Are you familiar with the fear of selling and sounding like one of those pushy, aggressive marketers?
Trust me, any reputable marketer has been there too. When you first start, it’s normal to grapple with the idea that it was alright to promote your offers. Your audience wants to hear about it! You just need to know how to do it properly, so you never have that sleazy marketer feeling.
You need to find the right balance between providing value and promoting your offers. It can be a bit tricky, especially when you’re just starting out. If you’re someone who feels uneasy about selling, you’re going to want to pay close attention to this article (and bookmark it!).
In this post, we share 10 effective ways to subtly sell in your emails, without coming across as a stereotypical “bro marketer.” The best part is that you don’t always have to send promotional emails to generate income. To stay in business and see success for years to come you’ll need to confidently promote your offers through launches, flash sales, and funnels, but not everyone is ready to dive right into that approach.
Instead, it’s beneficial to become comfortable with subtle selling first, gradually building your confidence along the way. This blog post also caters to those who may have swung to the opposite extreme, where every email they send is promotional. It might be time to bring some balance to your email strategy by incorporating a touch of subtle selling to mix things up.
Selling doesn’t have to be an uncomfortable or sleazy process. By implementing these techniques, you can authentically connect with your audience, provide value, and promote your offers in a way that resonates with them.
From Nervous to Natural: 10 Subtle Selling Tips for Email Marketers
1. Enhance your footer with valuable links.
When it comes to your email footer, it’s crucial to make it more than just a mundane sign-off. Take the opportunity to personalize it and include important links that can direct your audience to relevant pages.
Alongside the usual elements, such as your contact information, consider adding links to:
- Your “Work with Me” page: This allows interested individuals to explore the possibility of collaborating with you.
- Your shop page: Provide a direct route for your audience to browse and discover your offerings.
- Your resources page: Share a curated collection of valuable resources that align with your audience’s interests and needs.
- A link to your courses for existing students: If you have courses or educational materials, make it easy for your existing students to access additional resources and continue their learning journey.
By including these links in your footer, you create additional touchpoints for your audience to engage with your offers, even if you forget to include a specific call to action within your email.
2. Utilize your email signature.
Your email signature is another piece of valuable real estate for promoting your offerings. By including a link to your shop page or “Work with Me” page in your email signature, you ensure that your most engaged audience—the ones actively interacting with your emails—have a convenient route to learn more about working with you.
It’s a subtle yet effective way to provide easy access to information about your services and products.
3. Incorporate a snippet with recommended resources.
To add value to your emails without explicit calls to action, consider creating a reusable email snippet.
This snippet can take the form of a “tools I recommend” box or a curated list of your favorite affiliate products, resources, or tools. Include brief descriptions and relevant links within this snippet, enabling your audience to explore and benefit from the resources you personally endorse.
By incorporating this snippet in emails that may not have other calls to action, you provide your readers with valuable recommendations while subtly showcasing your expertise and potential affiliate partnerships.
Remember, the goal is to strike a balance between providing value and promoting your offers. These techniques can help you subtly sell in your emails while maintaining a genuine connection with your audience.
4. Seamlessly incorporate subtle mentions.
As you craft your newsletters, you’ll likely find yourself naturally mentioning your own products and affiliate recommendations. When these opportunities arise, take advantage of them by adding relevant sales pages or affiliate links.
This approach allows you to naturally introduce links within the context of your content, providing an effortless way to guide your readers towards your offerings.
If you are using affiliate links, it’s essential to be transparent and disclose them as such. Maintaining trust and integrity with your audience is paramount, so make sure to clearly indicate when you’re recommending products or services for which you may receive compensation.
5. Leverage the full power of the PS section.
In the fast-paced world we live in, many people tend to scan through emails, paying particular attention to the beginning and end. That’s why it’s good practice to optimize your PS (postscript) section with a strategic call to action.
Take advantage of this prime email real estate by including a simple yet compelling message.
For example, you can say something like,
“PS. Enjoyed this tip? It was taken from my comprehensive course on X. Click here to learn more and take your knowledge to the next level.”
By adding a persuasive call to action in the PS section, you capture the attention of those who skim-read and provide them with an easy way to explore your offerings further.
6. Make your banner image work for you.
Here’s an interesting observation: Whenever I send a newsletter, without fail, someone always clicks on the banner image positioned at the top of the email. Although the reasons behind this behavior may not be entirely clear, you can leverage this engagement by making sure that your banner image leads to a productive destination.
Whether it’s your shop page, resources page, or “Work with Me” page, ensure that your banner image serves as a clickable link. This way, you can direct curious readers who are drawn to your visually appealing banner to a relevant and valuable section of your website. It’s a simple yet effective way to optimize engagement and potentially drive conversions.
7. Maximize your out-of-office reply.
Take advantage of your out-of-office email by addressing common queries and providing helpful information. However, don’t miss the opportunity to promote your offers during this downtime.
Include a link to your shop page so that people can browse your offerings while they wait for your reply. Keeping this out of office reply turned on most of the time not only sets realistic expectations for response times, but also gives you and your VA some breathing space, especially on weekends.
Additionally, consider how many people asking questions about online business might discover that you have a course with the answers they seek inside.
It’s a subtle way to introduce your offerings to those who are actively seeking information.
8. Highlight related products.
When discussing topics within your niche, chances are you have a product of your own or are affiliated with one that is relevant. Before signing off your email, invest an extra minute or two to write a concise paragraph about this resource, along with a “learn more” button.
Your subscribers, who have already received value from your email, will appreciate the opportunity to explore your offers or recommendations further.
By incorporating this small yet impactful addition, you seamlessly introduce your products or affiliate offerings in a way that feels natural and non-intrusive.
9. Promote freebies with affiliate cookies.
If you’re an affiliate for digital products like online courses, memberships, or group programs, consider reaching out to the business owner or brand to inquire about any freebies you can promote.
Often, these free resources, such as mini challenges, PDF checklists, or evergreen webinars, have built-in mechanisms that lock your affiliate cookie.
This means that when subscribers opt-in for the freebie and enter the sales funnel, you have the potential to earn commissions if they become customers in the following weeks or months.
By promoting these freebies, you let someone else do the heavy lifting of selling for you, creating a win-win situation where the business gains new subscribers, and you can earn commissions if conversions occur.
10. Harness the power of blog posts.
Do you have blog posts specifically crafted to promote affiliate products or your own offers and services? These could be product reviews, comparisons, roundups, case studies, or problem-awareness articles. Leverage these blog posts by linking to them in your newsletters.
This approach allows your email subscribers to access in-depth content that does the selling for you.
By directing your readers to these informative blog articles, you subtly incorporate promotional elements into your emails while providing valuable information and insights.
In conclusion, it’s important to remember that selling in your newsletters doesn’t always have to involve overtly promotional emails. Subtle selling can be effective, helpful, and feel effortless.
Striking a balance between subtle selling and active promotions is ideal, and the strategies outlined in this article can help you achieve that balance.
By incorporating these techniques into your email marketing, you can confidently promote your offers while maintaining a genuine and value-driven connection with your subscribers.
Selling in your newsletters doesn’t have to be intimidating—it can be a natural extension of the valuable content you provide.
