Do you enjoy writing email promotions to your list? If you're anything like me then your answer is probably heck, no! When I look back at my first email campaigns I have to cringe at some of the techniques I used to monetise my list.

But, through practice and a whole lot of trial and error, I've since learned that anyone can write a strong promotional email in less than half an hour that rakes in profits and more importantly keeps your subscribers highly responsive.

In this article, I'm going to share with you the five easy but key points that have tripled the revenue I generate on a monthly basis from my list so you can do the same:

1. A Golden Subject Line

I can't stress this enough – if your subject line doesn't captivate the recipient then your email won't even get opened! That means a ton of wasted effort on your behalf and it doesn't matter if you have the most incredible pitch held within the mail, you've lost a prospect!

I see bad examples of subject lines all the time. For instance, check out the headline of this email I got today from someone I subscribed to in the internet marketing niche:

“Paul, Free CPA Marketing Guide”

I don't know about you, but I don't open these kind of emails. Why? You're busy and you don't know what the benefits of this “free guide” are. Every man and his dog are sending you a “free” promotion and frequently it's a lead in to a hard sell. Why's this one any different?

Let's see if we can change the subject line up a bit! How about:

“Hey Paul, here's a little known strategy that triples your CPA Marketing results”

Now, there's an email you want to open. Triple your CPA marketing results? Hmm, that might be worth a five minute look!

So here's the three keys to a killer headline:

1)Make it benefit-oriented
2)Invoke curiosity
3)Keep the recipient blind – don't tell them how they can realise the benefit!

2. Avoid HYPE and SHOUTING!

This is oh so common and sometimes can be amusing if not insulting!

Check this opening out:

“Roger,

I simply HAD to tell you this before I EXPLODED!!
this is one of the most revolutionary auto-pilot money
making systems that NOBODY knows about. In fact,
this system is so powerful, that it practically sucks the money
out of people's pockets.”

I don't know about you, but it seems like I receive one of these mails every day from at least one person! And they drive me mad!

If you over-hype your emails and shout at your subscribers then you're a list building Kamikaze! Hyper responsive lists always contain subscribers that trust and value the insight and recommendations of the sender. Hyping and shouting have completely the opposite effect – ever read the story of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf?!”

3. Stay Relevant, Terse and Benefit Driven

Simply put people don't want your life story!

Funny as it may sound, every now and then I'll receive an email from a guy in the fitness industry and he always feels obliged to tell me how his day has been and how much protein he's managed to eat! Guess what, I haven't bought anything from him!
In fact, I unsubscribed a few weeks back.

Here's a fact of human nature, as sure as the sky is blue: People only care about themselves. At every point in your email, people are asking “what's in it for me?” and if at any point in your email you're not answering that question for them then they'll tune out and go back to their daily business.

So, create benefit driven, terse content to keep their attention. Long anecdotal paragraphs are out. And don't forget, curiosity is still as prevalent as ever; just like you captured their interest in the title, you need to keep their interest in the body of the mail so they click through to your landing page / affiliate link.

4. Bucket Brigade Copy To Bridge The Gaps..

Here's a great trick that all great copywriters use to keep the interest of the reader. It's really simple, too, but studies show it can hugely improve the effectiveness of email copywriting.

A bucket brigade is a long line of people who pass water from one person to the next to put out a fire! I know you're probably thinking that I'm off my rocker, but this IS relevant.

Here's why...Bucket brigade copy refers to phrases that force the recipient to keep on reading. In fact the “here's why” at the beginning of this sentence is an excellent example of BB copy!

What other phrases are there? Check these other great BB phrases that you can use:

And let's not forget
Why is that?
And how do you do that?
And as you already know....
And guess what?

So how do you use BB copy? You just throw them into your sentences where they make sense and to link two ideas together. It doesn't seem like much but it's very powerful.

5. The X Factor

I tell you, the x factor is important, but nobody knows what the x factor is. Ever heard of a guy called Travis Sago? He's got the x-factor. Product creators are pining to get him to promote their product. Why? Because his unique style and thousands strong ultra-responsive list are all tuned in to his every last email. I always read his emails – and even his pitches don't seem like pitches, rather a recommendation from a buddy.

The problem is this: Emails are being sent more than ever and especially in marketing circles. What's going to make yours stand out from the rest? A bit of personality will go a long way!

So, the next time that you write your auto responder series you now have a few tips that will straight away take you ahead of the majority. Strengthen the relationship with your list and your bottom line will show happy numbers!

8 Simple Videos transformed my email marketing business, tripling my revenue straight off the bat. Pick them up for free at http://www.amshortcuts.com

Paul McCarthy is a full time Internet Marketer with a passion for helping others to succeed online.