Every business that wants to succeed will use promotional emails. I send out two a week to stay in touch with my readers. Some messages are free information like this article. Some are low-cost reports and discount specials. Some are for high-end products and book coaching or article marketing.

You don't need to be a genius to stay out in front of your potenial clients with emails. You just need to know what motivates your opt-in lists' people. Since they already know you a little because they opted in for one of your free reports, free teleseminars, products or services, the other two reasons they will open your email are:

1. They want your offer at this time.
2. They like the price ( discount or special ) and want your offer.

Before You Write Your Promotional Emails - Know These Skills

1. Know the action you want your readers to take. The big mistake many of us make is to include several offers. Ask your reader to do only ONE thing if you want a high resonse.

2. Aim each promotion at a particular audience. Another big mistake is to send all notices to a huge list. I created categories 10 years ago and they included: faithful customers, ezine subscribers, teleseminar graduates, coaching clients, and report opt-in people. You can also begin the promotion using a first name, that gets more attention.

The more personal you made your note, the more sales it's going to generate. Make the first sentence include your relationship to your reader to establish your credibility so your reader wants to read it. Dear particular audience, "You know me as a book coach, but I also want to show you an easy way to market your book or service online..."

3. Include benefits of each offer. Pull your reader to respond to your call to action and click your link at the bottom of the email. Benefits create excitement and value so your reader will act without hesitation.

4. Create a sense of urgency in your offer. Something like, "This offer is only good until a particular date." Or, "I'm offering only the first 100 copies at this lower rate."

5. Create an easy-to-read format of about 60 characters across. You may want to include a border or a banner across the top with your picture or name or picture in it.

6. Create a clear call for action. Try "click here to learn more" near the end of your email. Inlcude your website URL immediately after that. The call to action comes after the bulleted benefits, testimonials, and urgency note. Rather than choose to sell a product in this email directly, instead, create curiousity and excitement to compel your reader to click the URL link to your web sales page to make the sale.

7. Keep your voice throughout the email, so your audience feels a relationship with you.

9. Offer at the end of the email your contact information. Establish your credibility and let them know how to contact you if they have a question.

10. Use a P.S. at the end after your signature. Restate the main benefit or include a free "bonus" to help compel your reader to respond to your call for action.

11. Always offer an way for your reader to opt-out if he or she no longer wants to hear from you. Then, you've complied with the anti-spam rules.

You want your promotion emails to be read. Make sure you first create rapport with your reader, give him or her a reason to click, and make your offer "absolutely fabulous."

Email Signatures and Article Resource Boxes Make Big Sales

Without an email sig at the end of every email you send, you are missing great opportunities to sell yourself, your company, and your products.

You already may use your outlook email signature that automatically goes at the end of every email you send out. You want to include certain information in that or other e mail signature. You may also use an email signature template ( called resource box) for article submission sites and high-traffic blogs. These signatures will be different from your outlook signatures.

What to Include in your Email Signature Templates

1. Include a signature on every email you send out, even to friends. This is passive advertising. If your receiver forwarded your information to someone, the new contact will have what they need to contact you.

2. Include your subtle sales message in each signature. Signature tags are a call to action. Make it like a billboard.

3. Create signatures that are different for each thing you want to feature to sell. Signature management includes writing several examples--one for a book, another one for your business, and another one for your free ezine.

4. Include multiple ways to contact you. Some people want to call; others email you; and others will want to visit your Web site.

5. Give away something free such as your ezine, a special report by autoresponder that collects the emails for your databases. Remember the list is GOLD, so capture those emails.

6. Include benefits to your audience. What will they look or feel like after they use you?

7. Include your name and tag on the first line. For example Judy Cullins, Full Service Bookcoaching. If you are of guru status, or long time professional mention that.

8. Write your concept statement, including a major benefit on line two. For example, "Helps business people manifest their book and business dreams." Or, "Empowers you to live your ideal work dream."

9. Give one book title on line three. (You can have several signatures naming a different book in each)

10. Include your Web site URL, phone number and email.

Include all to make it easy for your audience to contact you.

11. Include friendly information, not sets of initials after your name. No one cares about those. You want to connect, not impress.

Your signature file has one purpose. To get people to click the link to that free offer, where your autoresponder or your web site collects that email for future promotions.

Special Resource Box Marketing with Article Submissions

You want your article reader to benefit from your best how to pieces. And, YOU also want to benefit-and get your target audience to your Web site where they can see all you offer and leave their email for you to use for future promotions. The secret is in the list--not just any old list, but a targeted niche audience who wants what you have. In exchange for their email, you give them free ecourse, free special report, or free ezine.

Most ezine directories advise to keep the signature short-around 450 characters in length. You must decide what to include. Always include a short bio, followed by the free offers.

Example Resource Box--What to Put in?

Place author bio (the resource box) at the end of an article.

Do you want to learn more about how you do it? "I have just completed my brand new guide to article writing success, 'Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide' Download it free here: (URL to squeeze page.)

Note: When I clicked for the free report, the squeeze page came up and captured my email address I entered. This is a great. You can follow this hot idea too.

Author bio. Include what you do for clients such as Article Marketing Coach Judy Cullins helps you optimize your Web site unique visitors and make big sales with her "Advanced Article Marketing Web 2.0 Updated Secrets" at xxxxURLlink.

Without a powerful sales-oriented article resource box or a proper email signature, you will lose many contacts that can lead to sales. Modify yours today and watch your business and profits grow.

For the Reluctant Internet Marketer and Online Promoter

Small businesses, professional coaches, how to authors, and other entrepreneurs write books to brand themselves - adding credibility and visibility to their name while increasing profitability. Sometimes too busy, and sometimes reluctant to market online for various reasons, they let their books and business languish without getting enough visibility to keep sales moving. Start marketing your ebook or print books online to increase your success!

Marketing your book also means you're marketing your business. Marketing is not an expense, its an investment in YOU.

Reluctant marketers need a little boost from a coach who is non-techie and uses mostly non-techie way to market online such as the tips in this article. Writing short pieces including articles is perfect for the novice marketer because it is natural, even organic.

Here's Ways to Take the Fear Out of Online Marketing Even if You are a Beginner

1. Keep in touch with your target audience, and watch your sales soar. Remember, internet authors and businesses get to keep almost all of the money!

2. Gather as many emails of possible clients and book buyers as you can. Offer a free monthly ezine to grow your small business with email.

3. Categorize your lists such as customers, clients, ezine subscribers, networkers, potential clients (come from questions from your audience).

4. Use autoresponders for your groups. They send your messages out automatically to double opt-in subscribers. You avoid spam this way because they can unsubscribe any time they want to. Some are www.constantcontact.com and www.1shoppingcart.com. The fees run around $30 a month for a particular number. You can also try a free service lik PHPList to install on your web server.

5. Give free information consistently via email to compel your subscribers to think of you when they need your service or product. This builds visibility and customer trust and eventually big profits.

6. Distribute through a two-step email marketing campaign to build relationships with your target audience. First, in one week send a free tip, article, or special report. Two weeks later, follow up with a short marketing message full of benefits and testimonials from satisfied clients and book buyers.

7. Submit your well edited articles to top web sites and blogs such as www.ezinearticle.com or www.hubpages.com. This viral marketing technique is still #1 with all home businesses.

8. Use headlines to capture attention in your emails as well as your web pages. Include benefits and tested key words that attract your targeted audience. Include the YOU point of view rather than the I.

9. Ask for the sale when appropriate in your email. The ordering links should be at the bottom of the email after the sections of your target audience's needs and wants. Show them you care with visual and feeling benefits rather than tell them what's good for them.

10. Think affiliate sales for your products and books.

11. Market passively with your resource box or signature file at the end of every email you send out. For article marketing keep it under 300 characters. For email include your name, top benefits, free offer, and link to where your book is sold along with your email address and phone number.

People on the web love Free information and resources. Give it to them in ezines, online articles, special reports, and blogs. This law of attraction helps you to manifest your book and business dreams fully.

Social networking can also help you promote your business! Check out this free report on twitter writing than can boost your traffic within a month!

Please leave any comments and questions you may have!

Additional Book & Business Marketing, Writing, and Planning Resources