Sending emails to your customers continues to be one of the most effective marketing channels available. What drives emails success is accessibility. At work or home, it’s a direct connection to them. Email brings more visits to your website, more potential customers to your store, and more sales.
We often think that our customers get so many emails in a day that it’s impossible to truly connect with them. While this seems to be true, it fails to represent the entire picture. Being distracted doesn’t mean that they won’t see your email or the next one, but it does mean that you need to stand out. So, it’s time you get to know what they are looking for.
Know Your Audience!
How well do you know your customers? You really do need to know who they are and what they are interested in to increase engagement. Plus, you need to understand what their expectations are when it concerns your brand. Are you a price leader? Or are they attracted to your brand image and the value of services?
Answers to these questions are very important for the messages you’ll be sending. When you know what they want from you, then you’ll know what type of email to send to them.
How to Write a Compelling Email
Knowing your audience is the first step. The second step is creating a message that’s so compelling that they want to read your email right away. This means that you’ll need to be more interesting than the others in their inbox. Here are some important things to remember about your message:
- Stick to one topic.
- Pitch sales every once in a while.
- Educate them to show your expertise.
- Provide relevant updates about your business.
- Show that you’re active in their community.
Now that you have your message, it’s time to write the email. This is the easy part. The anatomy of your email is as follows:
- Email subject line
- Content
- Call-to-action
- Links
- Unsubscribe
Let’s break each one down so that you can write the best email for your customers.
1. Email Subject Line
This is very important. You have 5 to 7 words to grab their attention, or else it gets ignored. If you have an offer, tell them right away. Give them a sense of urgency with phrases like “Going fast!” and “Hurry!” You can also add a sense of mystery to take advantage of their sense of curiosity. And, make sure the subject aligns with the message; otherwise your customers will feel misled.
2. Content
Make sure that your message is personalized by using the recipient’s first name. People respond better when their name is in the salutation of the email. Then, get right to the point of why you are sending this email. If it’s a deal, let them know what it is and why they qualify for it. Remember to respect their time and be polite.
3. Call-to-Action
Every email needs a call-to-action. It’s a prompt that tells the reader what to do and where to go. Without it, your customers won’t know what it is that they need to do.
4. Links
Adding links will direct your customers to the information, promotion, or discount that you promised. It’s also how you’ll keep track of click-through rates.
5. Unsubscribe
You should always have the unsubscribe link available on every email. It’s the law. Most email services automatically do this, but it’s important to make sure that it’s done correctly.
Less Is More!
On average, your customers will spend 11 seconds to read an email, and they read about 225 words a minute. That means that your email needs to be about 45 words in length or 4 sentences long. Having clear and concise messaging is important. When you are thinking about how to write a compelling email, remember that cluttered emails are frustrating to read and cause confusion, so less is more.
Be creative and let your personality show. When you do, you’ll be more successful with your email marketing.