As an Internet marketer or small business owner, one of your goals is to get people to visit your website or landing page. Email marketing helps you connect with those most likely to make a purchase. But sending helpful, valuable information week after week isn't enough to get people to your site – it may remind people that you exist, but unless you really tempt them to click on your website link, you won't make a sale.
3 Reasons to Send Links Instead
Sending links to articles you post on your website, blog, or landing page will hopefully prompt more people to visit these sites. As long as the content is interesting or entertaining, people will click to read more. Sending links also:
· Allows you to prepare newsletter with more than two or three stories (links with an intro paragraph take up less space than full content)
· Allows you to include images (post images on your website without having to worry about blocked images)
· Include other links to specific web pages (if you write an article about the benefits of flea collars for dogs, include a link to the page on your website where you sell flea collars)
Sending links provides you with more room, the ability to add images, and the ability to sell more products – what more could you ask for?
Benefits of Direct Posting
On the other hand, direct posting has a few advantages worth noting. First, subscribers may be more inclined to read full articles right away instead of saving them for later (many people are simply too lazy or busy to click on a link). Second, direct posting makes subscribers feel more like a friend than a sales prospect. Third, many people want to see what you have to offer in terms of information first before visiting your website to see what you have for sale.
Creating an Intro Paragraph
Regardless of which route you take, posting links to full articles or direct posting, the introduction paragraph must be engaging and interesting or subscribers won't bother to finish reading your email content. When writing an intro paragraph, keep your topic mind. Use active verbs and descriptive words. Create titles that grab people's attention, but also lets them know what they're about to read. You don't have to be a master wordsmith to write email content, but you do have to maintain reader interest.
If sending links to articles, include your title and the intro paragraph in the email. Underneath, include a link to the full article. If unsure about whether to send links or direct posts, test your subscribers. Send one email message with links one day and another with full articles along with a link to your website another day. Monitor which email gets the most click-through responses – this will tell you which one is most effective for your subscribers.