This is a Fitness Email Marketing Post by Chris McCombs
Hey there, hope you’re great…
I’m out in Orlando, just got done speaking at the Fitness Info Summit and now enjoying a few days with my family and the Keuilians and the Hochmans… we all have lil’ tikes and rug rats about the same age… so we’re hittin’ Disney World and all that kinda stuff.
I just wanted to get a quick blog post out to you to help you with your email marketing… here’s a few quick tips…
1. The subject line is what gets the email read… that’s all it’s supposed to do…
Most people are bombarded with emails, so you really need to get your subscribers attention… HOWEVER, the body of the email must in some way be congruent with the subject line… otherwise you’ll probably tick a bunch of people off who will feel baited and switched.
Here’s some of my subject lines that got the highest open rates, now keep in mind these may not work for you because of your niche or personality, I’m just showing what’s worked well for me in my fitness marketing business…
• sorry
• RE: it’s personal
• i need your help
• i need your opinion
• you believe this dude…
• WEIRD personal training clients – ( FUNKY )
• WEIRD video
• you going?
• Hookers, DUFFEL BAGS, and cocaine
• Duuuude… watch this video
• FREAKY
• my bad
• bad news ( side note: this one still works well in my niche, but in some niches it’s been so overused it doesn’t work that well anymore)
• personal trainers and BANK HEISTS?
• Personal trainers, marijuana growers and YOU
• 37 ways to ____________
• 43 tips on ____________
• how to _____________
• last chance
• FINAL NOTICE
• _______________ closes TODAY
• legal action
• why… WHY?
• RE: you know this dude?
• hey
2. Next you want to make sure your email gets read.
I like to make mine very personable, basically one friend emailing another, so I stay away from flashy grapchics in my emails, my friends never email me in flashy graphics ya know?
… I like to address one person in my emails instead of a group, and I write them just like I talk, just like I write emails to my friends and family.
I also like to keep them short and use short paragraphs… who wants to read a long email that’s nothing but one big ole’ block o’ text?
No one.
If your emails seem to corporate, boring or long winded… people probably won’t read them.
Now, a newsletter is different, like in Bedros’ Fit Pro Newsletter, but I’m talking about your weekly or daily email blasts which I like to seem more personal.
HOWEVER, sending out a regular fitness email newsletter on top of your regular “friend to friend” type of email blasts can help a ton. ( Here’s where you can get Bedros’ Fit Pro Newsletter so you can send out newsletters to your clients and leads.)
3. Next you want to get people to click through to your blog or offer
To get people to click through… short emails can help a ton ( long ones can help make the sale, but I’ve had my best luck with short ones.. and where the link is above the fold)
Telling people what to do and why they should do it also helps a ton ( Like: Click here so you can _________________)
And action URL’s and links can help ( Like “Click Here To Learn ____________” or ” Just go to www.ClickHereToGetLean.com )
4. Provide value FOR FREE while still making money
Let’s face it, if all you ever email people is pithces for products and services they’re probably not gonna read your emails anymore
BUT… if you don’t try to sell them anything, you’re leaving a ton of money on the table as well
So I have what I call my ’20-60-20 Strategy’… and it works time and again…
- 20% of your emails should be pure content, no pitch or plug ( like sending them to a blog post without mentioning your service or products)
- 60% of your emails should be content rich but content varying degrees of pitches and plugs ( like sending them to a blog post but also mentioning a product or your service in the email and/ or the blog post )
- 20% of your emails can be hard pitches – since you’ve delivered lot’s of good free content to your subscriber you’ve earned the right to try to sell to them
Well there ya have it, hope this helps with your email marketing campaigns in your fitness business ( it WILL if you apply it)
And if you’d like automated done-for-you email newsletters sent out to your cleints and prospects on a regular basis, I strongly suggest Bedros Keuilians Fit Pro Newsletter … you can get it right here at the following link
Click Here to Automate your Email Marketing with Fit Pro Newsletter
( This blog post and email blast falls in the 60% I mention above – the content / plug hybrid )
Would love to hear your comments below…
Chris, You truly are an awesome guy!!! These suggestions rock, and, along with the great ideas that you taught at the Fitness Info Summit regarding blogging, have given me an a ton of ideas. Thanks again for all that you do and I hope that you, your wife, and your children – along with Bedros, Steve and their families – have a blast.
Dr. George
Thanks Chris
This is gold mate
Cheers G
It was awesome meeting you Chris. I hope you enjoy Orlando. You are truly a great guy man, keep killing it and being you.
Thanks for the information you give us because is the most useful I get. All I do is read your blog and take action.
Thanks man and Take Care
Thanks Chris. Good stuff. Love the 20-60-20 rule.
-Jedd-
Some important info I am missing, thx.
I have Fitpro, great for professional looking e-mails that deliver tonnes of rich content, but should I use another e-mail system for auto-responders, click through to buy products, target certain groups in my list and such?
thx
great info…I always had people telling me that they didn't get my email or didn't open them…
Chris, Great job at the Info Summit!! A lot of great info that I know will help me get started in the info marketing world. Remember the name…Anthony Gugliotta…..cause I'm gonna hit it hard!!
Good stuff, as always, Chris.
Good stuff Chris, I'm adding a few of those to my subject line "Swipe File."
Guys, I use fitpro newsletter and I don't think an issue has gone out without getting at least ONE consultation request (the most I think was 9(!) and I have a small list)
My buddy Corey Cain convinced me. He said that with everything else going on, it's one less thing you have to worry about. People opt in, get your newsletter, and request consults. One, Two, Three.
Chris, awesome job, you gave a killer seminar! I mostly came down to hear you speak and to learn more about marketing my business online…and brother – you did not disappoint! Keep destroying it online and paving the way for the rest of us! It was great meeting your wife and the 'mold-resistant' Del!
Michael P.
http://iLoveKickboxing.com
Chris
Best post in a while. This is one you can print out and reference when needed. Tks
I'll tell you the truth, I despise the RE: ones. They never get read because they are the same things spammers use and I'm not stupid…I know I didn't email BK or you about the fitness summit, or some new videos. To me they are unprofessional and are being really overused.
Other ideas are great. Keep them coming…but one other thing I've noticed. Personal is great, but not if you're personally talking about only your friends. Then it feels like "I'm going to advertise for so and so and then in his next newsletter he'll advertise for me."
I want to feel like a newsletter addresses my interests, not what you're interested in showing me about something you and your buddies did.
Chris,
Thanks for putting up the Blog and all the GREAT info. you shared at the Info Summit in Orlando!! It was nice meeting you and look forward to more. Im going to email Del today about the Craigslist info! Thanks you are Really a Cool Guy!!!
Take Care!! Keep doing what you do…you are transforming lives:)
Some good info here, especially about keeping things short and to the point, that's tough for me. Thanks again Chris.
Doug
PRIDE Conditioning
http://www.prideconditioning.com
Chris, great post – especially the subject line examples.
Also, re: formatting – I use a couple tips from Perry Marshall emails.
27 W's – Never have a sentence with wider than the space taken up by 27 W's
5 Sentences – Never more than 5 sentences per paragraph.
Re: Getting high open rates.
- Consistent Frequency on Email Message (1 week, 1 month – but consistent)
- Using an email provider that has great deliverability knowledge.
my2cents.
Thanks for the great post!
Chris,
Great job in Orlando! You were awesome. I thought it might be the same info you gave at the business summit. At the business summit I felt like I got a lot of info on what to do and went home with a lot of ideas. This time you really broke down how to do it and I came back with lots of direction and focus. Keep up the great work. I really appreciate every thing you are doing.
Jeff
As usual, top notch content brother.
Well done!
I don't know how you do it
Great post and straight to the point good advice as always for us personal trainers.
Great job!!