Internet Marketing Toolbox

“The Fold” - common definition - the (imaginary) line across the BOTTOM of a web page that can be seen WITHOUT scrolling down the page…

Now lots of people talk about the importance of placing certain types of information on a web site above the fold for maximum impact… advertising, site navigation, headlines… etc. After all, you may only have less than 30 seconds to persuade someone to NOT click off of your site…

But what if you only had less than FIVE seconds to attract attention?

Then it would be absolutely CRITICAL what you did “above the fold” wouldn’t it?

Especially if you do lots of email marketing!

Why?

Well… if your inbox is anything like mine, it gets filled up pretty quickly, so I don’t make very consistent, rational decisions about what to delete from one day to the next… a lot depends on which side of the bed I got out on.

So if you are marketing to people like me, we’re probably not giving your marketing the attention you deserve.

For example, a recent newsletter from one of the lists I subscribe to announced they were going to change the format of it, and I applauded that move in my reply to the author.

But then I was asked do I “read the ezine through when it comes to your inbox?” I sent this reply…

I suppose it all depends on what OTHER stuff arrives at the same time… I seem to spend an extraordinary amount of time simply deleting stuff

Yours is also a fairly “high maintenance” one… please don’t misunderstand me… There is a LOT of information in it, so there’s a LOT to get through.

And that means I have to THINK a lot harder than I have to with most other newsletters… so often I probably DON’T give it the attention it deserves, especially if I’m in a deleting frame of mind.

That said, the abridged version proposed with links through to your site, would suit me a lot better!!!

As long as the links aren’t all those aweber type redirect links with no meaningful idea of where I’m going.

And if you cut to the chase from the start of the email so I don’t have to scroll…. Bonus!

And that lead onto a quick example about what I could actually see in the preview pane of my email client…

==========================================
Name of Newsletter/Ezine
==========================================

Date, 2007, Issue #
Name of Publisher
http://www.publisherwebsite.com
mailto:email@publisherwebsite.com
© 2007 All Rights Reserved
Worldwide

==========================================
Top Sponsor Ads
==========================================

If this is all I can see for starters (above the fold) then you are NOT doing you job! I am not being encouraged to scroll down and see whatever valuable content you’ve included, and being the busy person I am, I’m not likely to.

For example, with the most recent newsletter I got from Michael Campbell… and it was a very long one, chock full of stuff… this is what I could see above the fold…

Hi Stephen,

Internet Marketing Secrets
Issue #128 - August 23 2007

In this issue: Meet the single most effective
trainer of internet marketers, in the history of
internet marketing. Discover a little known, but
highly effective, three minute secret to success.
And it’s back to school for affiliate marketers.

Plus… Learn CSS the fast and easy way. How to
get 25,000 dollars more than last year. The fastest
way to get links. And cast your vote for my new private
site, “The Vault of Internet Marketing Secrets.” All this
and a lot more in this edition of IMS. Enjoy!

Which one are you most likely to NOT delete immediately, and even come back later to plough through the information?

Don’t forget the effect of the fold in your email marketing!

And while you’re at it… remember how important the subject/title of your email is going to be to all us people busily deleting legit mail we don’t have time to read…

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