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Established in 1974

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Marketing Emails Made Easy

Marketing emails may be written for a wide range of purposes and it’s a skill you could learn with a little practice.

Typically marketing emails include details of new products or services, special offers, discounts, company news, events, and so on. They are usually sent to those who have signed up to your company’s mailing list – this may have been, for example, to get money off a first order, to receive a discount code, or out of genuine interest.

One of the key aims in writing a marketing email is to get the recipient to open and read it. These days people are often inundated with emails, so there is no guarantee that they will open yours unless you can create a compelling subject line that entices them to read on. Here are a few tips and suggestions:

    • Avoid using all capitals. This visually off-putting, and it makes it more likely your email will be blocked by spam filters.
    • Likewise, avoid using the word ‘free’. This word is typically associated with spam emails, and its presence in the subject line makes it more likely your email will be blocked. Other words to use with caution for this reason include cash, money, bonus and guaranteed.

  • Tell the reader what to expect in your subject line, but don’t reveal everything – give enough information to attract their attention, but leave them wanting to read the email itself to find out more.
  • Include your company’s name. This makes it easy for the recipient to see immediately whom the offer is coming from.
  • If possible, personalise your subject line to the recipient. Including their name, in particular, will always grab a reader’s attention.
  • Keep it short and simple. Try and keep the subject line to seven or eight words. This will make it more readable and ensure the whole line is displayed as intended. Many web-based email readers (e.g. Hotmail) won’t display more characters than this.
  • Don’t over-use punctuation.
  • If there is a time limit to your offer, including this in the subject line can be motivating. For example: ‘Special discount offer – ends noon tomorrow.’
  • Finally, give your subject line priority. It’s the single most important aspect to the success of your email, so you should give it the consideration it deserves.

 

So far as the body of the email is concerned, write as you speak and emphasise benefits rather than features (what your product or service can do for a customer rather than the technology that allows it to do this). Other things to bear in mind:

  • Be as concise as possible.
  • Break text into short sentences and paragraphs.
  • Make each paragraph a self-contained statement that is worth reading.
  • Use headings and sub-headings to help break up blocks of text.
  • Use bullet point lists wherever possible.

And here are a few more tips for writing the body text of marketing emails:

  • Always have a clear aim for your email and write with that in mind. Your reason for writing – e.g. to make a special offer – should be crystal clear, both to you and the recipient.
  • Keep the tone chatty and conversational. Email marketing works best when used to build relationships with prospects and customers as well as making sales.
  • If your email includes email addresses or website URLs, check that these not only work but that they direct the reader to the correct page.
  • Don’t include attachments with marketing emails, as they make it more likely the email will be blocked or rejected. If you have something like a leaflet or testimonial that you want customers to see, it is better to post it on your website and just include a link to it from your email.
  • At the end of the email, include the company name and address and contact details. You should also include some method for recipients to opt out of receiving any further emails. This is a legal requirement.
  • One last tip: try to ensure that the name in the email’s ‘From’ field is either the company name or the name of an individual, as appropriate. Emails showing the sender as ‘Admin’ or ‘Info’ are impersonal, and may increase the risk of the message being blocked by spam filters.

 

These are just the basics of email marketing, but if you want to know  more – or are considering a career as a copywriter then you  might like to consider our Complete Copywriter Course.

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Susan Metcalfe - head of Business Training - discusses business, training and work issues. Come and join in the conversation or just enjoy the read!