6 Email Marketing Tips that Build Trusted Relationships

If you have an email marketing opt-in list, and you should you’ll get more value from your list if you build relationships first.

In fact, that’s been a really key strategy for me and here’s why…

People rarely buy from those they don’t trust so by creating trusting relationships with your subscribers you’re increasing their confidence in you and as someone knowledgeable in your niche.

Trust is a huge building block in any relationship, even in sales.

Here are the 6 tips that I use to build those trusted relationships with my subscribers:

Tip #1 – Set Subscriber Expectations

Be clear with your subscribers on what they are signing up for.

Tell them exactly what kind of emails you’ll be sending them.  Will they be getting tips, an e-course, a special report or all of those things? Next let them know how often they can expect to get your emails, for example, every day, once a week, a month, whatever it is, let them know.

I also like to let my subscribers know what address my emails will be coming from; it’s a good recognition strategy.

Tip #2 – Help Subscribers Learn About You

Before asking for a sign-up, direct your viewers to your personal page or ‘about you’ page where they can learn more about who you are.

Share some personal trivia about yourself and your business, include some pictures if you have them and use a personal signature.  These will allow your visitors to see and personally relate to the real you.

Tip #3 – Respect your Subscribers Time

Your subscribers granted you permission to email them; this is a privilege, not a right so respect that.  Send them only the things that relate to what they signed up for.

Even if you’re offering a free subscription, it might not be costing your subscribers money to opt in to your list but it’s costing them time to open your emails, read them and take action, so keep your content relevant.

Sending them unrelated stuff violates their trust in you and will diminish your reputation, not to mention you’ll get some fast opt-outs.

Tip #4 – Email on a Consistent Basis

Never flood your email subscribers in box, but don’t ignore them either.

When you get a new subscriber send them a welcome letter but don’t wait a month or more to send them their next email.

People subscribe to things all the time, so without consistent communication they often forget they signed up.  Waiting too long between emails increases the chance they’ll opt-out or worse yet, hit the spam button.

Tip #5 – Always provide an Unsubscribe Option

No one wants subscribers to opt-out but you have to give them the option. In fact it’s the law.

The CAN-SPAM Act says that commercial email must provide the receiver the ability to opt-out with one single action – either by replying to the email, or clicking through to a single web page.

If you use a reputable autoresponder the opt-out feature is built in.  For example, I use Aweber and it’s something I’ll never have to think twice about.

Tip #6 – Promote Less and Help More

People don’t like to be sold to; they like to buy on their own terms.

But before they buy they need reasons, benefits and trust in who they’re purchasing from.  The “buy this because I like it” approach rarely works and will annoy your readers.

If you have a product to sell use a slow paced approach by demonstrating how your product will benefit your viewers.

Your subscribers have come to you as a resource for help and information so give it to them without expecting something in return.

The more you help them, the more they will see you as genuine resource, then when the time comes for them to buy; they will think of you

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Tagged as: Email Marketing