from a plain textual content electronic mail that was delivered to me from the proprietor of the interactive consultancy.
Am I advocating that we put off HTML newsletters and bulletins fully? In fact not. These have a spot in our advertising and marketing combine as does every part else. I’m suggesting that you simply think about alternating HTML with plain textual content and that you simply experiment with each. Should you’re holding an occasion, why not alternate every discover — the primary in HTML, the second in plain textual content, and many others. And the day earlier than the occasion — ship out a plain textual content reminder. And let me know in case your response charges begin growing with this “old style” strategy to electronic mail advertising and marketing.
