Value isn’t what your customers pay for what they get, it’s how your customers feel about what they pay for what they get. Coming up with valuable email content isn’t as simple as announcing your rock-bottom prices and including your phone number or a link to your website. Value is about including something in every email that makes your subscribers feel like they are getting a greater-than-expected return on the investment of time and distraction that your email messages impose on them.
In order for your emails to feel valuable, each one has to contain one or more of the following types of valuable content:
- Valuable offers. Examples include incentives, discounts, special privileges, rebates, and coupons. The type of valuable offer you choose should match your audience’s preferences. For example, not everyone likes discounts. Some people associate discounts with such negatives as discontinued, out-of-favor, or defective.
- Inherent value. Examples include articles, opinions, facts, advice, links to resources, lists, official policies, maps, directions, instructions, and checklists. The type of inherent value you choose should also match your audience’s preferences. For example, sending directions to your store might be valuable to prospective customers, but loyal customers might find the information too repetitive.
- Relationship value. Examples include thanks, praise, unexpected rewards, apologies, encouragement, humor, and privileged information. The type of relationship value you put into an email is highly personalized, so relationship emails are sometimes more effective when they are highly personalized. If dynamic email content and mail merge isn’t a part your Email Service Provider’s toolbox, look for commonalities among your prospects and customers so it’s practical to email them valuable relationship content in groups.
I’ve only encountered a few companies that are proficient at creating valuable content for their emails. Check out your competition and see if they understand valuable content. If not, giving your emails a value-boost can easily put you ahead of your competition and keep your subscribers engaged in your business instead of theirs.
John Arnold is the author of Email Marketing for Dummies and the Director of Constant Contact’s Local Experts Program.
