It\u2019s one thing to get your subscribers to open your email.<\/p>\n
No…<\/em> That’s a HUGE thing!<\/strong> *lol*<\/p>\n It\u2019s another thing entirely to get them to keep reading every single word of your email, right down the part where they see your call to action.<\/strong><\/p>\n Simply put:<\/strong> if you can increase the number of people who see your call to action, then you\u2019ll increase your conversion rate.<\/p>\n So with that in mind, here are 20 proven ways to keep your subscribers reading\u2026<\/p>\n 1. Make It About Them<\/strong><\/p>\n Your readers aren\u2019t cracking open your email to read about you. Truth is, they\u2019re a little self-centered. As we all are. They want to read about their problems, they want to read about solutions that could help them and they want to read stories, tips and articles that are relevant to their<\/strong> lives.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a quick and easy way to check if your emails are about your reader: check how many times you use words like \u201cyou\u201d<\/em> and “your,\u201d<\/em> versus using words like \u201cI,\u201d \u201cme\u201d<\/em> and \u201cmine.\u201d<\/em> If you use self-referential words (like \u201cme\u201d<\/em>) more than reader-oriented words, it\u2019s time to rewrite your email to make it about your reader.<\/strong><\/p>\n 2. Tell Stories<\/strong><\/p>\n A good story engages readers, pulls them into the email, and keeps them reading until the end. Especially if you interrupt the story before its climax to share other information, and then return to finish up the story at the conclusion of your email.<\/p>\n And as an added bonus, a good story makes your content more memorable, too. That means your readers will be thinking about your content long after they\u2019ve closed your email.<\/p>\n 3. Build Anticipation<\/strong><\/p>\n Get this:<\/strong> as soon as readers open your email, they\u2019re going to be looking for signs that reading it is worth their time. One way you can persuade them to keep reading is by building anticipation right up front for what\u2019s coming. In other words, let them know the benefits they\u2019ll get if they keep reading.<\/p>\n For example:<\/strong> \u201cYou\u2019re about to discover a simple three-step process for house-training your new puppy in 10 days or less\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n 4. Make Them Curious<\/strong><\/p>\n Another good way to keep people glued to your email is by making them curious. In other words, don\u2019t just build anticipation \u2013 make them curious about what\u2019s coming up.<\/p>\n For example:<\/strong> \u201cIn just a few moments you\u2019ll discover a surprising tweak that can double your conversion rates!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n 5. Format for Easy Readability<\/strong><\/p>\n Have you ever taken one look at a hiking trail, realized it looks way too hard for the hike you had in mind, and turned around to head back?<\/p>\n That\u2019s kind of like what your readers are doing when they open your email. If your content merely LOOKS like it\u2019s going to be difficult to read, your subscribers are going to bail out early. Here are three quick tips to avoid this problem:<\/p>\n Break up long paragraphs of lists into a bulleted list.<\/p>\n Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs. This is particularly true at the beginning of the email. Hint:<\/strong> Try to open with a one-sentence paragraph, which makes the content look really easy to read.<\/p>\n Break up the content. For example, insert sub-headlines into the middle of your content, which breaks up long blocks of text. Added bonus:<\/strong> it draws a skimmers\u2019 eyes back into the content.<\/p>\n Next\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n 6. Use a Friendly Tone<\/strong><\/p>\n When you craft an email, imagine that you\u2019re writing to a friend. That way your email will take on a warm, conversational and friendly tone.<\/p>\n Bonus Tip:<\/strong> Add variety to the way you open and close your emails. For example, instead of always opening with, \u201cDear [name],\u201d<\/em> try something like \u201cwarm greetings\u201d<\/em> or \u201cHello!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n End result?<\/em> You seem more like a human rather than a robot, which helps you build a relationship with your subscribers.<\/p>\n Next up\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n 7. Break Big Topics Into Multiple Emails<\/strong><\/p>\n When people open an email, they don\u2019t expect to find an article the length of \u201cWar and Peace\u201d<\/em> inside. That\u2019s why you should break up big topics into multiple emails. This makes your content easy to read, which keeps your readers\u2019 eyes glued to the page.<\/p>\n And as an added bonus, sending a series of related emails makes it more likely your readers are going to open and read the next email you send, too. That means they\u2019ll see your links and calls to action repeatedly, which gives your conversion rates a nice boost.<\/p>\n The more contacts you have with your readers about a particular offer, the more clicks you will receive.<\/p>\n 8. Build Credibility and Believability<\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes people simply stop reading your emails because they don\u2019t believe what you\u2019re saying. That\u2019s why you need to build credibility and readability.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how:<\/strong> Deliver on your promises. Avoid hype. Avoid false promises. Instead, under-promise and over-deliver.<\/p>\n Be honest. For example, if you\u2019re reviewing someone else\u2019s product, be honest about the product flaws. People will trust you more if you\u2019re known for telling the truth (even if that truth means you won\u2019t make as many sales that day).<\/p>\n Next\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n 9. Insert Plenty of Tips and Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n Slogging through a \u201chow to\u201d<\/em> article isn\u2019t any fun if the reader isn\u2019t quite understanding what you\u2019re trying to teach them. And if the reader is confused, they\u2019ll bail.<\/p>\n The solution?<\/em> Provide plenty of tips and examples to make the concepts more clear. If you need an example of how this works, just look at the additional tips and examples provided right in this very post!<\/p>\n 10. Offer Something Unique<\/strong><\/p>\n Did you know that peoples\u2019 brains actually light up when they encounter something unique? That\u2019s right, the brain rewards learning new information. And that\u2019s why you should always seek to offer new information, or even just new twists on old methods. If you can get your readers\u2019 brains to light up, you can bet those readers will read every last word of your email.<\/p>\n 11. Make Use of Graphics<\/strong><\/p>\n One good way to break up the text, make the content more aesthetically pleasing, and illustrate complex concepts is through the use of graphics.<\/p>\n This includes:<\/strong><\/p>\n Infographics 12. Provide Actionable Info<\/strong><\/p>\n The idea here is simple:<\/strong> teach your readers how to do something, and then provide an action step they can take. Try to give them an action step that will produce fast results.<\/p>\n For example, you might show readers simple ways to boost their conversion rates. The action step might be to change one of their email subject lines using a specific (proven<\/em>) template that you provide. It only takes a few minutes to take this step, and yet readers will get fast results This makes it more likely they\u2019ll open up the next email you send to them!<\/p>\n 13. Create a Regular Column<\/strong><\/p>\n The idea here is to give your readers something to look forward to every week.<\/p>\n For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n My #1 Tip Tuesdays, where you offer a high-value tip.<\/em><\/p>\n Freemium Friday, where you give your readers a valuable and highly desirable product.<\/em><\/p>\n You get the idea \u2013 I\u2019m sure you can come up with your own regular features and columns that your readers are sure to love and anticipate.<\/p>\n Next\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n 14. Get Personal<\/strong><\/p>\n Basically, use a couple lines in every email to tell your readers a little bit about you.<\/p>\n For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI just got in from my 10-mile training run\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI hope you don\u2019t mind, but I just had to share this pic of my newborn son\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Obviously, you don\u2019t want to drone on and on about yourself, because readers will lose interest fast. But dropping in a few tidbits here and there will make you seem more human. And if these tidbits are relevant to the niche, that\u2019s even better. People will start caring about you, which means they\u2019ll be more interested in reading every email you send.<\/p>\n 15. Surprise Your Readers<\/strong><\/p>\n The idea here is to say something others in your niche aren\u2019t saying, offer a controversial viewpoint, or even pleasantly surprise them with a freemium.<\/p>\n Bonus Tip:<\/strong> Don\u2019t use the same formula for every email. For example, don\u2019t always send \u201cHow To\u201d<\/em> emails. Instead, drop a video with a few tips.<\/p>\n Bottom line: mix things up, as the variety will keep people reading (and coming back for more<\/em>).<\/p>\n 16. Let Their Voices Count<\/strong><\/p>\n Asking your readers for their opinions does two things. First, it makes your readers feel special when they know their opinions are valued. Secondly, it gives you insight into what your readers want, which is always a good thing.<\/p>\n So what should you ask readers about?<\/em><\/p>\n These:<\/strong><\/p>\n Ask them what kind of content they would like to see next.<\/p>\n Ask them for their most pressing questions (which you can answer within the newsletter).<\/p>\n Let them choose between content idea options.<\/p>\n Ask for their feedback.<\/p>\n Let them beta test.<\/p>\n Basically, ask your readers how you can better serve them.<\/p>\n 17. Tie Your Email Into Current Events<\/strong><\/p>\n Tying your emails into current events helps you enter the conversation that\u2019s already going on in your reader\u2019s head. That means they\u2019ll stop what they\u2019re doing and read your email. That\u2019s exactly what you want them to do!<\/p>\n For example, if the Olympics are going on, you might tell a story about the Olympics that ties into your niche.<\/p>\n 18. Keep Focused On the Benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n Earlier I mentioned that your readers should understand the benefits of reading your content as soon as they open your email. But don\u2019t stop there. Keep your readers focused on the benefits.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how:<\/strong><\/p>\n Keep letting readers know what\u2019s coming up. For example, halfway through your newsletter you can drop another set of curiosity-arousing benefits.<\/p>\n Let readers know the benefits of taking action on what they just learned. (Hint:<\/strong> provide the actionable information we talked about earlier, where people will get good and fast results<\/em>)<\/p>\n Let readers know the benefits of following your call to action, such as clicking on a link. This increases your conversion rate.<\/p>\n Next\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n 19. Spice Up Your Content<\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t just educate your readers\u2014edutain them. This means you entertain them while you educate them. Be careful with this though.<\/p>\n You can entertain them with:<\/strong><\/p>\n Occasional humor.<\/p>\n Stories.<\/p>\n Expressive language that includes analogies, metaphors and similes.<\/p>\n In other words, don\u2019t write like you\u2019re creating a stuffy textbook. Make the content both entertaining and useful, and people will keep reading.<\/p>\n 20. Ask Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a really good way to engage readers: ask questions. You can ask a single question, or you can even provide a short quiz. Either way, it not only engages readers, but it\u2019s also a good way to get them to self-identify.<\/p>\n For example, \u201cDo you ever have trouble falling back asleep when you wake up in the middle of the night?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Whew…<\/em> That’s a lot of info, and I hop it helps!<\/p>\n Your conversion rates and profits<\/strong> rest entirely on you holding your readers\u2019 interest and keeping them reading right to the end of each email. The good news is that you just discovered 20 proven ways to keep readers hooked and reading. Just be sure not to cherry-pick through these ideas. Instead, implement as many as possible, and I\u2019m betting you\u2019ll see some great results!<\/p>\n Need email marketing help?<\/em> The Email Marketing Kickstart Workshop is ready for you to enroll!<\/strong> If you want to learn how to use email marketing in your online business, get people to open your emails, click your links, and buy then you NEED to grab your spot right now at http:\/\/www.LearningIM.com\/email-marketing-kickstart-workshop<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nCharts and tables
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\nAnd any other relevant graphic that will engage your readers\u2019 interest.<\/p>\n