Why Email Open Rates are Unreliable

It is a well-known fact that email is a powerful weapon in every Internet marketer’s arsenal. However, it is also a fact that email open rates have been steadily declining over the past few years. Does that mean email marketing, as we know it, is dead?

Not exactly. Most marketing gurus will tell you to write clever, benefits-laden subject lines to boost your open rates. After all, you can’t expect to sell anything to your list if very few people are opening your emails. Getting people to open your emails is of course your first goal but this singular focus on measuring open rates may be partly to blame for the bad rap email marketing has been getting lately.

Let me explain; the open rate metric is unreliable because it relies solely on a piece of code that requests a tiny, transparent image from the web server. So when a reader opens the email, the image is downloaded, and an “open” is recorded for that specific email. This is the only way all email marketing systems know how to track and measure open rates. So, what’s wrong with that? Read more

Are Your Written Words Producing the Results You Want?

When was the last time you really looked at your writing? I mean REALLY looked at it from your readers’ perspective? Are you happy with the results that you are getting from sales letters, blog posts and/or email campaigns? If you’re not then the quickest way to change that is to learn to write using powerful words that will lift your conversion rates. Some refer to it as “hypnotic writing.” Others call it “words that sell.”

Unlike a brick-and-mortar business where you have the benefit of visual clues like people’s body language, their facial expressions etc., online your words have a huge impact on everything you do and the results you can expect.

Your words must paint a vivid picture about what you are trying to tell your readers and make a powerful emotional connection with them. Only then will you have the ultimate power to influence and persuade your readers to take the desired action.

Go back to an article, a blog post, or an email that you wrote today. Read it from your visitor’s perspective. Does it speak to you one-on-one or is it too generic? Do the words address your main concerns/problems? Does the copy paint a complete picture of what you can expect to achieve if you bought the product or service? Are you convinced you’ve found the right person or business to solve your problems?
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