Effective Email
In composing effective and successful emails sent to customers there are a number of criteria that need to be reviewed prior to the actual writing and delivery.
Know your Customers
To be successful you really need to understand your customers. This way you can carefully target offers rather than just send it out and hope some of it sticks. Target the person who makes the decision to purchase your product or service. If you want to sell, you have to point out the challenges facing your target group and then present them the solutions provided by your product or service. By better understanding the people you are writing to the quality and success of emails will be greatly improved.
Hot Tip:
Customers take more interest in an email that includes their name.
Add Value
Make sure that your offer is exceptional, a terrific value, a great offer, and on target content. Quality offers, products, and content are what will stand out and become of greater importance as the amount of email increases.
Write Like you Talk
Use plain easy to understand English. Write almost as if you are talking to a friend over a beer. Emails should be written with a friendly, honest voice that connects on an emotional level. It’s still important to highlight the benefits for readers. It’s human nature. People want to know “What’s in it for me?” Tell them what it’s going to do for them. Emails work better when they are written in simple everyday language
Write to One Person with Passion
As you write your email think about your ideal customer and make the message just for them. Personalise your email message by using words like “you” and “your”. Be enthusiastic in your writing because emotions even in print can be contagious. Add impact with power words. Below is a sample of power words that can be used in emails.
Power Words That Make People Buy (examples)
- Love
- Safe
- New
- Value
- You
- Discover
- Easy
- Your
- Secret
- Advice
- Save
- Proven
- Fast
- wealthy
- Introduce
- Natural
- Precious
- How To
- Money
- Solution
- Benefits
- Comfortable
- Sale
- Magic
Below are some words you should avoid in creating your email messages.
Words That Will Turn People Off Your Offer (examples)
- Buy
- Failure
- Difficult
- Death
- Obligation
- Wrong
- Fail
- Bad
- Sell
- Taxes
- Lost
- Deal
- Hard
- Responsibility
- Contract
Keep your Sentences and Paragraphs Short
And simple. Paragraphs should be no more than 4 or 5 lines. You need to make your email look easy to read. Effective use of white space is important. Your email should look inviting. Include a return line between paragraphs.
Use Subheadings
Many people scan emails so it is important to make your subheadings compelling reading. It is also a good way to break up the text and makes reading easier. Bullet points are also an effective sub heading that you can use within your copy.
Simplify
Write your message in a clear and concise manner. Check your message and if necessary, edit it. Don’t be afraid to edit it, but don’t kill it either. Make sure your email is clear enough for a young teen age child to understand, even though your target market will in many cases be a lot older. Keep your writing simple and straightforward. And keep your email message credible and not full of hype. Internet users are busy. They don’t have nor will they spend time trying to figure out your message. Your message needs to be direct and succinct.
Email readers have short attention spans, long enough to digest one message.
Keep your message to the point.
Below is a technique we have found that works best in crafting effective sales messages. Copywriting is a skill you can master with practice.
Organise Your Selling Points
Write down all the benefits that your target market can gain from owing your product or service. Then arrange them starting with the greatest benefit to the least benefit.
Then you can develop your subject line and write your copy beginning with the greatest (best) benefit first. Remember you want your potential customer to be excited from the beginning of the message, rather than having to read a lot of copy before getting to the great benefit. Your target market will not read copy that does not interest (hook) them within the first few lines. Interest your target market right from the start and keep them hooked with even more benefits throughout your copy.
Feature Versus Benefit
Some people get confused with these two terms when creating copy. A feature generally describes a product whereas a benefit describes what the product does for you. A helpful technique is to draw up two columns with the headings of feature and benefits. In the middle of the two columns insert the words “which means”. Then write down a feature (e.g. saves four hours) which means the benefit is (e.g. more time for yourself).
Features which means Benefits
More time for yourself Saves four hours
Once you have your list of benefits reduce them down to the least number of words as possible. Now you should start to see the creative subject line you are about to craft.
Layout Versus Words
Graphics don’t sell words do. However, you should use graphics and text layout that can help bring attention to your copy. Most people these days prefer to receive HTML (more graphical than plain text) emails. Plain text messages look more like a personal email. HTML emails are better for relationship building.
Mobile Friendly
Around half of all smart phone users read emails on their phones. You need to ensure your messages are mobile friendly.
Plain text versions of email is important for smart phones users.
Tips for mobile friendly emails include
- Single column template
- One call to action
- Short and straight to the point
Use of Emotional Appeal
You have probably heard this many times. People buy for emotional reasons and justify with logic. Many potential customers are guilty of this process.
Remove the Objections to
No time.
No money.
No need.
Won’t Work.
Don’t believe it.
Writing Tools
Always have a dictionary and thesaurus handy when composing sales messages.
Use Active Words
When you check your copy look for overuse of words such as “is”, “was” or “are” and replace them with more active words. For example, Bob Jones is a corporate motivator. Can be changed with more active words such as Bob Jones creates an enthusiastic and determined team by….
Other Points to Remember
Avoid technical jargon.
Be specific.
Get straight to the point.
Avoid sexist language (unless your target market is gender specific). Sexist language offends a large proportion of the population. For example, avoid such words as salesman, salesperson is much safer.
Test
Test, test and retest your subject line and copy. Your communication messages are never completed. They could always do with a little tweaking. After you have composed your message leave it for a day. Then have another look at it and make any necessary revisions. Then read the message out aloud, does it have a conversational tone, if not look to change it so that it sounds more conversational and less like a bunch of words. Be concise, good copy is concise. Unnecessary words waste time and weaken the sales message. Motivate the reader to take the required action with the least number of words.
Ensure that all links and forms are fully functional and that the emails display correctly on a range of computers, tablets and smart phones. As well as email program clients and internet browsers.
And make sure you spell check your email content.
A/B Testing
A/B testing means trying two different messages being sent to a small group of recipients to determine which one works better. Then using the better one for the full email campaign. This process allows you to optimise your efforts in real time.
Email Tips
Customers take more interest in an email that includes their name.
In your copy use the word “you” frequently and avoid “I” or “We” as much as possible.
Make sure your message is Brief, Clear, and Concise.
When you craft an email make sure you have the right attitude.