Linkedin does email marketing better than any social network. They don’t fill my inbox with a ton of spam, and better yet, when they do send me a marketing message, it most always hooks my attention and garners a click.

Today’s email was five short personalized sentences with an interesting factoid sandwiching an irresistible image – photos of my friends who have recently changed jobs. Fish on. I’m hooked.

This email perfectly illustrates my first rule of marketing: Titillate. Don’t educate.

Your email blasts are too long (don’t feel bad, mine usually are too). We always tend to pack them with every bit of information – failing to realize it doesn’t matter what we have to say until we have their attention.

Quit selling. Quit explaining. Grab their attention. Tweak their interest. Present them with an obvious next action. Rule the day.

If there are a thousand ways to say a simple “hello”, imagine all of the ways your vague email can be misinterpreted. Until we’re able to embed true emotion and intent in every message, pick up the phone – or better yet – stop by for some face time.

Face-to-face will always beat pixel-to-pixel.

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