How To Write A Good Marketing Email

Everyone’s been there. You’ve worked hard on your email, and when you clicked ‘send’, you thought you’d see a good return on what you’ve written. However, when you check your stats, your emails have hardly been opened. It’s disheartening, but all is not lost. Here’s how you can write a marketing email that catches your subscribers’ attention, and get the results you’re looking for.

The Secret To Good Marketing Emails

Everyone’s inboxes are overflowing these days. When you get to work, it feels as though you’re wading through emails, and once you get your inbox cleared, more come through. It’s like you just can’t win.

Imagine your subscriber getting your email in their inbox. If it’s not something that they have to look at right away, they’re probably just going to ignore it. Worse, they may even just delete it without ever opening it. This is what every marketer fears when they create email campaigns. Why put all this work in when they’re not even going to look at what you’ve created?

The secret is to show the subscriber that there’s value in your emails. Right from the subject line, they’ve got to see that there’s a lot to lose if they delete that email. If you’re delivering value again and again, then they’ll open your emails and act on them as soon as they come.

As this is the case, you’ve got two issues you need to work on; getting subscribers to open their emails, and delivering value when they do open them.

Getting Subscribers To Open That Email

First things first: You’ve got to convince the subscriber that they want to open that email and see what you have to say.

Bette D. Miller, the webmaster of Top Canadian Writers, says: “You’ve got to grab the recipient’s attention right away. If you look like just another marketing email, they’re going to hit “delete” right away. Show them why they need to open up that email and see what you’re offering.”

Here are a few ways you can make sure your emails get opened every time:

• Drop the corporate tone: Nothing puts off readers more than something that looks like it’s been sent to thousands of people. Try using first names in the subject line, and make the reader feel as though you’re just talking to them, and them alone.
• Realise no optimal reader exists: There are lots of stats out there that give you models of customers that you should be emailing. No ‘perfect’ subscriber exists. If you know this, you can write to them as humans, rather than data.
• Write simple subject lines: It’s not worth trying to be overly clever with your subject lines. A good, strong, simple subject line will grab more attention, as readers can see what you’re saying.
• Offer something: Why would anyone open your emails if you’re not offering anything that the customer might want? Offer something that will be enticing to the reader in your subject line.
• Be specific: Be clear about what the email will be about before they even open it. If you’re open and honest about what they should expect, a reader is much more likely to take the time to see what you have to say.

How To Engage Your Audience

Now you’ve got the subscriber to open your email, you need to keep their attention. It’s no good them just opening the email, after all. They need to read what you’re saying and act on it. Here’s how you write copy that will catch their attention and keep them reading:

• Don’t follow a blueprint: Of course, it’s a good idea to have some tips and ideas to hand when you’re writing your emails. However, don’t just write a script. To the reader, it comes across as boring and mass produced. Remember, you want them to feel as though you’re just writing to them.
• Keep your emails short: Remember how everyone’s inboxes are overflowing? That means even if a subscriber opens your email, you don’t want them to click away right away. Keep your emails short, and to the point. If you do this, you’ll be able to keep their attention before it wanes, and the reader wanders off.
• Show the reader you care about them: You’re writing to the reader because you have something you can offer them. That something can help make their lives easier, or solve a problem only they have. Show this by showing the reader that you care about them and their needs. If you’ve done your research into your subscribers, this should be easy to do.
• Proofread and edit your writing: Nothing is more frustrating to read than copy that’s full of mistakes and errors. It can pull the reader out of the message you’re trying to convey to them. Avoid this by proofreading and editing your copy before you send it out. If you need help, tools like Best Australian Writers can help you.
• Watch your tone: The way you talk to your readers is important. If you think of your writing as copy, rather than a conversation, then you’ll have already turned your readers off. The best thing to do is to is think of the reader as someone who’s sat across the table from you in a coffee shop. Be professional, but try and be warm and engaging too.
• Use the word ‘you’: ‘You’ is more powerful than you think it is. If you use it, you bring the reader into an idea or concept with you. Try using it and see how much your readers respond to it.
• Be natural: Be yourself, as much as you can. Say things that only you would say in your writing. The more genuine you are, the more readers will respond to it.

Write Emails That Will Sell

Now you know how your emails can engage the reader, you need to hit the home run and sell to them. The key here is to write an email that sounds natural but will sell to the reader. Here’s how you can create that balance:

• Don’t stick to a formula: Again, don’t write as though you’re writing from a script. It can make you sound as though you’re working off a call centre script, and it can be very off putting. Try and be natural in what you’re saying.
• Tell a story: Readers will engage more in what you’re saying if you tell a story. Create a narrative that shows the reader just how your product can help them.
• Highlight the benefits: The features of your product may well be important to you, but to a reader, they can be irrelevant. Instead, highlight the benefits that it will give them. This helps the reader understand why they might want to buy your product.
• Hire in writers when needed: Sometimes you may need help with really creating a good email. When this is the case, hire in expert copywriters who can do this for you. Huffington Post in “Essay Help” feature shows how academic writing services are now offering these kinds of writing services and giving their customers results.
• Give a clear deadline: When you’re trying to get the reader to buy, give them a deadline to buy by. This can be a limited time offer, for example, or by giving a date or time, they should buy for. For example, you can say ‘This offer is perfect if you want to kit out your back yard in time for the summer.’
• Solve a problem for the reader: You’re looking to solve a problem that the reader may or may not know that they have. Most people reasonably avoid risks. Your job is to show them how this product can help them avoid these risks.
• Give multiple links: Using multiple links on the same email increases the chance of people clicking through on it. Make it as easy as possible for them to click through.
• Make sure you include a call to action: Whatever it is you want your readers to do, make sure that you include the call to action in your email. It could be asking them to sign up for an account, completing a survey, or buying a product. Whatever it is, make sure your call to action is clear and prominent in your text.

As you can see, writing a good marketing email isn’t as hard as it looks, but it does take some work. You need to really get to know your subscribers and be able to offer them something that they can use. It’ll take some time to get to know them, but the benefits will pay off.

Once you have the information to hand, all you’ll need to do is write to your subscribers as though you’re meeting them face to face. Be personable with them, give them solutions, and they’re much more likely to engage with you. Use these tips, and you’ll see a difference right away.

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