Are you using email marketing to its full potential? If you aren’t satisfied with the results of your email campaigns, it’s time for improvement. The foundation for successful email marketing lies in email copywriting, so that’s where you should start.
How you approach the subscribers, and the type of content you present will determine the results. Mastering email copywriting will help you engage and convert prospects one email at a time.
So, are you ready to tackle the skill that is email copywriting? The following tips will give you some insight into how you can improve your email copywriting and increase your sales rate.
1. Emphasize the Value in the Subject Line
As the first point of contact, the subject line needs to entice the subscribers to open your emails. One of the bulletproof ways to boost the open rate is to present the value in the subject line. For example, a company that promotes ergonomic pillows can use the “Treat Yourself with a Good Night Sleep” subject line.
Give subscribers a straightforward indication of what they’ll gain if they click on your email. That is how you’ll attract their attention as you’ll answer their subconscious “What’s in it for me” question.
2. Entertain with Stories
Our brains are “designed” to better attain information that is expressed through storytelling. Using a storytelling technique will, therefore, make your email copy more digestible, memorable, and impactful.
Why send yet another email with blunt content? Stories can add liveliness to your copy.
Even if storytelling isn’t your strongest side, freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr can help you craft a compelling and relevant story for your copy. In short, there are no excuses.
Another great benefit of storytelling is that it takes you away from sales-y content. You can express the importance of your products and convince prospects to purchase them without saying it directly. That's the magic of storytelling.
3. Use the Second Person Point of View
Directly address the reader and put the focus on them. Human nature dictates that people are mainly self-oriented. This is why you need to navigate your writing towards the reader. In your copy, use “you,” “your,” etc.
Let’s revise the following examples:
- The consumers are always welcome to contact the support.
- You can always get in touch with us!
As you can tell, the second example with the second person point of view is more inviting. Using the second person will help you put the spotlight on the readers. It will also create a friendly atmosphere in your copy.
4. Present the Benefits
Commonly, brands introduce their products by listing the features. While the product features are relevant, there something else that will help you sell more – listing the benefits.
"The thing is customers don't care about features. They don't care how great you think your product is. They only care about how it benefits them. How will it help them solve the problem they need solved? The best marketing copy focuses on benefits,” shared Susan Guillory, the President of Egg Marketing & Communications, author, and blogger.
The features revolve around the product's use, while the benefits paint the picture of a better life that comes with the use of that product.
You can still enlist features, but keeping the whole “people are self-oriented..” story in mind, you should also present how their life will improve if they opt for what you have to offer.
5. Personalize the Copy
One size can never fit all. The same goes for copywriting. One general copy shouldn't be sent to every single one of your prospects. Segmentation and personalization are of essence for effective copywriting.
Write several versions of the email copy that will be suited for different groups of subscribers.
For example, an online e-commerce clothing store that is having a sale can segment its subscribers by gender. The sale-announcement emails can then be tailored to suit each group with recommendations of appropriate sale items.
Considering that coming up with different versions of the same copy isn’t an easy task, you can turn to professional writers. Experts from writing services will help you personalize and transform your generalized copy.
6. Know When to Stop
Email copy isn’t the place for small talk and essay-long content. When subscribers open a brand email, they expect a concise format with the most relevant information.
Keep your email copy brief, precise, and engaging. That’s the goal.
To create a copy that isn’t exceeding the limit of readers’ patience and yet offers enough information, follow these guidelines:
- Cover a single topic in a single email. Don’t try to cover the upcoming sale, new collection, and customer success stories all in one email.
- Set a word limit. Consider your target audience’s preferences and the topic you’ll cover.
- Clearly define an action that the subscribers should take.
- Add a single call-to-action, preferably at the end.
- Jump straight to the point. Don’t beat around the bush.
7. Always Keep Your Promises
Your subject line and email copy need to be aligned. Always. If you make promises in the subject line and don’t keep them in the email body, you’ll lose the subscribers’ trust.
A very common mistake is attracting the recipients' attention with an exciting subject line and then changing the subject in the body. Even one instance of such an approach can lose you lots of subscribers that will feel deceived.
Make sure that the body is an extension of the subject line. The copy needs to deliver the information that you announced in the subject line.
Final Thoughts
Copywriting is a demanding process that asks for the strategy and application of the right information. The purpose of these tips is to shed light on what makes a great email copy. Moreover, they should give your guidance on how to craft an email copy that will actually boost your open rate and conversion rate. Therefore, use these tips wisely and let the copywriting begin!