In 2022 alone, there were a total of 333.2 billion emails sent out and received globally. Sounds outrageously high? That is now the reality in our increasingly digitalized world.
With that huge amount of emails that people receive, how do you make sure that your email actually gets read and seen? The answer is to write a great and captivating email copy that can grab your audience’s eye.
This is why we wrote this guide for you on how to write your emails to make them pop, and make sure it doesn’t get buried under all the other emails in your audience’s inbox. Read on to find out more!
1. Tips on how to write compelling email copy
After building your email list and looking for an email automation tool to use, you are now at the hardest part of email marketing — creating the email itself. It’s not an exaggeration to say that your email’s success will greatly depend on its copy. It’s what determines if people will click on your email in the first place.
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
2. Write conversationally
We are in a digital era where social media is king. Because of this, brands and businesses feel more at reach than ever before. People view them now as friends or equals, instead of a higher authority. Which is why if you want your emails to convert, you need to write more conversationally and casually. No one wants to read an email full of corporate jargon. If you address your audience like a friend, they’ll more likely read your emails.
So how do you write conversationally? First, stick to plain language. Avoid jargon and overly-flowery words. Second, write shorter sentences. When you text your friends, you don’t really text them in full paragraphs, right? And speaking of your friends, just get into that mindset when you’re writing your emails. Try to use a more informal and relaxed language in your emails, just like how you would when you’re having a conversation with them. You can even add humor to your emails, so long as you still remain professional.
Some examples: change “Greetings” to “Hey there”, change “Tickets are available for purchase now” to “Save your spot now!”, change “Our product is rated to be a high-quality product, according to these reviews we gathered” to “Not to brag, but our product is pretty awesome. Check out these reviews!”
See? Some simple changes can change up the vibe of your messages.
3. Make them personalized
Sending personalized emails is also important. While everyone knows that brands send emails in bulk, your audience still wants to feel special. After all, no one wants to read emails that feel like it was just sent to the void, that it doesn’t matter who reads it. A little VIP treatment might just be the boost you need.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to address your audience by their first name. According to studies, 29% of people are more likely to open emails if their name is used. With the advancements of email marketing tools, it’s now easy to get your subscriber’s name, so there’s no excuse to not do this.
Another is to segment your emails. With email marketing tools, you can send specific emails based on different categories or criteria. This could be based on their location, gender, browsing data, actions they’ve taken on your website, etc. This means your audience can receive emails that are personalized to them or their interests, so it’s more likely that they’ll be more engaged with your messages.
For example, your audience has added running shoes to his cart on your website. You can set a reminder email for him that he hasn’t checked-out the item yet. Or perhaps send him a “We think you might like this…” email, where you recommend him a track pants or gym bag to go along with his running shoes.
Aside from sending well-timed messages, data can also be used to personalize the language in your emails.
Based on the data you’ve gathered, you can adjust your email’s language to one that your target audience will respond more to. For example, instead of just sending out a promotional email like “We have a new Productivity Book available in our store”, you can switch it to “We think this book can help you achieve your goals, so we set aside a copy for you. Get it here!”. The second one is definitely more personal and inviting, right?
4. Have great subject lines
Ah, subject lines. It’s truly the make or break part of emails, as most people don’t even view your message if you don’t get their attention from the start. You don’t want to waste your awesome email by having a bland subject line that people will just scroll over.
So how do you write a good one? First, keep it short and sweet. Use no more than 9 words or 60 characters. Second, make it clear from the subject what the email is about. While a little mystery might be good from time to time, generally, people want to know what the email is about before they click on it. For example, if their subscription is expiring, send them a subject line like “Hey [name], time to renew your subscription” instead of something vague like “Changes are needed in your account”.
Third, use action-oriented words. This makes your email feel more exciting and adds a sense of urgency to it. Fourth, make it as compelling as possible. Pose interesting questions, or tell them a very powerful benefit they can get from your email. For example, “Are you making these 5 new baker mistakes?”, or “Here’s a tip to increase your sales by 60%”
5. Add emojis
Speaking of subject lines, another way to make it more engaging is to add emojis. According to a study by Experian, 56% of businesses have seen an increase in open rates when they’ve used emojis. So why not try to add some in your emails too?
Some things to keep in mind:
- Don’t overuse it. Use one or two at most in your subject lines.
- Don’t use it in every single subject line of yours. Your audience will get tired of it fast!
- Only use it when it makes sense. If you are a formal B2B business, your audience probably won’t appreciate emojis. But if you are catered to a younger Gen-Z audience, then use them by all means.
- Test out different ones. Some emojis might work better than others. Experiment to see what works best for you.
- The most commonly used emoji is the red heart. You can use the same one to fit in with others, or you try less used emojis to stand out.
6. Use marketing psychology
Employing various marketing psychology tactics can also help in making your email more compelling. Some examples are FOMO and using social proof.
FOMO, or the Fear Of Missing Out, is one of the biggest tactics to invoke a sense of urgency. Using lines like “Limited Time Only”, “Stock is running out!”, “All your friends are already using this…” can make your products look more in-demand, and can also cause people to click on your email since they want to get the deals while it’s still available. Implying that lots of people are already using the product is also effective, since people always want to be “in the know” and don’t want to miss out on the trends.
Social proof, on the other hand, is the use of customer reviews as proof that your product is well-liked. You can add snippets of 5 star customer reviews on your email body, or mention it in your subject line. This is effective because people tend to trust reviews more than they trust promotional content from a brand.
7. Don’t forget your visuals
While the copy and text is important, having great visuals is also crucial. Make sure to use appealing and high-quality images, whether you use photography or graphic art on your emails. Don’t forget your branding – stick to your brand’s color scheme and typography, and always add your logo. If you don’t have a logo yet, check out logo maker tools online to get started.
Make sure to stick to a clean and easily readable layout. Your text should be aligned in the center. See if there is good contrast between the background color and your text. Also, check if your emails are mobile-friendly.
8. Wrapping Up
Your email copy plays a huge part in the success of your email marketing campaigns. Carefully consider the language and tone of your emails, send them to the correct person at the right time, match it with eye-catching visuals, and make sure to always proofread.
With our tips, you’ll be improving your email’s conversion rate for sure.
Author’s Bio
Janella Malapad – Janella is an outreach specialist at DesignCrowd, your go-to online creative hub for logo design, website design contests, and an array of imaginative graphic design possibilities.
