Engagement via Email
Deconstructing an Email Process
Written by Steve McGarry.
When we first started gaining momentum with FunnelFeed, people came out of the woodwork asking us to meet with them and talk about what we do. Luckily, we had practice meeting tons of people with our previous startup, DapperJobs.
The Process
Setting up meetings for us is a process. Why? Processes save time and make your life more efficient. It’s key to understand the “magic” behind processes and how they can be tweaked.
Our process is simple. It boils down to:
1. Decide who you want to speak with.
2. Think about who you know that can introduce you.
3. Use LinkedIn to confirm or find other people to introduce you.
Tools
Download Rapportive and Signals by HubSpot. Both are Google Chrome plug-ins that act, behind the scene, to make your experience better. Rapportive is a way to confirm or find email addresses. Signals is a way to know when to follow-up.
Copy
Once you find their email — through a friend, LinkedIn, Rapportive, whatever — start writing your copy. The copy acts as the meat of your email. You’ll customize the introduction and everything around it, but the meat acts as the main goal of your emails. Keep your email limited to 3-4 lines of copy.
Have a call-to-action (CTA) — ask them for something — at the end of the email. Your CTA should be straightforward. Don’t waste their time, or your own.
If the reader is in the same location as you, suggest a coffee:
“Are you available to grab a cup of coffee on Tuesday or Wednesday at 1:30pm or 4pm?”
If the reader is not in the same location, start with a call:
“Are you available for a quick call Tuesday or Wednesday next week at 1:30pm or 4pm?”
If you are cold emailing someone who is a thought leader in your space:
“Given your experience in our industry, we would love any feedback.”
Give the reader two times. This shows that you actually have a calendar.
The content of the email should be interesting and should keep the reader engaged. Use facts, statistics, and examples. Don’t be wishy-washy.
Subject Lines
Now, the most important part of any email, the subject line.
The key? Personalize, Personalize, and personalize.
Subject lines are surprisingly important for open rates, and including the reader’s name drastically increases the open rate. FunnelFeed is based around engagement and we have studied all forms; subject lines being one of the most important topics we have researched.
When we send our CTA “your trial is ending” emails, we personalize it to include their Twitter handle. If you take a small amount of time to treat your users with respect, they’ll do the same.
What’s the best subject lines? Our friends over at MailChimp did a great blog post on the best subject lines.
What are your email tactics? Let us know on Twitter (@FunnelFeed).
Like our blog posts? Subscribe.
