Email Marketing

Make Your Black Friday/Cyber Monday Emails Stand Out in the Inbox

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A smart entrepreneur asked me a question you might be wondering about right now:

“What are some subject lines to use
for my Black Friday emails?”

I had some ideas and examples to share. I thought I’d share them with you.

(What can I say? I’m thoughtful like that.)

Depending on your offer, here are a few ways you can approach your Black Friday subject lines (that’s plural because I hope you’re sending multiple emails):

1) Only 3 hours left for [offer]

Lead with strong urgency. A screaming deadline is a great motivator.

I usually prefer more intrigue in a subject line, but for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, people are actively looking to spend money. So I have no reservations.

Urgency gets more compelling as you get closer to the end of the clock. Hours are more FOMO-inducing than days — although you can certainly use both if you send multiple emails.

Example:

  • Only 1 day left to save 50% on Soul Glo Activator
  • Final Hours for Free Shipping on Darryl’s Wet Clothes
  • Last Chance to See Randy Watson LIVE

2) Want this [Big Benefit]? Get it X% off

What’s the major transformation your readers want to experience with your help?

Don’t offer a discount on a product/service — offer a discount on that transformation.

The distinction is huge, even for e-commerce store owners.

Example:

  • Oh So Silky Smooth Hair: 40% Off thru Friday
  • “Goat Herder to Royalty” Blueprint: special discount
  • #1 Secret for Meeting Good, Good Clean Girls (and save 50%)

3) Lead with guarantee

If you’re feeling enthusiastic, maybe you come up with a unique Black Friday guarantee. If not, you can use your regular risk reversal as a unique way to grab attention for your offer.

Example:

  • Find Love in 40 Days, Guaranteed (ends at midnight)
  • 30-Days Risk Free: Mop Stick Self-Defense Mastery
  • Special Guarantee: 200% Money-Back until 11/24

4) Specific amount dollar savings

It’s easy to forget this one.

The truth is, most people can’t instantly do percentages in their heads. And they’re probably not pulling out calculators.

Make it plain for them, especially if your discount is less than 50%.

Example:

  • $10 off Cleo’s Delicious Pigs in a Blanket
  • Save $400 on tickets to Zamunda

5) Testimonial subject line and email body copy

If you can find a one-liner from a customer success story or review, you can probably make a strong subject line.

Then use that testimonial to tell a story demonstrating the value of your Black Friday offer. Let your buyers do the bragging for you.

I recommend using quotation marks catch the reader’s eye and signify there’s a story inside.

Example:

  • “To be loved… Oh, what a feeling!”
  • “That’s when the BIG bucks start rolling in.”
  • Success Story: “My son works!”

6) Announce video demonstration plus special offer

One reason people don’t buy is because they’re not sure your offer will work for them.

Or they’re not clear on exactly what they’re getting.

Can you answer those questions and erase those doubts with a video demonstration.

Example:

  • [Video] Finding Queen’s Common Parts – plus a special offer
  • LIVE: Marrying an African Prince (and a limited-time discount)

— — —

I know, that was a lot.

Hopefully there’s something helpful in there.

Again, you should be sending several emails, so you can try a few different angles.

If you have time, I encourage you to A/B test, so you can try 2 version for each email touch. Send them to 20 or 25% of your list and let the winner go out to everyone else.

Interested in seeing my best, most swipeable subject lines? Check out my Subject Line of the Day videos. Here’s the latest addition:

Have a productive day!

100 Days of Subject Lines: A Cornucopia of Email Marketing Delights

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"Steal These Subject Lines" written in marker on notebook paper

What’s a subject line that works to get people to sign up for a webinar?

What are the best subject lines to sell high-ticket coaching?

What’s a good subject line I can use to invite people to my nephew’s bar mitzvah?

There’s rarely one clear-cut winner that works in every situation, but I can usually share a handful of suggestions based on my experience.

But since entrepreneurs and other copywriters are constantly asking me that question…

I came up with an easy way to share some of the best subject lines I’ve written… and some of the best I’ve read from other top marketers.

Sharing My Top “Subject Line of the Day” Candidates

… as Youtube Shorts.

I’ve committed to uploading a video every day for the next 100 days… so this is going to become a valuable resource over time.

This has been the most popular one so far:

I want to point out another one I think deserves special attention.

Everyone’s heard of “fear of missing out,” right? This subject line example flips FOMO on its head and addresses the lesser-known “fear of holding on too long.”

Check it out:

Get a bunch of email marketing ideas, inspiration and insights in a flurry of 1-minute videos.

If you take my suggestions, you’ll have more than 3 months worth of subject lines — and that’s if you email your list daily. If you’re mailing weekly, that’s 2 YEARS of subject line templates.

Email less than once a week… shame on you.

I encourage you to subscribe to my channel to decrease the chance that you’ll miss any of these copywriting nuggets.

Full disclosure: I may not share any good bar mitzvah subject lines in the first 100 days.

This will also be a great opportunity for you to see every shirt I have in my wardrobe. You know, if you’re into that sort of thing.

**Update: Here are all the subject lines in swipeable format**

I decided to do 101 videos — and a few of them highlighted 2 or 3 subject lines.

Several people have shown me their open rates shooting through the roof…

FB post saying: "Donnie Bryant you a genius. 52% open rate from a simple subject line."
Facebook comment saying, "My open rates are at 48% and above due to you"

… and one brother told me he’s ADDICTED now.

But I know it takes a long time to watch 101 videos — and it’s impossible to quickly scan through and see if one fits for the email you’re sending out today.

So I’ma hook y’all up…

Here are all 101 subject lines from my Subject Line of the Day series:

  1. A tour of my $200k office
  2. Is THIS the missing piece of your [BLANK]
  3. The Rise & Fall of [BLANK]
  4. Since you didn’t watch the video
  5. Steal these Subject Lines
  6. [Name], here’s your private invitation
  7. 5.99… SERIOUSLY, [NAME]
  8. Real estate ISN’T the best investment right now
  9. Have you given up on this, [NAME]
  10. Getting revenge in marriage
  11. Your advisor would NEVER show you this chart
  12. 3,000-year old tonic melts 33 lbs in 28 days
  13. A six-figure shortcut for rookies
  14. The “more sex” shortcut for horny husbands
  15. I made a grown man cry on Christmas Eve
  16. … and they left the cocaine
  17. Are you on Facebook, [NAME]?
  18. Know, Like & Trust is a LIE
  19. The $7 Biden Survival Blueprint
  20. 3 Email Secrets from My $17M Year
  21. My #1 Rule: Don’t Buy Options
  22. [NAME], did you mean to miss this?
  23. Homeless folks need Netflix, too
  24. Another Pawnshop Christmas
  25. The Truth About [Well-Known Person]
  26. The Stupidity of Going Vegan
  27. Copy-Paste JPMorgan’s 99.52% Winning Trades
  28. Cooking video goes BAD
  29. It took lots of wine to make this happen
  30. Grant Cardone is an idiot
  31. This is why your cold emails get ignored
  32. He earns $500 a Day from YouTube
  33. don’t EVER do this
  34. The most dangerous idea in finance right now
  35.  A Nice Guy’s Guide to Manipulating Others
  36. Breaking: 4 shampoo brands cause Alzheimer’s
  37. Thank God for Russian hackers
  38. 10X More Valuable Than the Internet?
  39. Final hours to save 27%
  40. Get Drunk and Make 4X Your Money
  41.  Reverse Engineering a ??? Real Estate Biz
  42. If I could only buy one book this year
  43. Top 10 Stocks for 2022
  44. Do Not Take Vitamin D (unless…)
  45. The Almost-Perfect Sales Call Script
  46. 10 Reasons to Stop Picking Stocks
  47. Oops! (I can’t believe I let this happen)
  48. Urgent: Don’t file your taxes just yet
  49. 5 Reasons Your Man Is Tired of You
  50. Email Copy Secrets that Are Better than Sex
  51. Do you make these mistakes with cold calling?
  52. [NAME], You’ve Been Upgraded
  53.  Thank You, [NAME]
  54. “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid”
  55. Time Flies When You’re Having Rum
  56. This family has 6 billionaires. Here’s how they did it
  57. Are you coming, [NAME]? // See you tonight, [NAME]
  58. Scam of the century, Paris 1925
  59. How the richest get richer every single day
  60. Nearly Triple Your Profits… Automatically
  61. “The Best Strategy I’ve Ever Seen”
  62. Your First Profits from Stock Options
  63. Airline CEO confesses… the end is near
  64. Being broke on Mother’s Day sucks
  65. Freedom First. Safety third
  66. Tired? Stop overdosing on coffee
  67.  [Name] Get Your Free Book Today // Should I Give Your Copy to Someone Else? // Where Should I Send This? ($0 Shipping)
  68. The 1 Reason Why I Make 300 Times More Money Than Most Kindle Publishers (Just This 1 Thing)
  69. The “top secret” Google-military play
  70. Dept. of Energy calls this a game-changer
  71. Bill Gates Wants to Nuke the World
  72. Sell These Stocks By 9:30am ET Monday // Sell These Stocks Right Now // Dump These Stocks ASAP
  73. Almost anyone can “cash in” on real estate now
  74. WARNING: This New Tech Could Be Hidden on Your Phone
  75. The noise. It’s not going away
  76. Free Ticket for [NAME]
  77. Ooh, you’re expensive [NAME]
  78. Why So Many Women Cheat on their Husbands
  79. You’re Taking Viagra and Don’t Even Know It
  80. “Bazooka Jay” breaks all the rules
  81. Leaked Game of Thrones Episode Reveals Controversial Marketing Truth
  82. This is SO screwed up, [NAME]
  83. The Lies that Hold You Back
  84. Death by Lottery Win
  85. The George Costanza School of Client Attraction // Clark Kent Guide to Sneakily Strong Copy
  86. 1000s of companies are BEGGING for this tech
  87. President’s Secret to Protecting his Prostate
  88. 10 Commandments of [BLANK] // 7 Deadly Sins of [BLANK]
  89. They’re Spying on Your Children
  90. Alert: West Nile Virus Reported
  91. My Life As a Psychopath
  92. How Often Should You Email Your List
  93. My boldest prediction yet // 7 Shocking Predictions for [Event]
  94. How to murder your perfectionism
  95. 5 tips to get over your fear of writing
  96. I Sent This to the Vatican 10 Minutes Ago
  97. Bitcoin isn’t the bubble. It’s the pin!
  98. This should change in your marriage every 90 days
  99. You have $20 in your account
  100. Why most people are constantly REBUILDING their business
  101. Burning dollars in Facebook’s fireplace

Swipe in good health!

How to Navigate Email Marketing After Apple’s iOS 15

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Navigating email marketing after iOS 15

What if the open rate on your next email hit 67% within minutes of sending it to your list?

Seems like a reason to get excited.

You might start thinking about all the orders that are about to start pouring in.

Guess what. There’s a good chance you’ll start seeing numbers like that in the near future.

But it’s not because two-thirds of your subscribers are opening your emails…

This is one of the immediately apparent effects of Apple’s soon-to-release iOS 15 update.

Every one of your readers who checks email from Apple Mail (even if they have non-Apple emails like Gmail or Yahoo) could have their emails marked as open…

The most recent data I’ve seen indicates that could be almost 50% of your list!

Source: Litmus’ Email Client Market Share in July 2021

Here’s What You Need to Know

I recorded a video about iOS 15 back in June. It reveals some insights and actionable tips to help you navigate the coming changes.

Here’s the gist of it: starting as soon as mid-September, you won’t be able to trust open rates AT ALL…

And any marketing efforts you’re doing based on open rates will have to go back to the proverbial drawing board:

  • split testing subject lines…
  • segmenting engaged vs. unengaged (a ton of E-com store owners live by this one)…
  • resending to non-openers…
  • triggered emails…

…and more.

One of the shifts email marketers will have to make is focusing on clicks rather than open rates.

And one of the skills you (or your copy team) will need to is the ability to write emails that get clicked.

This has ALWAYS been important to drive sales.

But post-iOS 15… clickthroughs will be essential for testing, tracking and segmenting.

Otherwise, you’re sending emails in the dark.

For the unprepared, it’s about to be pandemonium out here.

If email makes up any percentage of your revenue, you have to start getting ready NOW.

On September 6, 2021, I’ll gave a live training on Zoom to show you how I write click-magnet emails. We even wrote one live during the training! Watch the recording here.

In recent emails, 19.3%… 26.1%… even 33.6% of my readers have clicked through.

(That’s a lot of sales opportunities, and it gives me a lot of engagement data I can use for testing, tracking and segmenting.)

I’ll also walk you through 4 more critical steps you need to take to navigate the new reality.

If you struggle getting clicks, this training will be good for you.

If you rely on 30-day or 60-opens to segment your emails list, this training will be good for you.

If you’re a copywriter or marketing strategist whose clients or potential clients depend on email to make sales, this training will be good for you — and could really make you stand out from your competitors who know nothing about this topic.

Watch the recording of my emergency iOS 15 training here.

I look forward to seeing you.

Wake the Dead: How to Revive Inactive Email Subscribers

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Scene from Michael Jackson's Thriller video | email marketing

People ask me this all the time…

“I haven’t consistently emailed my list for a long time. What can I do to revive folks who’ve gone cold?”

The question came up again in mastermind I do copy coaching for. A mastermind member asked how to reengage subscribers who hadn’t opened an email in 180 days or more.

I thought you might get value from the response I shared.

One note before I get to that.

As you know, most of those inactive subscribers are probably out of the picture. Make sure you’re using your best ideas on the engaged portion of your list, where you have the greatest chance of success.

That said, how do you save the small percentage of inactives you may still have a shot with?

Here’s how I normally play it:

1) Come up with the most enticing offer you can make.

Plan to send a short (2 or 3 message) sequence to the unengaged segment. I’d consider subs unengaged after 90 days.

2) Communicate the crazy offer with crazy subject lines.

As we’ve discussed around here someplace, subject lines like the following tend to get noticed and opened at a high rate:

  • I’m sorry
  • DANG! I messed up
  • I can’t believe I let this happen

You can also try more direct, emotional subject lines like:

  • Did I do something wrong?
  • Do you hate me?

Or more aggressive challenge-type subject lines like:

  • FirstName, should I give your spot to someone else?
  • Should I take you off my list?
  • I’m kicking you off my list in 48 hours

These can work like a charm. They make people mad, so you may have some blowback from that, but at least the angry folks will make a choice to reengage or get lost.

Also, specific subject lines about the offer itself, mentioning super low cost, free offer, etc. can generate lots of interest.

A recent example that worked incredibly well was

  • “5.99…SERIOUSLY, FirstName?!” (It also worked with $497 as the price point.)

—> Need more subject line ideas? Check out my Subject Line of the Day videos <—

3) Again, I’d make this a 2 or 3 message sequence.

Mix up the subject lines to hit them from multiple angles: (ex. Email 1: I’m sorry; Email 2: offer-based; Email 3: you’re toast in 48 hours)

4) I’d probably ignore them after that.

I usually delete super old people from the list, but clients sometimes keep them on an inactive file for ad targeting purposes.

5) Going forward, treat people as unengaged after 60 days (90 days worst case).

Because anyone who’s ignored 2 months of consistent communication is unlikely to suddenly get re-engaged without switching up tactics (like we’re talking about in this thread).

Now…

There are a couple other tricky moves you can use, but some of them are more likely to get people’s attention for the wrong reason.

1) Try an unexpected FROM name instead of what you usually use.

There are differing opinions on this tactic. I don’t think you want to change it up all that often. It’s a solid tactic when used in moderation.

You can put the offer in the From line. A client of mine used “Your Free Book” as the From line (sending to the regular list, not unengaged) and found it boosted opens and total sales.

I’ve used the Easter Bunny…Santa Claus… my son’s name… just weird stuff to catch people off guard and generate curiosity.

Or you can try something like “Support” or “Customer Service” generically. The subscriber may think it’s more of a transactional email and pay attention as a result.

Which leads me to…

2) Use a transactional-sounding subject line.

The kind of subject lines you get from a service you subscribe to, or from your credit card company or bank.

“About Your Account” has gotten huge open rates — but if the subscriber feels like you’ve tricked him, he may not be in the buying mood.

This is a bit of a dirty trick. Use your discretion when considering rolling it out.

3) One of my best parting subject lines…

I used this one many times and it consistently performs well.

“Have you given up on this?” is a great subject line when you’re getting ready to end a promo… or the relationship with an unengaged subscriber.

It’s a bit of an ego challenge and definitely a FOMO reminder.

Stole that one from Chris Voss’ book, Never Split the Difference.

— — —

That’s it.

If these subject lines suggestions and email ideas were helpful and you’d like more content like this, check out Inbox X-Factor.

In addition to subject line templates and a weekly email calendar to save you time and effort having to come up with topics to write about…

You get video trainings to help you make your emails even more profitable.

I’m working on a brand-new video outlining my Consumption Maximization sequence, which I recently used double total click-throughs and nearly 5X total consumption of the content I wanted my list to see… with almost no additional effort.

(If you’ve been on my list since March, you were part of the experience and didn’t even know it.)

You’ll get all that and more inside Inbox X-Factor.

I could talk about email all day. But I know you have things to do, so I’ll leave you to it.

Have a productive day!

Will Apple’s iOS 15 Update Kill Email Marketing?

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When people say “email is dead” you can pretty much always ignore them.

They’re probably selling a new shiny object (or they’re just mad they haven’t figured it out).

Recently, you may have heard a bunch of conversations with a similar apocalyptic tone.

Many entrepreneurs and marketers are freaking out about how Apple’s coming iOS 15 update will affect your email marketing.

If you haven’t heard these conversations yet, you soon will. Because the impact will be big.

I recorded a video explaining what iOS 15 and Mail Privacy Protection are, along with insights and actionable tips to help you navigate the coming changes.

If email makes up any percentage of your revenue, you have to prepare NOW

Because soon, the split tests you’ve been doing won’t work.

Most of the segments you’re building for your email list will be scrambled.

Your re-engagement campaigns will be pointless.

The iOS 15 update will turn the email world upside down — and it looks like the changes could go live as early as mid-September.

I’m revealing 5 steps you need to take to protect your profits on Monday, September 6th.

If you’d like to join, get details and register here.

None of the email experts I’ve seen are talking about the most important adjustment you need to make. I’ll show you what it is AND how to do it on during this training.

I hope you can join!

Give Your Emails Superhuman Strength

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3-year old Donnie in Superman pajamas (nothing to do with email)

Superheroes don’t usually get to choose their own powers.

But YOU can decide today to give your sales copy superhuman selling strength.

In the video below, you’ll discover 4 simple strategies you can start using right away to:

  • compel more subscribers to open your emails…
  • build a deep & lasting connection with your readers…
  • make more sales without feeling salesy (unless you’re into that sort of thing).

I can’t think of a single industry where these strategies won’t work.

By the way, these tips work outside of email, too.

f that’s you, here’s a super quick overview of the superhero strategies you can use to make your copy more powerful

1) Never underestimate the value of a compelling villain.

Bad guys are what make the superheroes both necessary and interesting.

In your copy, spend some time talking about the person or thing that’s making life harder for your reader. What’s keeping him from living the life he dreams of?

Make the source of that blockage into a villain. Someone or something that can be demonized… then defeated.

E.g., “The reason you can’t rid of belly fat isn’t because you’re lazy. It’s because of a hormone called cortisol.” 

2) Focus on saving the world

Superheroes don’t use their powers to enrich themselves. They spend their time helping other people.

And they generally take on big threats.

Your copy should be about your reader, not yourself. And don’t waste anyone’s time making small promises. Talk about the massive transformative benefits you can deliver for people who work with you.

3) Identity is unspeakably important

Superheroes have carefully crafted secret identities. As a marketer, it’s useful to invest the time into crafting the identity you present to your reader.

Make yourself into the best possible individual/business to make the case for your product or service to your target audience.

That means you have to intimately understand the identity of your target audience, too.

4) Run towards the danger

Take a stand, even if it’s controversial. Maybe especially if it’s controversial.

Pick a fight.

Be an advocate for a cause that’s meaningful to your reader.

This makes you a leader. Draws the right kind of people to you and forms emotional bonds. Then helps them see you’re the obvious choice to help them reach their goals.

Pretty much everyone else is running away from the danger. Your copy should put you right in the heat of battle.

That’s what your favorite superhero would do.

Subject Lines Are Overrated – Here’s Proof

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Subject lines are the sexy part of email marketing.

Everyone wants to know the secret… the specific sequence of words that works every time.

Such secrets do exist.

But in reality, word choice is just one part of the magic of great emails.

Let me illustrate with a real-world example from this week.

Check out this screengrab. It’s showing the performance of a promotional email we sent out Wednesday.

The stats are ridiculous.

If you can’t read the pic, it’s showing an 84.5% open rate and 45% click rate. That means more than half of the openers also clicked through to the order form.

(More importantly, nearly half of the people who saw the order form also made a purchase.)

When someone sees those numbers, you already know what the first question will be 9 times out of 10:

“When did you learn to use Photoshop, Donnie?”

The next question is, “What’s the subject line?“

And yes, the subject line was perfect… and the preheader text was brilliant (I’ll reveal them in a minute)…

But we had a lot more going for us than just that:

  • You may have noticed this email went to 197 people. This is a very targeted segment of the much bigger list.
  • The “guru” has built great rapport and a ton of trust with subscribers. Becoming known as THE expert your subscribers look forward to hearing from is probably the greatest secret to email success.
  • There’s been a bunch of engagement with this segment recently to drum up anticipation.

Those factors will help you get opens. And they’ll definitely impact clicks.

But how did we get clickthrough rate so high?

(By the way, the last time this same offer was made to this same segment – before I started working with the client – the best CTR was less than 13%. As you recall, we got 45% this time.)

  • Focus on exclusivity
  • Social proof
  • Emphasis on emotional benefits over product features
  • Subtle validation of the reader’s self-worth

Obviously these results are specific to this effort. The point is… subject lines ARE important, but you need more than just tight subject lines to maximize the impact of and revenue from your emails.

Alright, I’ll finally reveal what the subject line and preheader text were.

Subject line: [First Name], here’s your private invitation

Preheader text: Congratulations! (shhh… it’s a secret)

The combination of personalization, an anticipated invitation, “congratulations” and a secret helped this achieve a spectacular open rate. 

Again, the biggest win here is the insanely high clickthrough rate and the conversion rate on the sales page.

In a way, open rates have always been overrated. Just because someone appears to have opened your message doesn’t mean they actually read it. And if they didn’t take any action, how good was the email, really?

Clickthrough rate is a much better measure of engagement. And sales is the ultimate metric, of course.

Speaking of open rates, have you heard about how the coming update to iOS 15 will make it basically impossible to track open rates for Apple users?

Some marketers are worried this will cause a disaster.

I believe it’s an opportunity.

Find out how in the video below.

(Almost) Unlimited Ideas for Story-Based Emails

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I shared this video training in the Email Copywriting Corner, but it makes sense to put it here, too…

Especially if making more money with email marketing is one of your new year’s resolutions.

You may be particularly interested in the 7 types of stories you should be sending to your email list:

Genesis stories: people want to know the story behind why you started something
Idealist stories: illustrate your personal & business values/philosophies with a story
Iron Fist stories: Tales of battle, struggle and victory (or lessons from losses) — either of yours or your customers’
Catalyst stories: Moments, decisions, interventions that caused critical change
Journalist stories: commentary on trending topics or news or little-known truth behind well-known stories
Adventurous stories: Crazy, funny stuff going on in your life
Status stories: Elevate your authority with big name clients, famous friends, recognition, accomplishments.

You’ll have to forgive me. I was really trying to be clever with this bootleg rhyming thing.

Until recently, this training was only available to Inbox X-Factor members. I’m giving you access now to help you kick 2021’s b.u.t.t.

Enjoy!

3 Email Secrets from My $17 Million Year

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Despite all the craziness, 2020 has been a phenomenal year for my clients.

Or maybe more accurately, 2020 has been a screaming success because of all the craziness.

Last week, I revealed 3 simple “secrets” behind that success in my first room on Clubhouse.

Specifically, how we’ve generated $17 million from email year-to-date.

You may not have been part of that Clubhouse conversation (it was a small audience)… and those conversations aren’t recorded…

So I’ll quickly tell you what I shared.

“Secret” #1: Be consistent and persistent

My clients email daily. And they make offers in every single email.

You can probably send more emails than you do. (That goes for me, too.)

One of the main points I made was that unsubscribes go up when you email LESS.

You let people forget who you are and why they were excited to hear from you.

Depending on your business and your capabilities, I recommend no fewer than 1 email per week. Most businesses can send 3 or more — and the only difference you’ll see is more money in the bank.

“Secret” #2: Curiosity

Don’t give away the punchline in every email.

Tease a juicy benefit… tantalizing opportunity… or potentially imminent danger…

And make the reader click a link to find out exactly what you’re talking about.

Create emotional tension that can only be resolved by clicking… and give your sales pitch on the other side of the click.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to do this.

You can get more insight into how curiosity works — and the right and wrong ways to use it in your email — in this video.

“Secret” 3: Easy on the education

I’ve discovered that a lot of entrepreneurs believe they have to educate prospects into buying from them.

Education can be helpful. But the truth is, information isn’t what sells.

You know that people buy on emotion. In a way, they’re buying the emotion itself.

(That’s one of the reasons people don’t do anything with the stuff they buy. Making the purchase provided the emotional payoff.)

Your copy’s job is to stimulate the emotions — hope, desire, guilt, fear, etc. — that make your prospects take action.

There’s no shortage of information.

But your prospects are dying for emotional MOTIVATION.

So be careful how you educate.

Each fact you present should be designed to inflame desire… not to make the reader smarter.

That sounds cynical, I know.

But when you’re going for maximum profits, it’s an approach likely to serve you well.

Having read this far, you’ve figured out why I put “secrets” in quotations.

They’re not unknown concepts. They’re just underutilized.

If your email marketing efforts are coming up short, these 3 ideas could be helpful.

Put them to work!

Free Will vs. Email Marketing (No Contest)

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Has anyone ever told you how evil you are?

Oops.

I mean how evil they THINK you are?

As a marketer, it probably happens more than you think.

(Civilians don’t really understand what we do.)

I remember sitting in church with my family a few years ago… when the preacher — who happened to be my father-in-law — started railing on the vile schemes of marketers.

Free trials, for example.

Marketers know some people won’t cancel before the free trial is over, so why do we “trick” people into spending money that way?

That part of the sermon probably only lasted 2 or 3 minutes… but it seemed much longer.

I know marketing isn’t evil — I dealt with that false belief long ago.

But it was still uncomfortable.

Good thing the preacher didn’t call me out by name.

The church is full of civilians who don’t understand what I do, so I’m pretty sure no one knew he was talking about me.

He probably didn’t even know he was talking about me!

Has anything like that happened to you?

(If you have a good story, please reply to this email and share. I’d love to hear it.)

Let me clear up a few things.

Copywriting and marketing are NOT evil.

You probably already know that or you wouldn’t have signed up to hear from me.

Marketing is leadership… and I know you’re using it to improve people’s lives

Better marketing = more lives transformed for the better.

If you’re selling something that helps people, promoting it aggressively makes the world a better place.

Free will always wins.

We marketers can’t force anyone to act against their own best interests.

We can’t make them do what they don’t want to do.

All we can do is paint a clear picture of a specific outcome our should-be buyer already wants… and make it as easy as possible for him to say “yes”

Jonathan Edwards, an 18th century preacher (which makes him a little older than my father-in-law), wrote that people…

“…always act according to the strongest inclination they have at the moment of choice.“

You make the big bucks when you can create moments of choice where the reader’s strongest inclination is to buy your offer.

Email gives you the best opportunity to create moments strong inclination… over and over

I recorded a video describing a few of my best techniques for doing exactly that.

One of the strategies is what I call intense opportunity curiosity…

Which was the real secret behind the $218,337 5-email campaign I told you about last week.

This video training will be exclusively available to Inbox X-Factor members.

No big sales pitch. I still haven’t written the sales page.

But if you’d like to learn more about how I’ve been making MORE money with email instead of less (which so many people are complaining about these days)…

You’ll want to see the video I’m uploading tomorrow.

Plus, you get weekly email plans… winning subject line templates… and more.

$99 a month (no contracts) is a small investment to help you make your email list significantly more profitable — and to spend less time doing it.

Just one of the ways I’m striving to make the world a better place.