Email marketing is often misunderstood and written off as spam. While spam does exist, a well-planned and executed marketing campaign isn’t considered unsolicited and can improve your sales. By going direct to your audience’s inbox you can market to people who have already shown an interest in your product or service by signing up for your emails in the first place.
Write as if you are talking to a person you know
People don’t like to be spoken to like they are just a number, but they also don’t like to be talked down to with overly complex language. This can often be interpreted as a smoke screen to hide the lack of value or purpose in your email.Be direct and casual, without lapsing too far into colloquialisms. Think about how you would talk face-to-face with someone you know, then cut out the ‘ums’ and ‘ahhs’.
Keep your message personal and relatable
Once you have perfected your writing tone and style, your message needs to bring actual value to the customer. This can be in the form of information, or a special offer or discount. This is where you can reach into your database and use the accumulated information about your audience members. If you’re writing a B2B article about multi-vendor shopping cart design, then sending it to both your personal and commercial customers is not personalising the experience for your audience segments.
Write a fantastic subject line
A subject line can make or break an email marketing campaign. You need to capture attention, give the information, and entice the receiver to open it, all in about 10 words. This can be a tricky balancing act but the key is to write it in the form of a call to action and exploit your audience’s FOMO.
Some of the best I’ve seen include:
- “Uh-oh, your prescription is expiring”
- “Where to Drink Beer Right Now”
- “You’re missing out on points.”
Each of these examples capitalises on the user’s fear of missing out and entices them to read further.
Keep it short and memorable
No one wants to read hundreds of words in an email from a business. People have a short attention span when it comes to email marketing and shorter is usually better. This is especially important with the growth of mobile internet usage and that many people are reading their emails on a smartphone while commuting, or waiting in line, or just about anywhere other than in front of a desktop computer. This means that there will be hundreds of distractions to take their mind off what they are reading so your email has to make an impact quickly
Go visual
There is nothing better for making a fast impact than an eye-catching visual. Infographics and high-quality, interesting photos are great for expressing your brand’s identity and engaging with your audience. A picture is worth a thousand words and customers aren’t like to want to read for than a hundred words, which makes visuals an important part of email marketing.
