The email marketing channel is not dead. While social media has grabbed lots of attention, email revenue continues to rise. In fact, according to the DMA 2021 Consumer Email Trends Report, 83.25% of online consumers use email as their primary or secondary method for sharing their contact information with companies. That’s higher than any other channel including direct mail!
While there are many factors that contribute to an effective campaign, one of the most important components is your copywriting technique. Unfortunately, many marketers don’t realize they could be sabotaging their campaigns by following common practices that do more harm than good .
These include:
1) Writing for robots rather than humans
2) Focusing on yourself and your business rather than the customer
3) Not giving customers a reason to engage
4) Being boring and unimaginative
To help you avoid these pitfalls, here are 10 email copywriting techniques that will improve your campaigns. Use them to optimize your marketing strategy! *
1. Keep the Subject Line Short
If you want to get people to open your emails, it’s best if they can do so in under 5 seconds . As humans, we have an attention span of less than 8 seconds, which means every second counts when writing an engaging subject line . The internet is full of tips for how long to make your subject lines , but irrespective of whichever guideline you follow, focus on being concise. Since most email clients truncate your subject line after a certain number of characters, there’s no need to write a long subject. Think of your message as a headline – you wouldn’t read an article that didn’t catch your interest within the first few words, so don’t expect anyone to read your email if they don’t find it interesting from the start!
2. Write Personalized Email Copy
Include personalized content in your emails whenever possible . This is one of the most important email copywriting techniques because it helps you stand out and build deeper relationships with customers and prospects .
Though this might sound like extra work, personalization can actually be easy and fast , especially if you use modern tools like marketing automation, data enrichment services , and dynamic content. Personalized email copywriting should increase your open rate, conversions , and sales.
3. Be Concise
Stay on topic while remaining concise . This is especially important in the footer where marketers are tempted to stuff links to other emails or web pages . Instead of listing links, give customers a short summary about what they can expect if they take action . For example, instead of “Learn more about our products” try “Get 3 free recipes from our world-class chef.” When you communicate what someone will get when taking the next step, it increases their motivation so that they are more likely to click through . Try writing one sentence that summarizes your offer for each link and use this as a hook at the bottom of each message.
4. Embrace the Power of Wordplay
Use wordplay to grab attention . There are plenty of ways to do this depending on the type of copy you write. For example, try using phrasal verbs (put together, get off, take out) or idiomatic expressions (thrown under the bus, holding your breath). The power of wordplay is that it doesn’t mean anything in particular to most people but still gets their attention because it sounds funny or weird .
5. Incorporate Numbers and Percentages into Your Email Copywriting
No matter what you offer – services , products , recipes – chances are there’s at least one number connected with your business. Use these numbers when writing emails to increase conversions .
For example, say you make a delicious pizza sauce. You could write: “Our fresh basil and tomato sauce will add zest to your dishes” or you could write: “9 out of 10 people prefer our sauce over others”. Obviously, they mean the same thing but one has a stronger message because it is more specific . How much money have you made in recent months? Are most customers satisfied with their service? Are most recipes easy to follow? Include percentages when writing emails so that you highlight relevant information.
6. Make It Personal With Human Verbs
In email copywriting , action verbs are the opposite of dead words . When people read words like “is,” “was,” and “began,” it feels like they’re reading a dictionary or encyclopedia entry.
Conversely, when people read verbs like “travels” and “loves,” it feels like they’re reading a story . According to Copyblogger , “verbs breathe life into nouns.” They’ll turn your email copy into something that captures attention and is engaging enough for readers to keep on reading .
7. Create Urgency with Words like: Limited Time Offer, Only One Day Left, Expires Tomorrow
Create urgency by adding time-sensitive words at the end of your subject line and offer . For example, this email has an effective subject line because it uses all three techniques: “Hurry! Last chance to save 25% on all orders.” This email copywriting technique will work every time, so use it whenever you can .
8. Don’t Be Afraid of Negativity
Negative words like “No,” “Never,” and “Can’t” add a layer of authenticity to your messaging because they show customers what they cannot do when working with you . If negative words sound too harsh for your brand then try using softer language that still gets the point across. For example: “Don’t miss out on this exclusive offer!”
9. Use Lists in Your Email Copywriting To Break up Chunks of Text and Make Content Easier to Read
Lists are useful writing tools because they make information seem more digestible and stop readers from getting overwhelmed .
10. Keep Things Simple by Planning Ahead
Avoiding grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and keeping sentences brief makes your whole copy easier to read. Because there’s no excuse for sloppy writing , make sure you proofread your emails before sending them out to customers . In most cases they will forgive a typo or two – but you definitely don’t want them thinking they’re not important enough to receive a well-written email from you.
Conclusion
Email copywriting is an art that requires plenty of practice . It’s not easy to write emails that get attention, keep customers interested , sell products , and show you care about their business. Nevertheless, the techniques listed above will help make your email writing more effective.
So there you have it – 10 actionable email copywriting techniques to optimize your marketing strategy ! Keep these tips in mind next time you write a new message for customers or clients.