Email Marketing - Express Writers

7 Email Marketing Best Practices in 2025

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Some people think email marketing is outdated. However, today’s trends indicate that it is still one of the most popular and effective digital marketing tools.  About 59% of consumers report that email marketing influences their purchasing choices. Additionally, 50% of buyers make a purchase based on a marketing email each month. Each day, people send and receive over 361 billion emails. Email marketing trends show this figure will surpass the 400 billion mark by 2026. With that in mind, how do you ensure that your emails stand out from the rest and that your message gets across? Email marketing involves sending promotional messages to recipients to educate, inform, or convince them to take a specific action. This popular digital marketing strategy uses promotional emails, newsletters, company announcements, and transactional emails. Below, we discuss why email marketing is still relevant in 2025. You will also learn about the latest email marketing benchmarks and how to use them to create effective campaigns. Is Email Marketing Still Relevant in 2025? The best marketers are always interested in knowing where and how they can reach their target audience. Despite today’s email marketing changes, available data suggests email inboxes are still packed with unlimited business opportunities. Email marketing is the leading digital marketing channel among marketers in 2025. Part of its appeal lies in its outperformance of SEO in enhancing the customer experience and increasing engagement. Other reasons why you should use email marketing in 2025 include:  Access to a Huge Audience: About 90% of Americans past the age of 15 use email. Close to 90% of these users check their inboxes at least once a day. Greater ROI: You can expect an average ROI of up to $42 for every $1 directed toward email marketing.  Unrivaled Targeting:  Email marketing gives you the best opportunity to own your audience. You can use email marketing to connect and engage with your target audience directly. In contrast, the algorithm determines who sees your content when using social media. These stats point to the undeniable benefits of email marketing. It allows you to reach a wider audience, develop stronger relationships, and enjoy higher returns on your marketing spend. Top Email Marketing Best Practices in 2025 Want to boost your chances of creating the most effective digital marketing campaigns in 2025 and beyond? Follow these email marketing best practices. 1. Know Your Audience To build strong customer relationships, you need in-depth knowledge of your audience. You must understand their pain points, interests, and needs to create email copy that resonates and connects with them. Knowing your target audience will help segment them based on their demographics, email engagement, geography, and past purchases.   Segmenting consumers simplifies the work of crafting relevant and personalized messages for recipients. Personalized emails have a 29% open rate. About 76% of consumers expect to receive personalized communications from brands looking to build a closer relationship with them. Most business owners have a good idea of the type of people they target with emails. They are likely to be similar to those who interact with the entity. However, this is not enough. You need to get more specific. Businesses with limited resources can develop loyal customers by focusing on a smaller audience.  2. Use Compelling Subject Lines The subject line is the first thing your readers see when an email hits their inbox. They use it to instantly choose whether to send the email to their spam folder, open, discard, or ignore it. Around 64% of readers use subject lines as the basis to open emails. Email subject lines play an essential role in the success or failure of campaigns. Create compelling subject lines using the following optimization tips: Always use title case Use open-ended questions Keep it around 6 words (40 characters) in length Choose something relevant to your audience Avoid any overused words or those associated with spam, like “guarantee” and “free” Include a number If you struggle to find ideas for catchy subject lines, you can use some of the existing AI Text Generators. Even with the above tips in practice, it can be hard to predict which subject line will produce the best results. Consider using hard data to increase the chances of acing your subject lines. A/B testing can help you identify the types of subject lines that resonate with your subscribers. 3. Optimize CTAs The call-to-action (CTA) is the most important element of a promotional email after the subject line. Once the email lands in the recipient’s inbox, you want them to take a specific action. You can use the CTA to direct readers to your site and get them to sign up for a service or make a purchase. When crafting a call-to-action, consider the main goal of your email. As you compose the email, ask yourself what the reader stands to gain by clicking on the CTA. This helps you craft a CTA that motivates readers to take action. Follow the tips below to create a compelling CTA: Keep it brief, simple, and concise – 3 words (like “sign up now”) is enough Add a touch of personalization Use a button format, as it is easier to click on When creating a compelling call-to-action, you want to ensure the reader moves on to the next step of the sales funnel as quickly as possible. Avoid confusing the reader or creating unnecessary questions to ensure a swift transition. A compelling CTA naturally boosts click-through rates and other vital email metrics.  4. Optimize Your Emails for Mobile Many people open and read emails on their mobile phones. An estimated 96% of users access the internet using mobile devices. This is greater than the 62% that use a desktop or laptop for internet access. As such, you should always design your emails with mobile users in mind. Use these tips to optimize your emails for mobile: Make sure that all critical information is visible on the screen with minimal scrolling Always use a responsive design compatible with various screen sizes Choose … Read more

10 Hot Email Marketing Tips for 2022

Email Marketing Tips Header

It’s predicted that 333.2 billion emails will be sent and received each day in 2022. It’s proof that email marketing is far from dead. So, if you haven’t gotten your brand moving to take advantage of email marketing, now is the perfect time to start building up your email list. With so many emails sent daily, how can you make sure your emails stand out in a crowded inbox? How do you ensure people take notice? What do you need to do to make sure they consume your content? We’ll cover the answers to these questions and more as we share 10 hot email marketing tips you can use in 2022 and beyond. 10 Hot Email Marketing Tips for 2022 It’s safe to say most of us subscribe to a lot of email newsletters, especially if you run a business. And there’s a good chance many of them get sent straight to the trash unopened. If you want to prevent the same fate from happening to the newsletters you send, keep these email marketing tips in mind: 1. Keep Your Target Reader in Mind When Writing To write truly irresistible emails, you need to put yourself in the shoes of your target reader. What would they want to see in an email from you? What kind of content would they enjoy reading? Whatever it is, that’s what you want to send to them. When they look forward to seeing your name in their inbox, they’re more likely to open and eagerly engage with the content you send. To take it a step further, consider segmenting your email list based on interests or where they are in the buyer’s journey. This makes your content more focused and personalized for the groups of subscribers you target with each campaign. Essentially, it ensures they receive the content they’re most interested in seeing versus getting bombarded with other information. Not only does this increase open rates, but people will be less likely to unsubscribe. 2. Write Subject Lines That Grab Attention Of all the email marketing tips in the world, this is the one you should take the most seriously. Your subject line could make or break the success of your email. It might sound like a lot of pressure, but your subject line is crucial. It’s what people see first thing. Those few words help them decide whether they open your email or send it straight to the trash. If you want to increase your open rates and get people to read the content you so painstakingly crafted, your subject line needs to grab attention. It needs to be descriptive while still being short and sweet. And most importantly, it should never mislead your subscribers. Clickbait subject lines can reduce your read rates by 9% or more. 3. Schedule Emails to Send at Optimal Times After you finish crafting a compelling email, it might be tempting to hit send immediately. However, it might not be the most optimal time for an email to land in your subscribers’ inbox. You want to reach them when they’re more inclined to open and read your content. The tricky thing about finding the right time to send emails is that it tends to vary based on the industry. Although, there is some data you can use to help you narrow down a few times to experiment with. Then, you can see what your unique audience responds to. Here’s some advice from WordStream to get you started: Stick With Daytime: It’s better to send emails to your list when your subscribers are awake. Because you can have subscribers based across the globe and in different time zones, consider the location of most of your audience when choosing your ideal time. Avoid Mondays and Weekends: Many people arrive in the office first thing on Monday morning and delete any unnecessary emails, so you don’t want yours to fall into that category. Emails are often ignored on weekends as well, which is when people tend to disconnect. Go With Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: According to MailChimp, these three days tend to be the favorites when sending email campaigns. Try sending emails on these days to see if one triggers a higher open rate than another. Then, you can choose one day for weekly consistency. At the end of the day, be willing to test and tweak your schedule. Once you’ve figured out the best day and time to send your emails, it’s one less thing you to worry about. Instead, you can just focus on implementing the rest of these email marketing tips. 4. Make Sure Your Emails Are Optimized for Mobile Because you’re sending your emails from a desktop website, it can be easy to forget to check how the result looks on a mobile device. But, most of us are reading our emails on mobile. That’s why you need to take the extra step to ensure your email template and all your content suit a smaller screen. Otherwise, your subscribers will have a hard time reading what you’ve sent, and they could delete your email without engaging. Luckily, many platforms allow you to preview your email on mobile. Often, you can even send a test email to yourself before it goes out to your list. Then, you can make any final tweaks to ensure it’s mobile-friendly and looks great. Take the extra few minutes to do this before sending! As a good rule of thumb, you’ll want to stick to a single-column email template. You’ll also want to choose a font size that’s legible on mobile since subscribers won’t be able to make it bigger. Additionally, you’ll want to double-check the size of any images and buttons that you’ve added. 5. Engage Subscribers Right Off the Bat If you’re not already sending a welcome email (or even an entire welcome sequence) to your new subscribers, you’re missing out. The smartest thing you can do to take your email marketing and your business to the next level is … Read more

Do I Need a Writer for My Email Campaign? The 5 Ultimate Secrets for Powerful Email Copy (From an Email Writer)

Do I Need a Writer for My Email Campaign? The 5 Ultimate Secrets for Powerful Email Copy (From an Email Writer)

Email marketing is a quintessential element for a successful marketing plan – yes, even in 2020. Email is convenient, a direct line of contact, and not super intrusive in our lives. That’s why some prefer email communications from businesses. (What!) It’s true. 91% of shoppers actually want to hear from companies they do business with via email. Actually, we’re a touch addicted. According to Campaign Monitor, at least 50% of Americans (in the survey) checked their email 10 times yesterday. Those stats are pretty crazy, and they drive home one very important point: Content matters in email marketing. It’s not enough just to send a pretty email to your readers. Literally everyone is doing that. You’ve got to entice, enthrall, and leave them eagerly waiting for more. A good email marketing content writer can help you do just that. Ever wonder what our writers’ secret sauce is for dropping bombshell email copy? Here are all the beans spilled – all you need to provide is the elbow grease. Enjoy. Do I Need a Writer for My Email Campaign? The 5 Ultimate Secrets for Powerful Email Copy (From an Email Writer) – Table of Contents The Nitty Gritty of Email Types Value-Focused Emails Sales/Offer Emails The 5 Ultimate Secrets for Writing Strong Value-Focused and Sales Emails 1. Nail That First Impression 2. Get Real, Get Personal 3. Keep It Simple, Snappy 4. Get Smart About Spam 5. Give the Reader Just One Thing to Do [bctt tweet=”If you’re asking yourself, ‘Do I need a writer for my email campaign?’ The answer might be already in the question. If you’re not sure, check out these 5 qualities powerful email copy should have. ” username=”ExpWriters”] But First… The Nitty Gritty of Email Types In many ways, emails are simple… but they’re oh, so deceptively simple. If you’ve spent time studying some of the email marketing content samples out there, you might get the impression that it’s all about snappy, hip language. Not quite. Don’t make the mistake of hammering out some clever sass and firing it off to your readers. You’ll look a little clueless, if not juvenile. Before you put those fingers to the keyboard to unleash your creative genius, take a moment to figure out exactly what type of email you’re writing. There are two main types. Each serves a different purpose, and each will have an impact on how you craft your copy. First, Build Positive Associations with Value-Focused Emails Value-focused emails are interesting, informative, useful emails that alert your readers to something that’s worthwhile for them to know. That may be a new case study, educational content, or a roundup of your blog’s best content of the month. Whatever it is, these emails focus solely on giving your readers something they’ll genuinely enjoy reading. They’re what you should be mostly sending out to people. Think of value-focused emails like a form of social capital. Just like you wouldn’t constantly ask your friends and colleagues for favors, you don’t want to constantly ask your readers for their money. Remember, your readers get a lot of emails every day, from all sorts of sources. (Campaign Monitor estimates that the number of consumer emails sent and received per day is around 117.7 billion.) To win your way into your readers’ inboxes and good graces, you’ve got to show them that you’re not in there just to hassle them into buying something. Otherwise, they’ll hit unsubscribe. Or worse, just mark you as spam and drive up that dreaded spam rate. Emails like this one from Publix get readers excited through the use of delectable visuals and well-written, useful information. Source: Really Good Emails Then, Spark Joy with Sales and Offer Emails Sales and offer emails are where that selling magic happens – when they’re properly timed and worded. These are the emails that will alert your readers to new sales, product offerings or anything else you’re selling. Remember your Psych 101 class? The value-focused emails will prime your audience to expect good things when they see your name pop into their inbox. So, when that offer email appears, your readers will see your name and the subject line before they see the email content. That’s called classical conditioning, and its effects are well-known in advertising. If you’ve been nailing your value-focused emails, you’ll already have an audience eagerly waiting on the edge of their seat for your next communiqué. You won’t need to be pushy, or salesy, because your audience is already primed. Voilà! Conversions. [bctt tweet=”What types of email should you be sending? Start building positive associations by creating value-focused emails and then, spark joy with sales and offer emails. Learn more about these two types in this post by @JuliaEMcCoy!” username=”ExpWriters”]   Pro Tip: Use the 3:1 Rule of Thumb People don’t enjoy feeling like they’re being advertised to and sending too many sales emails is an excellent way to make them feel like that. Therefore, follow the Three to One Rule of Thumb: for every sale email, send three value-focused emails first. You’ll avoid that dreaded high bounce or spam rate, getting you pushed deeper into the advertising slush pile that is the Promo Tab. This sales-focused email funnels readers to Freshly. Note the price anchoring, the placement of a lower price next to a higher price to lowkey make the actual price look better. Source: Really Good Emails [bctt tweet=”⚠️ Remember the 3:1 rule of thumb for sending emails: For every sale/offer email, send 3 value-focused emails first. ⚠️” username=”ExpWriters”] Email Marketing Content Bootcamp: The 5 Ultimate Secrets for Strong Value-Focused and Sales Emails Now that you’ve got an idea of what type of email you’re actually writing, it’s time to roll up those sleeves. Wondering how marketing gurus craft those irresistible emails that are a treat to read? There’s actually a science to them. (Sort of.) Here are the six most powerful tricks you can deploy in your email content writing to amplify conversions in both types … Read more

How to Write Email Copy That Resonates With Your Readers

How to Write Email Copy That Resonates With Your Readers

Your email is only as good as the words inside it. It doesn’t matter how many fancy graphics or photos you have, whether your words are carefully branded with colors that match your logo, or how many emojis you used in the subject line. Well-written email copy speaks for itself – it doesn’t need bells and whistles (although they ARE nice to have – they’re just not essential). Email marketing, in general, has the potential to be 40x more effective than social media, according to a McKinsey & Company study. But. That’s only if the words in your email do their job. I’m here with your back-to-basics guide on how to write email copy that is not only engaging and relevant to your readers, but actually gets results. Sometimes, solid words and great flow is all you need. ✍ Ready to roll up your sleeves? 9 Steps on How How to Write Engaging Email Copy That Resonates with Your Audience: Table of Contents 1. Learn How to Write a Compelling Email Subject Line 2. Keep the Voice, Tone, and Style in Your Emails Consistent with Your Content (Be Uniquely You) 3. Don’t Worry Too Much About Length… 4. …But Don’t Blather – Get to the Point 5. Be Direct and Encourage Action Whenever Possible 6. Imagine Writing to One Person 7. Step into Their Shoes – Learn How to Write Relatable Email Copy 8. Always Write with a Goal in Mind for Your Email Copy 9. Include at Least ONE Call-to-Action [bctt tweet=”How do you write #email copy that doesn’t need a crutch? (Read: Slick graphics, smooth design, flashy colors, or so many emojis it looks like hieroglyphics. ‍♀️ ) Find out in @JuliaEMcCoy’s guide. ” username=”ExpWriters”] How to Write Email Copy That Works Without Any Gimmicks: 9 Steps How do you write email copy that doesn’t need a crutch? (Read: Slick graphics, smooth design, flashy colors, or so many emojis it looks like hieroglyphics. ‍♀️ ) Answer: Like this! Read on. 1. Learn How to Write a Compelling Email Subject Line Your subject line is the key that unlocks your reader’s curiosity, interest, or excitement to read what you have to say. If you can evoke one of these emotions from your reader at this crucial point (and deliver within the actual email message itself), that’s a recipe for a winner. Granted, that’s not saying it’s easy to write this kind of email subject line. It’s really hard. But not impossible. Use Commands or Questions Since the aim of the subject line is both to inform your reader what the email is about and entice them to open it, why not just tell them what to do? Commands use the power of suggestion to make your reader want to click. For example, the subject line “Take the night off from cooking” in an email from a restaurant is more effective than “New seasonal menu!” The first is a command. If you say that to most people, they’ll respond with “Okay, how?” Meanwhile, the second subject line will earn a “So what?” more often than not. A question posed to your reader as your subject line works similarly, because it ignites curiosity, like in this subject line from Digital Marketer: “Is this the hottest career in marketing?” [bctt tweet=”A question posed to your reader as your subject line works well, because it ignites curiosity. #emailmarketingtips ” username=”ExpWriters”] Plumb Your Vocabulary A few strong, solid verbs and adjectives (and a couple of intriguing nouns) may mean the difference between your reader hitting “delete” or opening your message. The right words encourage an emotional response and make your subject line stand out among the dozens of others crowding the average inbox. For instance, in this to-the-point subject line, Sips by (a tea subscription box) uses two positively-associated words and the power of alliteration to make you want to click: “Hacks for Happy Camping” Simple, yet sweet. All it took were two strong words: “hacks” and “happy.” Use an Email Subject Line Scoring Tool If this all sounds like mumbo-jumbo to you, good news: Tools exist to help you create effective email subject lines. I particularly love CoSchedule’s Email Subject Line Tester. It not only scores your subject line, but also explains exactly why it works and the components that make it strong. The more you use this tool, the more you’ll improve your subject line writing skills! 2. Keep the Voice, Tone, and Style in Your Emails Consistent with Your Content (Be Uniquely You) Brand consistency across platforms is important for building trust and a good reputation with readers. That applies to your email copy, too. Ideally, your email copy should reflect the brand voice you have established elsewhere. Any differences will jar your readers, not to mention make you seem less authentic and real. Real-world example: Way back in 2016, when I ventured into building my first courses, I hired a “marketing expert” team (read: ad funnel experts — oops). One of their services was writing all my emails for the sequences to test for better conversion rates. I bit my lip reading phrases like, “I’m a leading influential expert, and I know what I’m doing.” A few of their copy segments ran in an A/B test, and my readers immediately saw a difference and pointed it out (one reader even said, “This is WAY too salesy, and not like you!”). Yeah, chalk that up as just one of my many marketing lessons learned. I strayed from my style, differentiation factor, and tone of voice in my content, which is usually zero B.S., zero fluff, direct, and practical. The new stuff wasn’t me, and the readers just knew. Lesson learned. If you outsource some of your content and copy, don’t hire too many writers. Your style will get watered down. Instead, stick to one or two writers who know your voice inside-out, or ask the agency you hire to dedicate one writer to your content/copy, no matter where or how it appears … Read more

The Future Is (Still) Email: Experts Share Their Email Marketing Tips to Increase Conversion

The Future Is (Still) Email: 12 Experts Share Their Email Marketing Tips to Increase Conversion in 2019

It’s the beginning of a new year — the best time to ditch outdated practices and hop into future marketing trends. While it’s obvious that social media marketing will continue to evolve as algorithms and user habits change, what about email marketing? In 2012, a Pew Study revealed that text messaging is the most preferred form of daily communication among teenagers — 63% of them say so. For email? Only 6%, taking the bottom spot under landline calls and instant messaging. The future of email in 2018 didn’t even seem to be brighter for some professionals because of Gen-Z workers who prefer to communicate through messaging apps or collaboration software like Slack. Email was “one-dimensional and simply outdated.” So, are the days of email marketing almost over for this year? It doesn’t seem like it. We’re actually seeing the opposite. Here are some of the recent email marketing data that may surprise you: According to Forrester’s Email Marketing Forecast, email adoption among 12-17-year-olds grew from 69% to 82% in 2017. In Adobe’s Consumer Email Survey Report 2017, around 61% of 1,000 white-collar respondents who own a smartphone want brands to contact them through email. In the 2018 version of Adobe’s report, employees are spending more time checking their personal emails in 2018. There were 3.7 billion global email users in 2017 — and this is set to grow up to 4.3 billion users in 2022. The good news about the continuous rise of email use goes on and on. Email marketing is certainly evolving as well — a sign that marketers should keep track of the best email marketing practices for this year and beyond. [bctt tweet=”The future is still email! There will be 4.3 billion GLOBAL email users by 2022. Read #emailmarketing tips from 12 experts by @DaniNofuente on @ExpWriters” username=”ExpWriters”] The Future Is (Still) Email: 12 Experts Share Their Email Marketing Tips to Increase Conversion in 2019 Clueless about the changes you need to do in your usual email marketing practices? Let’s ask the experts for some help. Check out these email marketing tips from the marketing pros that you should do right away. 1. Jordie van Rijn “Review where you make ‘the split.’ The split is the point between the email and what is beyond the email. That exact point is marked by a click. Which information do you put in the email and which do you sort out on the landing page. Is your email effective with juuuuust enough to grab attention & foster curiosity, or does more info or repeated persuasion points work better? You need to frame the experience on the landing page in order for them to convert. With all the possible email marketing A/B test you can do, you’d be surprised how often ‘the split’ is totally overlooked in optimizing conversion. Find the point which gives enough to take the next step, not more, not less. And then make sure that the next step is super clear.” Jordie van Rijn is the email marketing consultant behind emailmonday where he helps clients improve their email marketing strategy and select the right email marketing software. He has worked with top brands like AEGON, Unilever, Roche, KLM, and Heineken. He is also the founder of the platform for email marketing software selection. 2. Shane Phair “Personalization goes beyond adding someone’s first name in the subject line. Marketers should be using the information they know about their customers to provide them with emails filled with relevant content. By increasing the use of personalization — such as a publisher offering curated content in their newsletter based on a subscriber’s interests — businesses will see an increase in open and click-through rates, as well as a direct impact on ROI.” [bctt tweet=”‘Marketers should be using the information they know about their customers to provide them with emails filled with relevant content.’ @shanephair on #emailmarketingtips ” username=”ExpWriters”] Shane Phair is the Chief Marketing Officer of Campaign Monitor, a company providing an easy-to-use email marketing and automation platform. Before Campaign Monitor, he led marketing and demand generation teams as VP of Demand Generation at Cleo and held senior sales positions with Brainshark, Ipswitch, and Motorola. 3. Sujan Patel “Maintain a clean and healthy email list. Ensure your emails actually reach your intended target by using an email verifying tool. Voila Norbert’s verifying tool improves your deliverability and ensures your emails aren’t trapped by spam filters and eventually blacklisted.” [bctt tweet=”‘Ensure your emails actually reach your intended target by using an email verifying tool.’ @sujanpatel on #emailmarketingtips ” username=”ExpWriters”] Sujan Patel is the co-founder of WebProfits, a growth marketing agency, and Mailshake, a cold email outreach tool for sales and marketing. He writes for top publications such as Forbes, Inc., and Entrepreneur and talks at different growth marketing conferences around the world. Listen to his content marketing productivity tips in this The Write Podcast episode. 4. Michal Leszczynski “Email marketing has changed over the years, but the developments in the technology aren’t as dynamic as it’s the case with other digital marketing channels. We still have some time before more advanced things like interactive emails, or proper video embedding becomes a standard. The future looks very promising, though. Just check out AMP for email – this thing can completely change how we interact with email messages. So, before that happens – what tactics should marketers focus on to generate the highest engagement rates? As the data from the GetResponse study suggests, what subscribers are looking for in their email communication is personalization. They value emails that are sent at the right time and contain information that’s both interesting and relevant to them. Privacy’s also becoming more critical. Countries, where the regulations are more strict (e.g., require double opt-in), continue to observe the highest open and click-through rates. And finally, videos – even though their support is still limited. They generate very high engagement too. The lesson here: subscribers don’t want to waste time on emails that are just generic or uninteresting. Instead, try offering them valuable content, one that’s tailored to their preferences. Your results will soar.” Michal Leszczynski is … Read more

How to Write Email Copy That Resonates, Wins Clicks & Loyal Followers

How to Write Email Copy That Resonates, Wins Clicks & Loyal Followers

It’s a technology even older than dial-up internet. Despite its age (it was invented almost half a century ago), email is still going strong. It’s like that aunt of yours who has seemingly been old for decades, but she keeps on rolling, as energetic as ever. She’s a standby at family gatherings and never seems to wear out. In much the same way, email marketing has been a cornerstone for all kinds of businesses for years. The proof is probably within your inbox right now. Most likely, you get inundated with an avalanche of promotional emails daily from various companies. However, there’s a problem, especially if you want to take advantage of email for your own business. What’s the Problem with Email Marketing? Think about what you do with the emails you receive. Do you open every single one? Do you read all the messages you do open? Narrowing down the pool further, which ones make you want to click-through? If the answers are “no,” “absolutely not,” and “not many,” in that order, you’re like most people. With that, we’ve come to the problem. Via Business.com, this survey shows that the most common complaint of mobile email subscribers is that they get way too many messages. There’s so much inbox competition, standing out is hard. So, as a marketer, how do you not only make people want to open your emails, but also read them and click your CTAs? In short, how do you write email copy that wins the day? The Solution: Learn How to Write Email Copy That’s Outstanding You have to write exceptional email copy to get results. What does this copy look like? To figure it out, think about the emails you love to read. Think about the messages you look forward to opening. What do they have in common? Probably one or more of these 12 factors, features, and qualities. First off… 1. Start with a Surprising, Inspiring, Emotion-Tugging, or Eye-Catching Subject Line In an email message, the subject line is your headline. It’s how you initially grab a reader and hang on tight. Before any other component, the subject line has to snag their attention if you expect them to actually open it. This means you need to cultivate intrigue or curiosity. You have to appeal to some emotion that makes your reader want to learn more. It’s a tall order. To do it, you need to give your subject line the same care and attention you give your email body copy. To accomplish this feat, try these tips: Only promise what you’re going to actually deliver – Don’t lure readers into opening your email with an enticing subject line, then completely fail to deliver. If you promise something or inspire action in your subject, make sure you follow up. Be specific – Don’t be vague in the subject line if you want results. Want proof? Copyblogger tested out two subject lines for the same email. Guess which one was more successful and led to a higher click-through rate? That’s right – the specific one. Use language that encourages action – Don’t hedge, and don’t be shy about your subject lines. Use actionable language that’s urgent and motivating. For instance, instead of saying “Tickets for X Events Are on Sale Now!” say “Grab Your Tickets for X Event Before They Sell Out!” Here are a few great examples of effective subject lines that do it right. It’s not surprising that all of them use direct, active language that speaks straight to the reader: Greetabl grabs the eye in a crowded email inbox because they make a bold proclamation: You’re in the squad. World Market wrote an urgent subject line that cleverly makes you want to act. Madewell crafted a subject line too tempting and curiosity-inducing to pass up. And the king of email, Ramit Sethi, intrigues his readers with an offer. 2. Draw Them in with a Warm, Friendly, Engaging Tone Some businesses think that making their emails personal means inserting the recipient’s name in the copy a few times. Nope. In fact, if you use the above strategy, it’s overkill. You’ll sound like a robot. Instead, make your tone personal. Talk to the reader as if they’re a friend. Unsurprisingly, this inspires friendliness reciprocated back toward your brand. This could inspire them to click your CTA, in turn. This leads us to our next point… 3. Talk to Your Readers, Don’t Address Them Sure, your email is going out to a faceless group of people. That doesn’t mean you should address them as such, though. In fact, you shouldn’t address them at all. Instead, talk to them. Don’t write as if you’re preparing a speech for an audience; write like you’re penning a missive to a good friend. To this end, make sure you use second person voice. This means you talk to the reader directly through your writing, using the term “you.” Need an example? You’re reading it right now! For a good example, check out this “thanks for signing up” email from Papa Murphy’s. They talk to the customer directly with brief but effective copy: 4. Err on the Short Side Nobody has time to read a novel in your marketing emails. Respect the reader and keep it short, yet informative and useful. Edit your email copy rigorously and ruthlessly if you need to whittle it down. More specifically: Stick to the point – Don’t meander in your marketing emails. This is not the place to share deep thoughts, discussion, or something similar. Stay on topic. Get to the point – For that matter, don’t take forever to get to the point of the email. Get there and give the reader satisfaction. Stay relevant – Keep your email relevant to the reader. It’s about them, not you. Copywriting guru Ann Handley of Marketing Profs goes a step further with this – she says to make it “relentlessly” about the reader. Be empathetic and place yourself in their shoes. Keep the … Read more

An Up-to-Date, Nutshell Guide to Your Best Email Content Marketing

An Up-to-Date, Nutshell Guide to Your Best Email Content Marketing

Have you ever wondered how effective your emails are? Do they leave an impression, or just end up in the trash folder? It may be that you measure email success by the amount of people who open it and then click through. Which means that the email first has to be opened, then read, then clicked. Not to mention it also has to be the appropriate length and interesting enough to engage readers and move them to action. How much does email length matter? Can your tone shine through, and does anyone really read the subject line, anyway? We’re here to break the answers to these questions down, and give you an updated guide (with a recent Boomerang exclusive!) all about email content marketing. Boost your email results when you put these into practice. Keep reading! Email Marketing 101 Email is still critical to our content marketing efforts today. Take a look at these email marketing stats for a better understanding of the impact email has in the industry: Marketers have seen a 760% increase in revenue from segmented email campaigns. Automated email messages average over 70% higher open rates and over 150% higher click-through rates than “business as usual” messages. Email is 40x more effective at acquiring new customers than Twitter or Facebook. Email is the connection between us and our prospects. When content marketers invest their time and resources into powerful emails, the reach potential is limitless. While technology has changed and social media has emerged over the past decade, email has stayed as a constant. Sure, we may not be using the same domain we did ten years ago, but the truth remains that when we need to send information, we email it. When we want to be connected to our favorite brand, we join their email list. Need a receipt for your store purchase, but don’t want a paper copy? Have it emailed. For these reasons and more, content marketing efforts can be enhanced when we learn to take the best email marketing practices and use them effectively. 3 Best Email Content Marketing Practices Back in the early 90’s, email hit the scene. Remember those AOL disks that were available through the mail and at the grocery store checkout stand? And how we communicate has not been the same since. (Letters? What are those?) Fast-forward to 2017, when 93% of marketers now say they use email for content distribution and consider it an important channel for their marketing success. And while it does remain an effective tool, it doesn’t mean we always use it in the best way. Emails have a wide range of possibilities in reaching an audience, including: Newsletters Product updates Transactional emails (after one has taken action on your website) Deals and promotions There are some qualities that make email an effective tool for your content marketing efforts. We have to learn the best way to increase the open rate, how to craft a subject line, how to create quality content, and how to choose the best time to write. 1. Learn How to Write a Great Email You may be thinking, “Wait a minute. I’m a content writer. I know how to write.” Isn’t it true that if we all knew how to write effective emails, there would be a higher response rate and we would be inundated with conversions? Especially since over 200 billion email messages are sent every day. So, yes, we can all use reminders from time to time about how to write effectively, and specifically, how to craft an email that engages the audience and encourages action. A. Craft a compelling subject line This seems like an obvious one, but if the subject isn’t engaging, few readers will want to click through to the actual content. Start by incorporating language that tells the reader what he or she can look forward to in the email. Words like “take,” “don’t miss,” and “reserve” are goods one to start with. B. Use personalization, if you can Shaping email content to fit a reader’s needs by using customer segmentation has the potential to increase revenue. In a study conducted by Direct Marketing Association, emails which were segmented and targeted generated 58 percent of the total revenue for marketers surveyed while 36 percent of revenue came from emails sent to specific target selections. C. Create relevant and honest content No one wants their time wasted, so coming up with a catchy email subject line that has nothing to do with the content inside is unfair and irresponsible. While you are crafting an engaging and personalized subject line, keep in mind that it should align with the content in the actual email. This not only keeps everything relevant, but sets you apart as an honest authority who isn’t out to trick anyone into clicking. D. Continue to offer relevancy by expressing to the reader right away why you are writing What is your connection? How are you providing a solution to the need? Our reach will go much farther when we highlight the benefits rather than the feature. E. Get to the point Practice writing concisely so the end result is powerful, tight sentences. Too wordy, and you’ll lose your readers. Too short, and they could miss the point. Content marketers must find a way to summarize a catch for the reader and encourage a click-through. Everywhere we go, we see content – in just one minute, there are millions of Facebook and Instagram likes, hundreds of thousands of Tweets, and hours upon hours of YouTube videos uploaded. We are consumed by content. The last thing we need is more unusable information, interruptions, or sales pitches coming through our inbox. A long, drawn-out copy won’t cut it here; readers must be able to sift through quickly in order to make a decision about whether or not they’ll click through. Try keeping emails between 50 and 125 words, which can increase the response rate for your efforts. Suggested tool: SmartBlogger’s list of 317 Power Words 2. Learn How … Read more

The Marketer’s Nutshell Guide to Effective Email Copywriting

The Marketer’s Nutshell Guide to Effective Email Copywriting

It’s time. You’ve spent hours crafting the perfect email. You’ve agonized over the words you’ve included, written and re-written every sentence, and considered your reader at every fork of the road. You give the work of art you’ve just crafted one last read-through, then you take a deep breath and click “send.” You close your laptop. Your work there is done. A few days later, though, you check out the stats for that work of art you were so proud of and they’re, well, disappointing. How could this possibly be? If you’ve ever found yourself in these shoes, don’t fret. This is a very common problem, and many marketers struggle to figure out why the content they work so hard on isn’t as effective as they thought it would be. Luckily, you’re not doomed to live in this place of email marketing limbo forever. By learning the keys to stellar direct email copywriting, you can craft outstanding marketing emails that rake in the clicks, opens, and conversions. Read on to learn more. Great Direct Email Copywriting: The Basics While many people brush off direct email copywriting as a skill that died along with the early 2000s, the fact is that it’s still very, very relevant in today’s marketing environment. While email marketing might not have the universal appeal of social media or podcasting, it’s still far too important to overlook, and marketers that do find themselves missing out on a large segment of traffic and engagement. If you’re one of the many people who wonder what’s so great about email marketing, here are a few of its most winning qualities: #1. Direct email marketing is effective and cost-efficient While every company wants a cheap, efficient marketing strategy they can count on, this is especially important for, small business owners, who are always looking for efficient marketing solutions that will provide results on time and under budget. Luckily, email marketing fits the bill. According to one 2013 report conducted by Direct Marketing Association, marketers who use direct email marketing earn a 4,3000% ROI. How’s that for incentive? #2. Email marketing provides real value Every day, customers around the world take time out of their busy schedules to read through the emails that land in their inbox. Unfortunately, many of these emails are junk. Luckily, marketers who master direct email copywriting can set themselves apart from the crowd by providing real value to readers. According to CopyBlogger, brands that are truly successful at direct email marketing are those who position themselves as companies truly concerned about the happiness and well-being of their readers. This, in turn, helps readers feel as if they can trust your brand, which makes them more willing to share personal information and convert on your offers. #3. Email marketing opens up a reliable line of communication with customers Where else do you get unparalleled access to your customer’s pocket or inbox? Nowhere but email marketing, that’s the answer. When you provide valuable, unique, and interesting direct email copywriting, you succeed in opening up a valuable dialogue with clients, the likes of which isn’t seen anywhere else in marketing. #4. Email marketing is a powerful tool for word-of-mouth and shares According to DuctTape Marketing, quality content is one of the only things that will produce reliable sales results every time. With this in mind, it’s clear that people who master the art of direct email copywriting are uniquely qualified to make more sales and produce more positive word-of-mouth advertising within their customer base. Despite all of these benefits, many people are afraid of writing marketing emails, assuming it will be challenging or unproductive. Luckily, crafting good email copy doesn’t have to be a challenge. With that in mind, check out our top tips for writing effective marketing emails your customers will love. 10 Steps to Craft Stellar Email Copy That Can’t Be Ignored If you’re ready to incorporate great email marketing into your content strategy, follow these ten steps: 1. Remain relatable in all of your marketing copy Let’s get one thing straight: nobody wants to read a stuffy marketing email. Would you? Of course the answer is no. That’s why it’s so important to keep your voice relatable and approachable in your direct email copywriting. Here are three good examples of brands I love that do just that: Tim Ferriss’s Five Bullet Friday email always feels like grabbing a quick coffee with a friend. It’s approachable, casual, and informative. Which may be why it has a few million subscribers: Another blogger who has always done a great job of maintaining a relatable approach is Mark Manson. Here’s one of his most recent marketing emails that decidedly does not feel like a marketing email: Finally, for reference, here’s a marketing email from GroupHigh, an influencer marketing startup that always kills it with the copywriting: With those examples in mind, strive to keep your email copywriting in the same tone that you’d use to talk with a friend. It will benefit you in terms of conversions, clicks, and engagement down the road. 2. Personalize your emails as much as possible A personalized email is a successful email, so take steps to make them as individualized as possible. This often means using your reader’s name in the subject line, using your name as the “From” address, and inputting a personal email as the “Reply to” address rather than allowing it to fill in with an auto-generated email from MailChimp or whatever service you use. While personalization may not seem like a big deal, Aberdeen reports that personalizing an email can improve click-through rates by 10%. 3. Make clarity your main priority Too many marketers try to be too gimmicky in their email copy, which only drives users away. Instead of focusing only on hooking your readers, think first about how you can provide clarity and value. Once you’ve got those two things down, you can move onto being catchy. 4. Write a compelling email subject line When it comes to … Read more