How to Structure A Follow Up Series
by Beka Ruse
Marketers the world over use follow up autoresponders to increase
sales. But, many struggle to write a compelling message series. Don't let
that keep you from your share of the profits!
Print and follow these instructions; you'll soon be following up with
finesse.
(Examples in this article use the fictional product "Green Garden
Lawn Fertilizer". Any similarity to actual products is unintended and
coincidental.)
Message 1 - Big Benefits:
Many of the sales resulting from your follow up series will come
after the very first message.
Keep this message short.
Just take 500
or so words to flesh out a handful of your biggest benefits.
For
example, part of the Green Garden Lawn Fertilizer company's first message
might read:
"A Lush Lawn: Green Garden Fertilizer will give you a lush lawn in
just 2 weeks!
Density will increase up to 50%..."
"No More Brown:
Watch your lawn become 3-5 shades greener with regular treatments"
Message 2 - Establish a Need:
Use your second message to explain why your product is
necessary.
First, lay out the situation leading to a need for your
product. Then, show that your product will meet that need.
For
instance:
"Lawns across the country are looking dull.
Homeowners
water and mow to no avail.
But, not those who use Green Garden
Fertilizer! They've created lush, beautiful lawns"
Message 3 - Tool Talk:
In your third message, show the lead how he will go about actually
using your product.
Detail any tools or supporting material that you
offer.
In the case of our fictional Green Garden Fertilizer, part of
this message might read:
"This treatment is a cinch: Simply attach the
included diffuser to the end of your garden hose, creating a sprinkler.
Run the sprinkler for 15 minutes each week.
You will see an
improvement after just one treatment!"
Message 4 - The Wildcard:
Customize message four for your unique product.
Try one of
these ideas:
- Have a customer case study? This is a great place for it.
- Selling complimentary products? Detail one of them here.
- Selling a real-world product? Explain shipping / tracking now.
- Have a bricks and mortar office? Invite the prospect to visit.
Include directions.
- Are you personally a visible part of your brand?
- Include your bio here.
Message 5 - Questions? Comments?:
Your lead may be waiting to purchase until you explain one
particular thing.
By asking outright, you can speed the sales cycle to
a close.
Start the fifth message by asking your prospect if he has any
questions.
Give him several ways to reach you, and include your hours
of operation and time zone.
Take the rest of the fifth message to
answer some of the questions your prospects ask most often.
For
instance:
- "Are you excited about the lush lawn you'll have with Green Garden
Fertilizer? I hope so! Let me go over some questions our customers have
asked in the past"
Message 6 - Testimonials:
With your sixth message, show off your satisfied customers. Choose
several of your best testimonials, and list them here. Look for quotes
from customers who are obviously excited about your product, but that
still sound believable.
For instance, choose:
- "I'm thrilled with my Green Garden Fertilizer! Just two weeks, and
my lawn looks better than it has in years."
Instead of:
- "Green Garden Fertilizer is miraculous! It turned my back lot into a
rolling meadow in days - and that lot is PAVED!"
(The testimonials in this article are made up examples. All of your
testimonials, however, must be real. Fabricating testimonials is illegal.)
Message 7 - Last Chance:
Your final message serves as one last reminder of your
product.
Briefly reiterate its most impressive features.
Then,
throw in a few testimonials or a very short case study. Round out this
message with your contact information.
Our example product's final
message might read:
- "Over the past several weeks, you've heard about how Green Garden
Fertilizer can turn your lawn around. Customer Dusty Dan tried it, and
he says, 'My lawn has never looked better...'"
Follow Up With Finesse
Automation means that good follow up
doesn't have to be time consuming.
Now, creating a message series is
just as easy!
Beka Ruse is the Business Development Manager at AWeber Communications.
Experience the acclaimed customer support and reliability of AWeber
autoresponders. A Weber
Autoresponders
How to Write A Follow Up Message
Beka Ruse
Smart marketers know that follow up autoresponders drive sales.
But, many don't know how to write the e-mail messages they need in
order to use these tools.
Don't let that keep you from increased
profits!
Write masterful messages with these simple steps:
- Pull the Reader in
- Introduce the Product
- Explain the Product's Significance
- Tell the Reader to Make a Purchase
(Examples in this article use the fictional product "Green Garden
Lawn Fertilizer". Any similarity to actual products is unintended and
coincidental.)
Pull the Reader in
First, convince your
audience that your text is worth reading. Make your first sentence or two
very interesting:
Make a bold statement, say something seemingly
ridiculous, or appeal to your prospect's emotional side.
Later, tie
this grabber in with the rest of your copy.
For instance:
- "Want to make your neighbors jealous? How about with a lush, green
lawn in just 2 weeks?"
- Introduce the Product
What is the product you're advertising?
What does it do?
Directly after your grabber, give a compact explanation of your
product.
Keep this explanation short, while still being very clear.
For example:
- "Green Garden Lawn Fertilizer is taking the landscaping industry by
storm. What else can give you the lawn of your dreams in just 15 minutes
a day?"
- Explain the Product's Significance
What will it do for me?
This is the time for details - make this section long and rich. Suggest
a variety of product uses, and give examples.
Make the most of this
opportunity to directly target your unique audience!
Clearly explain
how your readers will benefit from your product.
Tell the Reader to Make a Purchase
You've come so far - you've laid out exactly what the product is
and how it will help your unique audience.
Now, seal the deal - tell
your readers to purchase the product!
This step may sound strange, but
it's necessary.
Often, people hear about a product and are genuinely
interested, but fail to actually make a purchase.
A clear call to a
simple action cuts down on buyer ambivalence.
Don't be pushy - just
change your verb tenses to the imperative.
Instead of:
- "If you think that you fit this profile, you might want to think
about buying Green Garden Lawn Fertilizer."
Say:
- "Click here to order Green Garden Lawn Fertilizer today."
An Eye for Continuity
More and more opt-in e-mail is being sent around the
Internet.
Remind your prospect that he requested your messages by
keeping an eye on continuity.
Start and end each message in a similar
way.
At the top, let your prospect know who you are, why he is getting
e-mail from you, and where he is in the follow up sequence.
This can
be as simple as saying:
- "Last week, you requested more information about Green Garden
Fertilizer..."
Then, end each message with your own contact information. Use your
autoresponder's personalization features to list details about your lead.
Also, include a way for the lead to unsubscribe.
For example:
- "This message was sent to Dusty Dan at dustydan@needsanewlawn.com.
On April 5th, Dusty Dan requested information about Green Garden
Fertilizer. Questions? Call us at 000-000-0000. Or, to unsubscribe,
click here."
Create With Confidence
Don't sweat over follow up messages - your prospects are waiting
for you!
Print and follow the guidelines in this article, and follow
up with confidence.
Beka Ruse is the Business Development Manager at AWeber Communications.
Experience the acclaimed customer support and reliability of AWeber
autoresponders. A
Weber.com