It’s easy to get drawn in by the exciting new email marketing app functionalities around today. However, the truth is, you can get the same results from a good old-fashioned plain-text email when you get the copy right. You can say, “Step aside bells and whistles, hello well-written content,” using our secret copywriting formula to create high-converting email marketing campaigns.
Nail the Subject Line
No one, and we mean no one, is interested in an email that doesn’t have an enticing, trustworthy subject line. That’s why this part of the formula is so important. Even the best-managed email services can’t prevent SPAM, which means your subject lines need to come across as familiar, trusted, and of course, worthy of a read. Therefore, you need to nail your subject line:
- Use actionable words: Make it clear action is required to entice readers to open your email. Common verbs include words like take, buy, get, download, learn. But it’s not just words. Actionable language must convey value or create a sense of urgency such as “Tickets are selling fast for the Milly Vanilli Reunion.”
- Use personalization: Using details specific to a customer shows them the content is relevant. Personalization is no longer just about names but more so about context. Using segmentation to choose the right subject line greatly improves open rates, because you are sharing something the customer needs at that moment based on past behavior. For example, if it’s an abandoned cart, you might say, “Oh no –you forgot your copy of “Spare” at Best Sellers On Fifth!”
- Prioritize your message, then engage: Your subject lines need to be clear and catchy to strike the perfect balance. First, compose the most important message, then get creative by injecting some brand personality. Clarity comes first, and creativity second. Creativity has to be on brand and resonate with your audience. Your message can’t be so far out there it is confusing, yet be creative enough to reflect your brand and keep things interesting.
- Connect subject line to email subject: Make sure whatever you hint at or blatantly mention in your subject line is what the reader finds when they open the email. This goes back to prioritizing your message and being clear.
One last thing: Never use ALL CAPS or punctuation in your subject line, as this smacks of SPAM.
Get to the Point
Once you hook them with your subject line, get to the point so they see it as soon as they open the email. Don’t make them search for more information — put the message front and center. If it was the abandoned cart, for example, you might show a picture of the book cover and say something like, “Don’t worry, you can just click here to have it sent over!” For the concert tickets, you might say, “Tickets are going fast, but you can click here to search for the best seats still available.” It’s okay to add further marketing below but keep it short.
Remind Them How You Know Them
Be sure to make customers feel comfortable about receiving an email by quelling their natural SPAM-induced suspicions. It’s not uncommon for people to sign up for emails and then forget about it. For the book, you might say something like, “We hate to see you miss out on reading another best-seller since you haven’t made a purchase in a while,” while the concert tickets would be along the lines of “Good thing you signed up for emails, or you’d be the last to know about the concert.” This creates a connection and jogs the customer’s memory about your relationship.
Overcome Common Objections by Sharing Benefits
Your content should be designed to overcome common objections by sharing benefits instead of trying to sell features. So back to our examples;
- Milli Vanilii: “This is the last chance to see Milli Vanilli live before they call it quits for good!”
- Book: “With over 10,000 recommendations for the book so far, you’ve chosen a top read!”
These are simple statements that explain why action is worthwhile.
Stick to Simplicity
Simple, short messages ensure nothing gets lost in the translation. People want to know what you are giving them, the benefits it provides and how to get it. That’s about it. We’ll do a quick example using the book:
- Subject Line: Oh no, you forgot your copy of “Spare” at Best Sellers on Fifth
- Copy: Don’t worry, you can just click here to have it sent on over! With over 10,000 recommendations for the book so far, you’ve chosen a top read! Plus, you’ve got to read the book so you can join in the conversation around the water cooler. Because Royalty.
Keep Up the Actionable Language
In the example above, we’ve also demonstrated how to keep up the actionable language with a clear CTA. The action required is the first thing they see, which neatly entices them to complete their purchase while also resolving an issue they didn’t know they had. The word join is also actionable, although in a different way!
Balance the Pronouns
Make sure the email remains focused on the reader, not your company. Using the example above, you can see the word you is far more prominent than the word we or our. In fact, we didn’t even use we or our at all.
Use Some Good Old-Fashioned Psychology
Humans are, in many ways, predictable, which means you can take advantage of expected behaviors in your email marketing campaigns. We’ve spoken of a few of these tactics already, such as focusing on you, using actionable language, and creating a sense of urgency. Also, in the book example, we provided social proof twice by mentioning 10,000 recommendations and chats around the water cooler.
The water cooler mention also drums up FOMO feelings as the customer will be left out of conversations because they haven’t read the book. The wording in our book example also provides social proof that the book is a must-read, while the 10,000 customer recommendations instill trust in the bookseller. All this in just three sentences.
You can use our secret formula to create engaging copy that entices using a strong subject line and increases conversions using creative, short, pointed email content.
Writing email copy definitely requires some strategy. With the right marketing partner, your email campaigns can start converting leads like never before! If you need a little help with this, we’re happy to chat.
