When it comes to email marketing content, most people never really get the significance of delivering a message in an impactful way. Your target audience can’t read every email and decide whether they want to become your customer. The fact is that you have limited time to make an impression. A good email should stand out amongst others because it has something to offer the reader that no other email has delivered before. Here are some secrets on how to write an email that gets read by your audience.
Know Your Recipients Well
Knowing your recipients will help you craft a relevant and interesting message. By making an effort to learn about your recipients, you can create emails that connect with their interests rather than pushing content at them. If you find yourself lacking in this area, try using some of these strategies:
- Use the recipient’s name in your subject line.
- Include a personal greeting.
- Name-drop a connection or interest they share with you.
- Use a quote from them.
Descriptive Subject Line
Did you know that your subject line significantly impacts whether your email will be read? In fact, the first 2-3 words of your subject line are the most important part. The body of the email should be informative and detailed, but if you start with a lackluster subject line, people aren’t going to want to read it. Here are some tips for writing effective subject lines:
- Use action words! For example: “Earn $20 by doing nothing” or “Get a free sample of our new product” can help people decide whether they should open your email or not.
- Use numbers! If you’re selling something, include a number in the subject line (i.e., “1 coupon”) so that potential customers know how many coupons they’ll receive.
- Use keywords! If there’s something specific about your product or service that people would find interesting (like “best” or “free”), make sure they see those words in their inbox before they click away!
Hook Phrase
If you want your email to be read, give it a hook phrase. A hook phrase is a statement or a question that sets up the rest of your message and piques interest in what comes next. An example would be, “Have you heard about our [product name]?”
Hook phrases can be as simple as “What is it about?” “Why should I care?” or “Who benefits?” Hooks can also be more complex: “What can we do together?” or “How will this affect me?”
Avoiding Ambiguity
If you’re unsure how to write a clear, concise email, the best way to start is by asking yourself: “What can I say in one sentence that would give the reader everything they need to know about this topic?”
Once you’ve identified what needs to be said, try breaking it down into shorter sections. This will help your reader understand exactly what you’re talking about and ensure they don’t miss any critical details.
Skipping Small Talk
When writing an email, it’s essential to know how to ensure your message gets through. First and foremost, the best way to get people’s attention is by having a subject line that hints at what you will talk about. But what about the body of your message? You need to think about what information the reader wants. One way of doing this is by avoiding small talk in the body of your email. Get to the point and deliver the message. You don’t want to bore your reader with unnecessary text.
Conclusion
Luckily, getting your emails read and responded to by the people you send them to is not that complicated. You just need to know what they want (and don’t want) from you. This is where it’s important to show that you are listening and that you take your customer’s suggestions seriously. You can then build a mutual respect and understanding relationship, which will help keep your email moving up their inboxes until it gets read.