Recently, I had the chance to write email copy for an A-list copywriter– a series of 3 autoresponders to convert one-time buyers into monthly subscribers for a new membership site.
Well, he loved the copy so much, he decided to replace his own emails with my series.
So, I thought it would be fun to share some insights from the email copy I came up with.
The Autoresponder Series
Here are the emails in a nutshell :
Email 1: Hybrid Email to combine a stick email, which makes the reader feel good about completing their monthly payments for product #1 (the membership), with a pitch email urging them to sign-up for product #2 (the monthly training) right away.
Email 2: Story Email to entertain readers (with a purpose) before leading into a pitch focusing on one part of the training.
Email 3: Song Lyric Email to get attention, inspire urgency and build rapport with readers–any generation X or baby boomer should recognize this phrase from a popular ’70s break up song.
Of all the email copy, the second was by far the hardest because I had to find a good story. And what I did find, about a 19th century cookbook author, was not a simple intro-struggle-conclusion type of story–it needed quite a bit of finessing.
Personally, the third email was my favorite. The idea was pretty much instantaneous–the song lyric popped into my head every time I thought about the project. It also gave me the theme of a break-up to play off of.
Email Copy Insights for Your Own Autoresponders
There are a number of great ways to put an autoresponder series to work for you. So, here are a few tips for writing your own killer email copy . . .
- Highlighting how the second purchase will enhance the value of the first without devaluing it is important in a hybrid stick/pitch email . For example, you definitely don’t want to imply they need the second product to use the first, or you could lose a customer for good.
- Conversational style is key. He liked that my emails were “chattier”–writing like you’re talking to the reader over a cup of coffee builds the all-important know, like and trust. (This does not mean long-winded though!)
- Hunt down a good story by starting with the end and working backward. What benefits do you want to emphasize? What else might involve a struggle similar to your prospects’? Brainstorm and Google to see what you can find.
- Pare unwieldy stories down to the essentials without losing any of the compelling details for maximum oomph. I literally spent days reworking this one, but I also had historical accuracy and the faint mustiness of a Victorian heroine to contend with.
- Shift smoothly from story or song lyric to pitch by finding a common thread that ties the story and product together–a threat that will matter to your audience. Because if it feels like you’ve suddenly slapped an ad onto the end, the reader will bail.
- “Pay off” the subject line. You can’t use a catchy subject line and leave readers hanging in the email. Somehow,you must justify the subject line in the email copy, preferably early on, or they could feel confused and/or deceived.
- Continue weaving a theme through until the end, instead of dropping it when you get to the pitch, to maintain flow and reader interest.
- Whatever creative elements you add (story, song) must be a good fit for your audience. The cookbook author’s story was also quite entrepreneurial (like these readers) and I knew the song matched the demographics.
Have tips of your own? Share them below!
I expect to be pretty busy after word gets out about the emails I did for this A-list copywriter. But right now, you can get a series of 7 business-boosting emails at my current rate of just $500 or a shorter option of only 3 emails (which I don’t usually offer) for only $250.
(I guarantee these rates will be available through the end of the week. But after that, they’re subject to change at any time.)
To get your sales-boosting email copy, sign-up through one of the secure shopping cart links below:
>>> Sign-up for a Series of 3 emails
>>> Sign-up for a Series of 7 emails
If you prefer to receive an invoice with a payment link, or have any questions, you can email me instead at appt at compellingcomm.com.
Either way, I’ll email you after you sign-up to schedule a phone appointment so we can discuss the details of your new email copy!
