An email copy is probably one of the most important parts of email marketing and if done properly it can influence how well that campaign converts.
The way you write an email copy often depends on a number of factors like the product or services that you are selling, your target audience, and how well you know the people that you are promoting to.
However, there is a general strategy that I implement when writing an email copy and it usually follows four steps.
Craft a Strong Subject Line For Your Email
When writing an email copy, you should note that the subject line of your email is the first thing that your leads are going to see. So you aim to grab their attention in a way that does not come across as patronising and at the same time you should avoid using terms that could get your emails marked as spam.
The subject line of your email should be simple and concise. For example, instead of “Delightful News Inside,” a clearer subject line might be “Get 30% Off Your Next Order – Today!”. Any recipient would naturally be more interested in the email with the second subject line as opposed to the first.
Ensure to highlight the benefit of your email to them in the subject line whether it’s valuable information, discount, or exclusive offer, make sure the recipient gets to know about it by reading the subject line. Also, create a sense of urgency in the subject line like ”Today Only” or “Fifteen Slots Left”, but don’t use this always so it does not lose its effectiveness.
Personalize the emails by using the names of your recipients in the subject line, this makes your emails more engaging and feel less like spam mail. Once again avoid words that could trigger the spam filter.
Focus on the Need of Your Audience
Before you even craft an email, you should know your audience very well and the issues that they may be struggling with should be concisely encapsulated in your email copy.
Some important data that you need to have about your recipients before creating your email copy includes name, age, gender, location, job role, purchasing habits, and/or pain points. After gathering this data, all you need to do is segment them by similar parameters.
Once you understand your audience better via the data listed above, you need to identify the issues that they have and how your product/services can address those problems. If you are selling a web hosting service for example, you can tell them how their website speed can be faster with your services.
Your intonation also matters a lot, the terms you use should always match the kind of products/services that you are promoting. A younger, consumer-focused audience might respond better to a casual, friendly tone while a B2B audience might appreciate a more formal tone.
A good email copy should not just be about selling, you should also provide value to your recipients. This could be in the form of useful information because when people see that they are getting something that is valuable, they are more likely to buy what you are selling.
Create a Clear and Compelling Call-to-Action (CTA)
After completing the previous two parts of your email copy, your call-to-action (CTA) is the next thing to do. The CTA is very crucial and should be very well-crafted. A good CTA should adhere to the following criteria:
- Visually Prominent: The call-to-action (CTA) on your email copy should stand out from the rest of the email. Use a differebt colour for your CTA link or preferably a button with bold texts that simply can’t be missed by your recipient. The location of your call-to-action should also be very strategic. I recommend that you place it immediately after the body text of your email and center it. That way, immediately after your recipients finish reading your email, they will be met with an inescapable CTA.
- Action-Oriented and Direct: Your CTA should clearly state what you want your recipient to do after the steps above. Use a decisive word or phrase like “Buy,” “Sign Up,” “Download,” or “Learn More.” Link this to the web page where you want said action to be completed.
- Must Be Simple: It is both unethical and ineffective to have multiple CTAs in a single email copy, hence, you should keep it simple and add only one CTA per email and other CTA can be used in a separate email copy.
- Sense of Urgency: Compelling your recipients to take action by creating a sense of urgency with the words you use on your CTA can exponentially increase the conversion of your email copy. Phrases like “Shop Now – Sale Ends Tonight,” or “Sign Up Today for Early Access” often provoke recipients to take action so they don’t miss out.
Keep The Content Concise and Engaging
Nowadays, the attention span of people, especially young people has dropped significantly and you need to take note of this when crafting your email copies. Make sure you keep your content concise and your recipients engaged.
Make sure the structure of your email is simple to follow, start with a solid opening that keeps the reader interested follow up with a clear explanation of the message, and close it with a compelling CTA.
Your email copy should have short paragraphs that contain at most three lines of words. Ensure to write everything in simple words that are easily digestible and each paragraph should emphasize a singular idea.
Use a conversational tone that way it feels like you’re communicating one-on-one unless there is a reason not to and make use of lists and bullet points when necessary. Include engaging graphics and visuals to relay the message more easily, don’t overemphasize, and get straight to the point.
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Conclusion
As mentioned at the start of this blog post, the secret of email copywriting depends on what you are promoting and who you are promoting to, but on a general note, this is the best way to write an email copy that would convert. If you like this post, kindly check out my other publications.
