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Tips
How To Write Compelling Email Subject Lines That Get Opened
The most important part of any email that you are going to send is your subject line.
That’s because if your subject line fails to pique your subscribers’ interest, the body of your email is unlikely to be opened, let alone read or clicked on, and this is not the mark of a successful email marketing campaign, is it?!?
That’s why you’ll want to spend some time developing interesting subject lines that will entice your audience to open your email.
Here’s how to go about it…
Identify The Advantages Of Your Particular Email
In your subject line, you need to pique the readers curiosity. To put it another way, what is the single most important benefit that the recipient will receive if he receives your email? That is what should be in the subject line.
For example, is the reader going to be learning a simpler and quicker way to do something? Will they be given a free tool? Will customers receive a special bonus or perhaps a discount if they purchase a paid offer?
Use a subject line that isn’t clickbait in any way. The topic must be both incredibly appealing and completely related to the email’s content.
Make A List Of Enticing Subject Lines
Now that you know what your major benefit is, come up with as many possible subject lines as you can that include this benefit.
You might want to include some sort of social proof within your subject lines in addition to highlighting any advantages.
Finally, just like with landing-page headers, you can leverage your email headline to pique people’s interest and increase open rates.
For example, you can reveal an unexpected benefit in the subject line, or simply use phrases like “hidden” “secret” or “discover” to pique interest.
In some circumstances, a simple question may pique people’s interest enough to prompt them to click, for example: “Can you housetrain a mature rescue dog in only 48 hours?”.
The question is compelling because many people believe housetraining a more mature rescue dog would be extremely difficult, yet this email subject line claims it could be accomplished in as short as 48 hours. People will be intrigued enough that they will be inclined to click.
To get started, you can use the following templates:
- The quickest and most convenient way to [get a benefit]. For example, The Fast and Easy Method to Lose 10 Pounds.
- Do you make these [kind of] errors? Are you committing these pricey home-buying blunders, for example?
- Is there anyone else interested in [a benefit]? Who else would like a free cat trick-training video, for example?
- The most effective approach to [achieve a benefit]. E.G., The most effective method for getting into medical school (it’s not what you may be thinking).
- [Obtain a benefit] [without having a specific item or doing a difficult task]? E.G., Is it possible to get a $100,000 job without having a college diploma?
- Take advantage of this [limited] time flash sale to save [amount or percent]! For example, during this 24-hour flash sale, you can save 50%!
Create A Compelling Subject Headline
Now that you’ve devised a rough draught of your subject headline, you should perform the following so that you can refine and improve it:
Keep It Brief
Long email subject headlines are usually truncated by the majority of email clients. While the number of characters varies, it is usually between 60 – 65. As a result, create brief subject lines that attract attention in a few words.
Consider Making It Your Own
Most email applications allow you to personalise your emails by inserting the recipient’s first name in the subject line. While you don’t want to overdo it, mentioning the recipient’s forename every now and then might have a major influence.
For example:
- John, do you think you’re at risk of having a severe heart attack?
- Suzy, here is a dog-training suggestion for you.
- With this unique deal, Jane, you may save 25%…
Write A Congruent Preview
Most email programmes allow receivers to preview the first few lines of an email without having to open it. As a result, make sure the first couple of lines of your paragraph work hard to grab the reader’s attention, and keep it!
For example, you may start your email with a tale, making sure to select language that will pique the interest of any recipient who is still reading the sample.
E.G., “When I first looked inside my PayPal account, I couldn’t believe what I saw…”
Make Use Of A Swipe File
Having a swipe file of effective subject lines that have piqued your curiosity from other people is a good idea. Then you will be able to search through your files for ideas.
For example, in your email, you might see a topic like this: Who else wants to get abs that are tighter in just a few minutes per day?
This is the basic concept for that topic line: Who else [wishes for a specific result] in a [relatively short timespan]?
You can use it as a starting point for your own topic:
Who else wants to quadruple their conversions in 10 minutes?
- Start by subscribing to a few good newsletters both within and beyond your niche to build your swipe file. You could even create a separate email address to receive these messages. Then you can create a folder in which you can save the strongest subject lines that grabbed your interest.
- Sales letter headlines can be examined as well, as they follow the same general formula as your email subject lines. The biggest distinction is that sales letter headlines are usually longer, so you’ll have to concentrate on shorter ones.
- Finally, you can check out swipe files that other individuals have amassed (whether free or paid). For example, you can look up “email subject line swipe files” on Google.
And finally…
Test Everything
To increase your open rates, you should always be testing your subject lines. You can test personalisation (with or without), open rates (with or without icons), punctuation (e.g., with question mark, without question mark, no punctuation at all), and, of course, different subject lines.
Conclusion
You’ve just learned how to write great email subject headlines that grab people’s attention and get them to read your messages. Make a commitment to test and track all of your subject lines in order to figure out which ones get the best reaction.
As you can see, having good subject lines are in integral part of your overall email marketing strategy, so use them wisely.
If you want to know more about building and nurturing your email list, check out the featured resource below where you can get a free report about simple list building to expand your knowledge further. If you do download it, please read it and take action and good luck 😊
Are You Sabotaging Yourself If You Don’t Have Self-Discipline?
Self-discipline is difficult. There’s no way around it.
Self-discipline is regarded as a sign of professionalism and confidence, especially in the business world. Professionalism requires being on time, responsive, efficient, creative, active, productive, and conscientious… not to be satisfied with the bare minimum
You must “do what you say and say what you do,” which means not promising the unattainable, being practical, competent, and meeting deadlines in order to complete the objective. It’s not the end of the world if you have trouble with self-control. You can get back on track and become more efficient by doing a few simple measures.
In fact, Jim Rohn, the legendary motivational speaker, once said, “We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”
He realised that even the greatest of us will struggle to develop and sustain self-discipline, he understood. This is a lifelong battle, but it should become easier over time if you practice it on a daily basis.
Self-discipline is a gigantic and Herculean undertaking in and of itself, but some people make it far more difficult than it needs to be. They sabotage their own efforts in a number of ways.
Blindly Following Advice
Each of us is a unique individual. It’s best to do what’s right for you when trying to form positive habits (which is what building self-discipline is all about).
Weight loss is a common issue where most individuals go wrong. There are so many options for losing weight that you’ll be spoilt for choice.
If everyone you know is following the keto diet and you decide to give it a shot (because your friends say it’s amazing), but you despise eating all that fat with your meals, following the plan will be difficult.
However, once a week, you may want to do a 48-hour water fast. This strategy may appear to be more convenient for you. In this scenario, fasting is preferable to forcing oneself to do something you don’t want to do.
It will be easier to build fasting as a part of your self-discipline than it will be to stick to your keto diet.
The same can be said of other habits. Some folks accomplish their finest work first thing in the morning. Others might rather work late at night. You’ll be fighting your natural circadian rhythm if you force yourself to get up early merely because others believe it works.
Rather than striving to work against yourself, you should be disciplined and work with your natural inclinations.
Trying To Cram Too Much Into Too Little Time
Life is a breeze inch by inch. Life is difficult, yard by yard. You may believe that making drastic changes in your life will help you advance more quickly. In actuality, this is ineffective and will just cause you to stumble.
You’ll experience uncontrollable food cravings if you try to adjust your diet overnight. Working out too intensely too soon can result in significant muscle aches and even injuries.
You will feel fatigued and drained if you take on too much work. You lack the necessary ‘muscles’ and endurance to execute the tasks you intend to complete.
The final result is that you continue to succumb to food cravings, or you miss workouts or put things off at work. These mistakes can make you feel bad, and you will be tempted to give up.
It’s best to take things slowly and create modest beneficial changes that you can manage on a daily basis. You’ll be far more likely to stay on course, and over time, your entire life will change.
Not Keeping Track Of Your Progress
Keep a journal and make a list of the habits you want to develop. This will assist you in keeping track of your progress.
Allow yourself around 60 days to form a habit, then mark it off with a check each day. The goal is to create a continuous chain of checkmarks.
If you skip a day, begin again the next day and try to complete another 60 days.
Giving Up Too Early
Development takes time, and most people are overconfident in their ability to achieve a lot in a short period of time. It will take considerably longer than you expect in practice.
If you’re impatient and anticipate unrealistic results in a short period of time, you’ll be disappointed if your efforts don’t bear fruit within a month or two. Don’t give up simply because you’re not seeing results right away.
Staying on track and making progress (even though it may be slow) until you achieve your goal is what self-discipline is all about.
Allowing Slip-Ups To Derail You
You’re certain to make a mistake at some point. It happens to all of us, and it always happens. This isn’t a symptom of laziness or a lack of willpower.
Breaking old habits can be difficult, and you’ll always face opposition. We’re all human, so we’re bound to make mistakes now and then.
Do not consider it a failure and abandon the process. Make adjustments and c ontinue on your current path.
It will take time to develop self-discipline. You’ll achieve mastery over your ideas and actions over time if you allow yourself that time and don’t work against yourself.
Developing Self-Discipline
Once established in your life, these positive practices should provide better alternatives to your previous habits. When the feel the urge to revert to past dangerous habits like drug and alcohol abuse, you can turn to these things instead.
It’s easier to turn your goals into achievements when you have self-discipline. The first step toward becoming self-disciplined and successful is to recognize the relationship between success and self-discipline.
Self-discipline is a decision, at the end of the day. You may need to work extra hard to become self-disciplined, depending on your background and personal problems, but the good thing is that self-discipline can indeed be learned.
It’s not a problem at all if you don’t have as much self-discipline as you’d like. You can begin by becoming more self-disciplined than where you are today. All you need to do now is take that initial step and keep moving forward one step at a time.
Whatever errors and blunders you’ve made previously, you can always make better choices right here, right now.
“Small disciplines repeated with consistency everyday lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.” – John Maxwell.
As you can see, self-discipline is an important skill to master, and if you want to increase your power of self discipline then check out the featured resource below for a free detailed report; download, read it and take action 😊
How To Make A Popup That Benefits Opt-Ins Rather Than Hurting Them
When most people think about popup windows, they have a bad association.
That’s because we’ve all dealt with popup windows that won’t close, popup windows that act like “whack a mole,” with many windows popping at the same time, and other annoying situations.
As a result, you may believe that you should not subject your website users to popups.
You are correct – you really should NOT subject your visitors to irritating popups because they will undoubtedly reduce your opt-in rates.
However, a well-timed and polished popup benefits both your visitors and your opt-in rates, therefore you should start employing them.
So, how can you design a useful, beneficial popup? That is the focus of this article.
Using popups is an important part of your overall email marketing strategy and shouldn’t be overlooked.
Let’s get this party started…
Step 1: Stay Away From Tricks Or Annoyances
The first thing you should do is prevent any type of popup that tries to fool or annoy users. To that purpose, stay away from the following:
- Numerous popups showing on the same page. (Let’s be honest, one is more than enough.)
- Popups that generate a new one every time the previous one is closed.
- Inability to close popups
- Popups that are virtually impossible to close, such as those with small close buttons and ones that can only be closed by using something like the “esc” key.
And similar ploys. Remember, your purpose is to serve individuals by offering them something useful through the popup. You want users to appreciate your popup rather than be so angry that they swear never to return to your site again!
Step 2: Write Your Popup’s Copy
You must now decide what will be displayed in your popup. This would best be a concise piece of writing that encourages individuals to sign up to your mailing list.
To that purpose, you can design your popup copy using the guidelines from this lesson.
The difference is that this content will be even shorter, consisting of a headline, along with a few perks, and a call-to-action in addition to your opt-in form.
The key to creating a successful popup is to link it directly to the material that the visitor was just browsing.
This means that both the sales text and the lead magnet or other opt-in offer are directly relevant to what the visitor was viewing.
To clear things up for you, let’s look at a couple of quick examples:
Example 1: If someone is viewing a blog post about weight loss, your popup could give them even more weight loss ideas by offering them a free report or newsletter.
Example 2: If someone visits a dog training sales page, you could give them a free video on dog training and maybe even a discount on the product or service they were looking at.
Step 3: Decide On The Appearance
The next part is to figure out how and when your popup should appear.
In terms of timing, you have a few options:
- Showing up as soon as anybody visits your page.
- Showing after a certain amount of time (for example, 30 seconds after someone arrives on the page).
- Showing on the exit or with the exit intent (this means that it appears if the visitor is going to leave your page).
Important…
You should generally avoid popups that show as soon as a visitor reaches the page.
They haven’t even had a chance to read the page/post to see what it’s about, thus any popup box will be quickly closed, most likely without even glancing at it, because they want to find out what the main page is all about.
When it will appear depends on whatever it is you’re giving away and where it appears on the page.
If you’re using a popup box on a sales page, for example, you would be better off using an exit intent popup box.
You can keep the sales page’s focus on buying a product this way, but if they decide to leave without buying, you can employ the popup box to encourage them to sign up to your email list.
The design of your popup is the second factor to consider. There are several options here as well. Just make sure the prospect can easily close the popup box if they want to.
- The main screen is darkened by a lightbox type popup, allowing visitors to focus on the popup. The lightbox also nearly fills the whole screen, so it’s hard for the reader to overlook it.
- The standard popup, which is a smaller window that will appear above or below the main page, is another alternative.
- Another alternative is the slider style popup in which the popup can slide in from either the top, bottom, or either side of the screen. This popup is slightly different from the rest, and it’s meant to grab your attention.
It’s a pretty good idea to perform some testing to determine which styles your visitors respond to the most in order to figure out which one is best for you.
This brings us to the final phase…
Step 4: Monitor And Test
Testing and tracking your popup windows is the only real way to know for certain what affects your opt-in rate the most. To this end, you should put the following to the test:
- The text that will appear in your popup (your headline, any benefits and your call-to-action).
- The interior design of your popup as a whole (e.g, images, font, color etc.).
- What you’re selling — this should be dependent on what the viewer was just looking at, you can provide different kinds of lead magnets.
- The popup’s appearance and location.
Even if your shiny, new popup appears to be performing well, tracking and testing is a smart idea because you could probably boost your response rate a whole lot more.
Check that you are able to track conversion data if you’re utilizing a separate piece of software to design your popups. I highly recommend Thrive Leads.
Split testing is the only surefire way to know how effective your email marketing campaign is, and how to optimize it further for even better results.
Conclusion
Popups, as you’ve just learned, can be extremely advantageous to your online business and well-received by your target demographic.
Here’s a quick rundown of how to make a successful popup:
- Decide what you’ll offer inside the popup. Make sure the lead magnet is tailored to the information the visitor is seeing.
- 2.Write the popup’s copy.
- Select the popup’s details, such as its timing and look.
- Make a commitment to testing and tracking in order to increase response rates.
Remember to try to build popups that help rather than hinder your conversions!
Any type of marketing funnel relies on good sales copy and there are many pitfalls and mistakes that inexperienced copywriters can make. If you want to know more about avoiding these and other copywriting mistakes, take a look at the featured resource below where you can download a copy of a free report, Copywriting Blunders, so you will be forewarned and can make your copy more effective. Download, read it and take action 😊
10 Tips For Working Smarter, Not Harder
Who wants to go to the trouble of driving yourself into the ground? It’s highly unlikely that anyone will raise their hand in support of such an idea! 😄
We all want to relax and unwind, but the reality is that we need to be working. To work smarter not harder, to be happy and productive.
You don’t get any points for working harder than you need to, so it just makes sense to be smart about the way you approach your work.
Here are ten pointers to help you master the simple concept of smart working, so you can work smart not hard.
Be The Delegation King Or Queen
This isn’t to say that you should start chopping heads like the nobility of old. It means being a visionary leader with innovative ideas for getting things done while also ensuring that the process is enjoyable.
People enjoy completing tasks for others when they are praised and feel that their efforts are worthwhile.
There is a definite knack when it comes to getting things done for you and you need to be able to delegate with a light touch.
Do this right and your productivity will skyrocket!
Organize Your Priorities
You must be the ruler once again. Treat yourself properly, but don’t fall into the trap of doing things that aren’t necessary.
Decide what requires your undivided attention and focus on it before moving on to the next high priority.
Busyness for the sake of it is not a good idea and can really limit your productivity too; this is key to smarter working.
And whatever you do, DON’T be tempted to multitask; it is a productivity killer. Focus on one task at a time, and don’t be tempted to move on until that task is finished.
Become An Expert Planner
Have you ever witnessed someone attempting to construct a backyard deck without a blueprint? It doesn’t go smoothly does it?! 😳
Few people have the ability to complete high-priority activities without thorough planning. Following a well-thought-out plan will assist you in properly managing your time and achieving your objectives.
You know what they say, “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail!” Do not be that person!
Become A Master Of The Keyboard
Slow typing is inconvenient and reduces the amount of time you have to complete all of your high-priority activities.
If you are unable to type quickly, it is probably a good idea that you take a typing course to learn how to type quicker. Keyboard shortcuts can also be extremely useful, so make sure that you learn them.
Many people use speech to text software, such as the one included in Google Docs or Microsoft Word, to speed up their writing.
Take A Break And Be Kind To Yourself
It’s a good idea to take breaks. Even if you’ve been working hard in short spurts or for lengthy periods of time, you still need a break.
When you’re stressed and exhausted, you’re more likely to make mistakes in your work.
You will find that after all of that hard work, it is not up to the standards that you have set for yourself, and you will have to redo some of it. That has now become counterproductive!
Short breaks will keep your health in control, and you will be less likely to become ill and miss work.
Actually Call Somebody!
In today’s environment, most people rely on email to communicate with others, even within their own company.
Instead, why not try picking up the phone instead and calling them?!
You’ll get a sense of who is available to take calls and who will never answer. Keep note of those who are responsive, and only email or text those who will either not respond or who have a tendency to become irritated.
Put Time-Consuming Tasks On Autopilot
You will find yourself completing repetitious tasks throughout the day. Put a stop to it by working smarter rather than harder.
You can programme mini-programs in your computer to handle repetitive activities for you.
If you use Excel, for example, there are tools in there that can be utilised for repetitive tasks. Learn how to use macros etc. to get things done quicker.
Wherever feasible, look for templates. You can just load and fill in the blanks. Templates are available for download for free or for a modest cost and can be used for recurring writing or visual assignments, such as sales pages.
Deadlines Are Crucial
Set and stick to deadlines for everything, not just your top priorities. You will need to work harder if you procrastinate.
You must first work to break free from procrastination, and then you’ll need to work even harder just to catch up.
Set a firm deadline for a task and then work toward finishing it on time. Give yourself a tiny reward before getting back to work and meeting the next deadline.
You Are In Charge Of Your Time
You must softly but firmly communicate to family, friends, and coworkers that your time is valuable. Distractions must be avoided in order to avoid working harder.
They will steal your focus away from you, and it will be difficult to regain it.
Keep an internal punch clock in your head to keep track of time. When the job is done correctly (and smartly), punch in and out.
Get Moving
You must move it, a bit like that famous song from Disney. Doing all of your work in one place can lead to boredom. Use a combination of your regular work desk and a standing desk next to it.
Switching between the two will help your body stay strong and prevent you from becoming drowsy. If feasible, alternate between those and taking the laptop into an empty conference room for a while.
It will help you stay alert and concentrated if you move around. You have an endless supply of ideas for the same thing at home. There are numerous workstations, comfortable chairs, and other items that you can shift from one location to another.
As you can appreciate, working smarter not harder requires a lot of self discipline, and if that is something you struggle with (don’t we all?) then please check out the featured resource below for a free report which will help you; download, read it and take action 🙂
6 Product Types You Can Promote As An Affiliate Blogger
A common question that comes up for affiliate bloggers is…
“What kind of products or services should I actually promote?”
Of course, this is dependent on your niche. The short answer is that you should promote things that your readers actually want, and hopefully, need!
Products that help to solve issues, elicit an emotion (recalling a memory, making others laugh, etc.), or that meets a need are the best ones to promote.
Yes, items that people just “want” are also excellent choices, but if you want your site to rock out the sales, focus on the aforementioned.
Sticking with products that have worked for you, that you’ve tested for yourself, that come from reputable brands, and that are evergreen (unless you have a seasonal blog) are also good “rules of thumb” to follow.
All of the information I’ve given you thus far is useful in general, but now let’s speak about specific product types.
Services Offering Recurring Commissions
This is listed first because I want you to go find as many of these as you can. Being an associate for items that pay recurring commissions is fantastic because you sell it once and get paid again and again. This is the closest thing to passive income you can get.
Now, depending on your niche, you will be able to find these types of products and how many there are, but for most niches, you should have at least a few possibilities. Because certain niches have numerous alternatives, you could have several of these functioning for you at the same time. Consider having three, four, five, or more of these programmes paying you every month.
People tend to pay for services longer than any other form of recurring product you might promote, therefore services are the ideal option for this.
Make a list of all the services you think that individuals in your niche would want to use. You may also do a Google search for “your niche + service” to find some that you might not have considered.
Once you’ve compiled your list, look for affiliate networks that offer those services and start promoting them on your site.
Membership Sites Offering Recurring Commissions
I just got you all pumped up about recurring commission affiliate programmes, so let’s move on to another type of programme. The membership type.
Again, depending on your niche, this may or may not be a possibility for you, but you can find these by searching on Google for “your niche + membership site or “your niche + membership.”
Look to see whether they offer affiliate programmes that you may join once you’ve found them. If you don’t see anything that indicates they do, simply contact the site’s owner and inquire. Many will likely say yes!
Find as many as you can and start promoting them for many recurring income streams.
Digital Products
This is my favourite type of product to promote because the commissions are usually the highest. Whereas a lot of physical products (which we’ll speak about next) pay extremely small commissions (like 1% to 5%), digital products can pay you anywhere from 30% to 100% of the transaction in some niches.
Ebooks, software, courses, pintables, and other types of downloadable products are types of digital products.
Return to Google and begin searching for digital products in your niche. Look for all of the product kinds I described above, and then check if any of them offer affiliate programmes.
You can uncover a number of these types of products to promote as an affiliate in a lot of niches.
Books
Even in this digital age, many people like to hold a physical book in their hands and read it. If you have written a blog post about a particular topic, see if there is a book about it that you can recommend.
This can be as simple as going to Amazon and doing a topic search. Then simply grab your Amazon Associates link for it and include it as a tip for additional reading in your posts.
This is a terrific strategy for popular topics for which you want to develop content but can’t find a product to promote and profit from as an affiliate.
Physical Products
Because there are so many physical things out there, and so many affiliate programmes for them, this is a really broad product category.
Only promote physical products that you have personally used and liked, or that have benefited you in some way. There’s no need to promote a tangible product merely for the sake of promoting it when there are so many other options available.
Although it is not a requirement, recommending things that you have used and enjoy will almost certainly earn you more money.
There are now a number of affiliate marketplaces where you can look for physical products. ShareASale, CJ Affiliate, and the ever-popular Amazon Associates programme are just a few examples.
Do a quick search on these or go back to Google, and you’ll find that there are many options to choose from.
Food
One thing that we all have in common is that we all eat food, and most of us enjoy eating, therefore this is an excellent product to market.
Aside from obtaining your Amazon Associates connection for different sorts of food you write about or recommend, many businesses now offer cooked food delivered to your door, food boxes with everything you need to cook, shopping boxes, and speciality food boxes.
If you’re not in the food niche, this is an often-overlooked type of product to promote as an affiliate, but you’d be surprised how well you can work your affiliate links into this type of product.
So there you have it! As an affiliate blogger, there are just six ideas of products you can promote. Although not every product type may be available to you due to the type of niche you’re in, you should always be on the lookout for new things to promote in order to keep the money coming in from your site!
Follow these affiliate marketing tips, and you’ll be on the way to becoming a successful affiliate marketer in no time. And if you want to know more about affiliate marketing check out the featured resource below for a free report; download, read it and take action 😊
