How to Write Emails That Will Get Read
Want to write the perfect email for your list?
There is no such thing of course, and the ideal message is going to vary from person to person and brand to brand.
That said though, there are certainly some ‘best practices’ to keep in mind when you are coming up with your emails and that can help you to get a better response.
Let’s take a look at some of them…
Write a Story
I once heard the expression that ‘storytelling is SEO for the human mind’. This is incredibly true and the fact is that the human psyche loves stories.
We have evolved over thousands of years with a culture of storytelling and we find it very engaging and very persuasive.
So instead of writing about how X technique is highly effective generally, instead frame this discussion as your own personal account. How has it helped you?
Or how has it helped someone you know? How did you feel during that process?
Set the scene and get people engaged – this is far less dry than simply talking in facts and figures.
Be Personal
It’s important that the tone of your messages match the tone and the nature of your business.
However, it should also match the medium – which in this case is the email of course.
Emails are inherently more personal and less formal than other forms of marketing because they’re being read in a personal inbox.
At the same time, by writing a more personal message (using the recipient’s name, making sure to use a regular letter structure), you’ll be more likely to reach the primary inbox and therefore to actually get read!
Try not to put any distance between yourself and your audience; make them feel as though you are speaking with them directly.
Provide Value
The objective of any good email should be to provide value. That might be in the form of a tip, or it might mean that you are providing entertainment.
Either way, you need to make sure that your audience feel glad that they took the time to open your message and read it.
That way, they’ll be more likely to do the same again next time!
As well as providing value though, you should also seek to make sure you are providing value in the shortest space of time.
In other words, your messages should be efficient and to the point – you don’t want to take up your audience’s time!
The Worst Email Marketing Mistakes That Can Destroy Your Marketing Efforts
You can spend months or even years building a massive mailing list and create something that is highly targeted and filled with incredibly engaged and interested readers.
But while this is true, it still only takes a single message to bring your hard work crashing down!
Some mistakes are so destructive that they can destroy your chances of running an effective email marketing campaign.
Others will simply prevent you from making the progress you should be.
So, check and see if any of these mistakes sound familiar. If so, change your ways!
Buying Links
Buying links is one of the very worst strategies of all when it comes to building a big mailing list. The reason for this is that bought links are essentially still ‘cold’ leads.
That means they haven’t heard of your brand before and they never gave you permission to contact them.
As such, they will likely ignore your messages and may even report you as spam!
Selling Low Quality Products
If you sell a product or promote an affiliate product and you don’t 100% believe in it, then that is always going to come across in the way that you present the message.
People can tell whether you really believe in something and if you don’t, they’ll feel as though you’re just trying to wring as much cash out of them as possible.
Even if someone buys from you, they will likely be so upset by the low quality of your product as to be sure never to buy again.
Suddenly, the CLV of your contacts goes down massively – and so does your profits.
Going Quiet
Similarly, destructive is to forget about your mailing list for an extended period of time.
This might sound obvious, but it’s a mistake that a lot of people make – simply forgetting to update their list and thus allowing time for your readers to become disinterested and to forget who you are or why they followed you in the first place.
Now if you send another new message, they’re not going to care!
Spamming
Spamming might mean sending too many messages or it might mean trying to sell things that no one asked for.
The key to good email marketing is to respect your audience and to take seriously the responsibility that comes with being able to access their inboxes.
Always provide value, or you’ll quickly lose those hard-earned followers.
