How do I write an email people will actually read?
“How do I write an email that people will want to read?” is a question I hear from almost every client — and it’s not an easy task. But here are five of my tried and true tips for success.
We all know how important email is as a marketing and communication tool. But how do you know if what you’re creating will resonate, until you’ve already hit the dreaded ‘send’ button… and then it’s too late?!? 🙀
Here are five of my easy-to-follow, tried, and true tips to help you create emails that your audience looks forward to!
This article is not about the subject line, preview text, etc. which are important considerations — but about creating content that your audience will look forward to.
Know who you are speaking to
If you talk to everyone, no one will listen, and if you talk AT everyone, then they really won’t listen. Think about who your audience is and put yourself in their mindset. Get to know your audience really well. Find out what they care about. Not sure what that is — ask them!
Make it relatable
Find something to connect with your readers about. Have a conversation with them. Yes, in reality, it is one-sided — but think about how they will receive your email and try to relate to them as much as possible. What do they care about? What do they need help with most? And invite a response, turn it into a real conversation.
Communicate in a meaningful way
Break the information down to a digestible format. If the topic calls for more detail, go beyond the basics and dive in-depth to provide more information and overall value than your competitors.
Make it easy to read - part 1
This means bullet points, getting to the point, and not using jargon and acronyms that are hard to relate to. Keep your content accessible and easy to digest.
Make it easy to read - part 2
Pay attention to the format. Even if you’re not using an HTML email program, take a step back and review the end result on your computer AND your phone. If it’s easy to scan and read quickly, you’ve got a winner. If it’s a struggle, go back and modify the formatting. Use bullets, spacing, and typography to add hierarchy to the content. Break up long paragraphs into bite-sized lists or smaller chunks of content. Spruce it up and add imagery where you can.
Have a clear call to action
So many of my clients start out with 3-4 calls to action, and it’s confusing, unclear and they don’t see good click-through — meaning no one is getting to the content they want them to get to.
Decide on the ONE thing you’d like the reader to do (e.g. read more, download a document, sign up for a class…etc.), and focus your CTA on that.
Make sure the CTA is clear, simple, and easy to find, and repeat the button or link if the email is long.
It’s ok to have a secondary CTA but make sure it’s exactly that - secondary.
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