Whenever I’m talking to clients about creating compelling email bait I always recommend writing an article that includes three things:
- A number. People are way too busy and suffering from information overload to learn everything about search engine marketing, automotive maintenance or how to keep their garden green. However, a number implies that you’ve boiled it down to just a few salient points that will get them through the day and give them something they can walk away with.
- A negative. Evidence shows (don’t ask me to show it, just trust me on this one), that people are more driven to avoid pain than gain pleasure. Don’t believe me? Which is a more compelling headline: "The Importance of Healthy School Lunches" or "School Lunches: Are They Killing Your Children?"
- A point of interest. Obviously this negative list of attributes needs to be targeted to your best prospects and customers.
What made me think of posting this? The list of articles in this week’s MarketingProfs:
- Five Real-World Ways Businesses Are Marketing to Their Communities
- The 10 Biggest Mistakes Marketers Make—Number 1: Merely Handing Off Leads to Sales
- Strong Brands Always Have More Brand Credits Than Debits: A Starbucks Lesson
- How to Promote Your Book to the Top of the NY Times Best Sellers List
- The 10 Cs of Branding
- Satisfying the 10 Cravings of a New Generation of Consumers (Part 2 of 2)
- Marketing Challenge: Three Ways to Score With Downloadable Products
Even the two without numbers reference numbers: more credits than debits, the top of the best seller list.
‘Nuff said.
Rich Brooks
Let Me Count The Ways…
