The Importance of Knowing Your Audience

Content is king, and while much of our success here is owed to our content, we'd be remiss to overlook the driving force behind a successful email. It's not always what you're sending, as much as it is who you're sending it to. Identifying your audience and messaging them appropriately is the real reason behind a high open rate...and we'll tell you how to do it.

The first thing we ask our customers to do when they join Happy Grasshopper is to separate their database into two groups: People you know, and people you don't. Sure, this seems simple (and, in truth, it is), but the results can be very, very powerful. Answer us this: Do you speak to strangers on the street the same way you do with friends, family, or the people you work with? Probably not.

So why are you emailing everyone the same way? You shouldn't be...

Our time is important

Many of us get hundreds of emails every day, flooding our inbox and making it difficult to differentiate between what's important and what's not. So imagine seeing an email from John, your mortgage broker, who helped secure your home loan last year. You open it, curious as to what he has to say. You read something like this:

"I'm John, and I'm here for your home-buying needs! Are you looking to buy a property anytime soon? Give me a call so we can discuss getting you the best rate before the market takes a turn."

Wow. John's letting you know what he does for a living (you already know), and trying to secure you a home loan (he already did). The only new information being conveyed is that he doesn't take the time to acknowledge his own clients. He doesn't value your time.

Don't be John.

Instead, send a message like this to the group of people you don't know. You haven't worked with them in the past, and you'd like them to know what you can do for them.

Start a conversation with those you DO know

This list may include: past clients, friends, family, and your sphere. These are the folks you know – heck, you might even be related to some of them! Instead of a sales pitch, send them something like this:

"How are you spending Thanksgiving? Personally, I'm looking forward to the three 'F's': Food, Friends, and Football! Take a look at how these Chicago-area real estate pros plan on spending the holiday – pretty neat. I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving and, as always, if you have any real estate questions, please feel free to reach out! =)"

Much better, right? You didn't treat the recipient like a stranger, and you provided them with an interesting article to read that is relevant. Not only is this more likely to be well-received, but your chances of getting a referral, email, or phone call is that much better.

Knowing your audience is important when messaging your database. If you follow these tips, not only will you provide interesting and engaging information to those you email, but you'll avoid offending your contacts and losing subscribers.

To view the original article, visit the Happy Grasshopper blog.