One of mistakes most often made, is not looking at your product or service announcement from point of view of your customer. Stand back and look at what you are offering, how can you present that service or product in such a way that it will appeal to you. If you are offering a service, why should someone buy it from you, rather than other 1000 people offering that same service? Sometimes it's a little tough to be objective when looking at your own ad copy. I look at ad copy everyday and to be honest I'm really shocked at some of things that I see.I'll save space here by not repeating all of them. Rather I will list a few ways to get your offer, be it newspaper,direct mail or e- mail, thrown in trash immediately. There may be some things here you don't want to hear or believe, but take my word for it things I'm listing can make difference in success and failure.
I will talk only about your initial contact advertising, follow up contact takes a completely different tack. Listed here, not necessarily in their order of importance, but rather in order in which they can get your message trashed are just a few of those Mistakes.
1. Not addressing your offer to recipient. (I know, you can't take time to address all that mail)I would say at least 50% of people receiving e-mail not addressed specifically to them, will immediately hit delete key. If your offer is so fantastic that you can loose 50% of your audience right out of gate, by all means send out mail with your self, both as sender and recipient. Or addressed to friend@whatever.com. You get idea. You will also find this tactic addressed in anti spam legislation. ( Note: This does not apply when sending mail to an opt in list. )
2. Using a vulgar or unrealistic sender address, I'll leave vulgar to your imagination. As far as unrealistic, dontmiss@this.com or just4u@me.com again you get idea. You will also find this tactic addressed in anti spam legislation. For sake of ease (math was never my long suit) let's say this tactic looses you another 10%.
3. No Subject or a subject that causes an immediate delete. Now what could be a subject that could cause that? Well, how about. EARN A MILLION DOLLARS WITH JUST 1 TIME INVESTMENT OF $20. 00 or any variation of that theme. Again you get idea. Now you may well be saying to yourself, but that's what my program offers. That's wonderful, but in order to get someone interested in that program, a different approach is needed. Something like:Income Opportunity 5 minutes of your time could be difference. or:Home business opportunity! Let's Talk. What can a grandiose subject line cost you, we'll say another 10%.