From the subject line to the email copy itself, copywriting has a hand in making every aspect of your email marketing engaging and successful. Improving your open rate and the level of engagement in your emails means improving your copywriting. Here are seven copywriting tips to help you improve your email marketing.
It doesn’t matter what email marketing product you’re using, like MailChimp, HubSpot, Acitve Campaign etc., then these 101 tips will definitely help you.
1. Write an effective subject line
The first step to writing engaging and effective email copy is getting the subject line right. Often recipients will only click to read your email if they are interested in the subject line. Writing a catchy and interesting subject line can take a lot of practice so be sure to measure the effectiveness of your subject lines so you can work out what’s effective and what’s not. Remember, it’s not enough to simply be catchy, you also need to be clear to avoid being marked as spam. The name of the sender is also an important factor to consider to avoid being marked as spam. Make sure your name is clear so recipients know instantly who the email is from.
2. Use language that makes readers want to act
By incorporating verbs in your email copy and subject line, the reader knows exactly what they can expect to do through the email. The language makes it clear to the recipient what they can do with the information in the email. The idea here is to keep the value for the user top of mind. But remember that subtlety goes a long way. You don’t want to overtly tell the reader what to do, you want to suggest it. For example, instead of saying, “sign up now for great emails” say something along the lines of “don’t miss out on important emails.”
3. Personalise the email
Emails that are sent to a segmented list of recipients tend to have better engagement than emails that aren’t segmented as they aren’t personalised or tailored to the recipient as effectively. According to a study by Direct Marketing Association, segmented and targeted emails generated 58 per cent of all revenue for the marketers surveyed, and 36 per cent of revenues were driven by emails sent to specific target selections. The more segmented your email list, the more effectively you can personalise the content in your email.
4. Make your emails clear
Write a subject line that is clear first and catchy second. The same goes for your email copy. Clarity should always be your first priority. Once you’ve written down the clear message you want to send to your recipients, you can make it catchy and have some fun with it. Try not to sacrifice clarity for entertainment value.
5. Use second person in your writing
Writing in the second person means using the pronouns “you,” “your,” and “yours.” Using second person helps focus the copy on the reader, not yourself or your brand. It’s a subtle tactic that helps you stay value-oriented and draw the reader in.
6. Keep your writing to a minimum
One of the biggest mistakes email copywriters make is trying to fit too much information into an email. Internet readers are already known to skim read online, so it’s best to keep the word count down and get your message across as simply as possible. Summarise what the reader will get in a compelling way, and let them click through to a page on your website for more information. For example, click through to your blog, a product or service, or a sale item.
7. Make sure your subject line matches the email
In copywriting, it’s important that your call to action (CTA) matches the information and value-added. The same goes for subject lines and what’s inside the email. What your email subject line promises, the email message should deliver. If readers don’t get what they’re actually promised in the subject line, you might find your click-through rates dropping.
A high email open rate means nothing without any clickthroughs so it starts with getting the subject line right. But don’t forget to support your subject line with the same, high-quality and engaging content in your email as well.
And if this sounds like more time that you don’t have…
Remember that email marketing or eNewsletters, or EDMs (Electronic Direct Mail) is one of our main services, so we can help you with yours, each and every month!