You have collected some customer email addresses. Now you’re focused on sending them the emails. However, you’re not seeing email results in the form of solid conversion rates or increased sales. But when keeping on top of digital marketing efforts is a top priority for you, it’s important to become well-versed in understanding the art of writing high-converting copy for your email campaigns.
A cost-effective form of communication, email can help with marketing your business and increasing your revenue in today’s crowded marketplace. So don’t miss these insider tips for how to get better at marketing with email.
1. Create an attention-grabbing subject line
Inboxes are filled with emails with few of them appearing interesting enough to click on. Forget what’s inside your message for a second and pay the outside some attention. Writing better email subject lines not only entices email list subscribers to click your message, it can encourage them to look forward to future communications.
A subject line like, “A toast to you, <<subscriber first name>>” not only personalizes the content, it makes your reader the center of attention.
You could also use a “thought starter” subject line or one that produces FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) such as: “Good thing you don’t listen to gossip, <<subscriber first name>>.”
Or don’t forget to try to make the sale with something catchy like, “I’d buy it, <<subscriber name>>. Would you?”
There are dozens of ways to write a subject line that captures interest. Perform an A/B test with emojis in your subject lines to see how they perform with your audience.
Also, consider writing your subject line after you’ve written your email. They often come easier once your message is clearly laid out in front of you.
In staying away from the more generic and cliché phrases or promises, you’re already ahead of the curve.
2. Don’t dismiss the preview text
Besides the subject line, this is the first thing your email list subscribers will review. The first line of the actual email, preview text tells your subscribers a little more about what to expect when they click your email. Most inboxes allow up to 140 characters (including spaces) as a preview line.
Depending on the layout of your email template, this text sometimes offers unclickable links to social media profiles or bland alt text for your reader. Don’t make this mistake! Preheader text is a precious commodity in digital marketing that you can’t afford to waste.
3. Avoid jargon
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of sharing the love for your product or service with potential customers. As a result, you sometimes find yourself slipping into the use of industry terms and jargon when you type.
As a general rule you should write how you’d speak, being as conversational in your digital communications as possible. While there is nothing wrong with showing your customers or potential customers that you know your stuff (it adds to your credibility), you still need to write in a way your readers can digest. If in doubt, imagine a ten-year-old is reading your email. Do they understand what you’re saying? This not only makes your digital marketing more approachable; you’ll likely get a lot further with your sales goals.
4. Remain active
Many people write in a passive voice using words and phrases like am, was, are, and should be. However, this weakens your copy and when you’re marketing with email you cannot afford to be weak—there’s too much competition!
Instead, begin your sentences with colorful words that inspire your readers to continue reading. Unearth, discover, activate, and influence are all excellent examples. This type of writing helps stimulate the brain and keep prospects on your email lists engaged.
5. Keep it tight
When you’re marketing a business you love, you may find yourself waxing poetic to your email lists. Yet readers are looking for quick, absorbable bite-sized phrases. So don’t get caught up in writing paragraph upon paragraph for them to read—it’s unlikely they will.
Instead, be sure to follow a logical structure while maintaining brief paragraphs which contain a single idea. Bullets and subheadings are an excellent digital marketing tactic that can help make your emails more scannable.
6. Tailor your content
If you don’t already segment your audience it’s time to begin. By getting to know your customer base you can create content that applies to them. This not only inspires loyalty, it’s the perfect way to help raise your conversion rates.
Plus, when you’re familiar with your audience, it’s much easier to write content they’ll enjoy—and want to click on. It’s only when you begin to co-exist with them on this level that you can truly build a relationship.
7. Ditch cliches
Yes, these common phrases make it easy to explain something without having to waste time actually explaining anything. But while overused words and phrases easily express your point, they’re boring to read. Bore your reader and you’re putting a sleeper hold on your sales.
Engaging copy takes careful thought. Avoid cliches like:
- Diamond in the rough
- Opposites attract
- Actions speak louder than words
- Heart-stopping
- Ignorance is bliss
- Calm before the storm
In matters of marketing with email, it’s the words that come together most naturally that you should be wary of. There’s always a more original way to say it! Find THAT and you’ll capture the attention of your audience.
8. Avoid ambiguity
This is especially true when you’re sending sales emails. The more specific and interesting you can make something sound, the more likely you are to draw in your reader. Consider the following example:
“Special offer: Learn how to grow a butterfly garden.”
It’s kind of specific—as well as incredibly boring.
On the other hand, what if you said, “Build a butterfly garden oasis designed to attract dozens of butterfly species within days with this special limited time offer.”
Can you see the difference? When you paint a vivid picture for your audience that includes insight and details, it’s easier to win their interest as well as their clicks.
9. Embrace psychology
Human behavior can often be predicted. So, understanding the psychology behind selling may help you reach new levels of success in your digital marketing efforts. Consider the following psychological elements prior to clicking “send” on your next email:
Use scarcity: Mentioned earlier, FOMO can boost feelings of anxiety in your reader and inspire them to click your link or even make a purchase before the option to do so has disappeared.
Push social proof: From celebrity and influencer endorsements to written and video testimonials from past customers to certifications, social proof can be found in many places. Use positive social proof to help your potential customers form judgements about you and your products or services, encouraging them to buy.
Give rather than receive: Readers are forever feeling sold to—offering the opposite may inspire more loyalty. From a free offer to free insights or advice, your customers and potential customers appreciate kindness.
Less is more: Giving your reader too many options may cause them to feel overwhelmed. Rather than offering multiple products and services in your email marketing, be selective in the products and services you place in front of your customer.
Choose colors carefully: Did you know that colors can cause varying reactions within your audience? Blue is well known to signify trust while red promotes passion. Green signifies balance while yellow suggests openness. Research your email template color palette to ensure you are conveying the right message through more than the words you type.
10. Get personal
There are several ways you can connect with your audience more deeply using personalization. Using their name is subject lines or injected into the body of copy in your email is one such opportunity.
On the other hand, you could take getting “personal” more literally and share your own stories or mistakes through email. This will help your audience see you as more human. Through this lens, they’re more likely to be interested in future communications from you because you’re no longer merely a brand behind a computer screen.
11. Don’t be redundant
Cut clutter from your sentences and promote higher readership. Similar to cliches, redundancy can bore your reader and cause them to “X” out of your communications. And this is the last thing you want when you’re trying to rev up your engagement, clicks, and sales.
Re-read your email before you click send and remove words like:
- Probably
- Maybe
- A little
- Quite
- More or less
- Sort of
While it’s fine to use these words once in a while, they should not be littered throughout your content. Not only will deleting these words make your content easier to read and digest, it also makes it more enjoyable to read.
12. Use inspiring ideas
What subject lines, graphics, and copy inspires you? While you can’t copy and paste, you can gain inspiration from your competitors—and use their creative to fuel your own. Be sure to sign up for newsletters, freebies such as downloadable templates, social media groups, and anywhere else you might come across content of interest.
Create a swipe file of these incredible ideas and the next time you’re feeling stuck, review your collection and let your creative energy flow.
13. Say “thank you”
No one has to sign up for your email list. Rather, they choose to. While marketing with email may be your main goal, never forget that email is an excellent communication tool between parties as well. In addition to using it to sell and as we mentioned above, to give (ultimately as a means to earn sales) you can also use email to simply say “thank you.”
When you want to improve readership, clicks, and conversion rates for your email there are many ways to go about it. Try implementing the ideas in this list one by one and don’t forget to track your results. You may be surprised by what proves successful.
