If you are looking to orchestrate a successful email marketing campaign, nothing matters more than content. Something of a no-brainer, given how an email with no content is basically a blank page.
Still, it’s amazing how few companies genuinely invest the required time and effort in the creation of killer email copy. Construct yours in accordance with the following eight steps to avoid becoming another unfortunate statistic:
1. Create a hook
Most emails aren’t read fully. Instead, most of us simply scan emails to find the crux of the message and ignore the rest. As such, it’s a good idea to factor this into your copywriting. Grab their attention with a hook and make your message clear and concise.
2. Make it Relevant
The emails should have relevance to your niche and to the preferences of the customer. Personalisation is a wasted endeavour in the absence of relevance. Something to do with the recipient’s past purchases being a good example of relevance.
3. Avoid Formalities
Overly formal emails have a habit of coming across like something of a lecture. It’s far more effective to make the recipient feel they’re being chatted to informally by a friend. Unless the subject specifically demands a formal tone, keep things informal.
4. Draw on emotions
Emotional content is typically the most influential and engaging content you can produce. If there’s any way you can appeal to the emotions of the recipient, do it! Just don’t cross the line into emotional blackmail, which typically has the exact opposite of the intended effect.
5. Write from Their Perspective
Put yourself in the shoes of your ideal customer. Imagine you’ve received the email in your inbox and consider what kind of impact it would have on you. Always remember that what represents great email content to you might not be quite as effective for the recipient.
6. Creative Formatting
Simplicity is key, but you should also ensure your emails are attractive and compelling to look at. Think very carefully about the layout of your emails, ensure a decent mixture of media-types are used to break up blocks of text and keep things consistent from one email to the next.
7. Show Personality
The last thing you want is for your emails to be interpreted as uninspiring and generic. Sadly, this is exactly what’s going to happen if they lack personality. Allow your personality to shine through and let the voice of your company do the talking with pride.
8. Cut the Filler
Last up, in no other instance is it more important to ensure that every word counts. The more filler you pump into your emails, the lower their impact and appeal. Keep things as concise as possible, removing anything and everything that doesn’t have direct value.
Email marketing has the potential to be incredibly powerful and deliver an extraordinary ROI. It’s simply a case of ensuring your emails communicate the right message about your brand to the right audience at the right time.
Chris Jenkinson is UK marketing consultant providing marketing support to businesses.