how to write email copy - Express Writers

How to Write Email Copy That Resonates With Your Readers

January 1, 2021September 3, 2019 by Adam Oakley

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

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

May 19, 2021August 23, 2017 by Adam Oakley

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