email marketing

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