Tips for e-mail copywriting
E-mail copywriting is one topic I have been absolutely fascinated with lately. I did some autoresponder copy for a one client last week, and in the process of working with him, I managed to tease out some very effective strategies for writing copy that gets a good open rate. Even if everyone on your list opted in seeing value you have to offer, there is always that risk of coming across too "hyped up" or "salesy" and getting trash-canned. With that in mind, I've come up with some tips for writing e-mail copy actually works. These tips are, of course, not the be all and end all of e-mail copywriting, but if you're wondering what distinguishes good e-mail copywriting from good website copywriting, you will get some good ideas from the points below.
1. Be informative.
If you got people onto your list by offering a free report on subject "x," the best way to keep them as newsletter readers is to continue to offer valuable information about "x." The distinction between copywriting and content marketing is blurred in the realm of e-mail. Frank Kern says it is better to come across as a friend and advisor than a salesman, and there is no better way to do that than to deliver a couple installments of a value-adding newsletter BEFORE you go in with a sales pitch. Give before you take.
2. Take advantage of repetition to build familiarity.
People rarely buy the first time they see an ad. Usually, it multiple impressions for a product or idea to grow on them. After repeated impressions, they finally buy. Use this principle to your advantage in e-mail copy by sending out messages regularly and at regular intervals.
3. Create a warm and friendly vibe.
Being personable and friendly creates trust. Create a warm and friendly vibe by referring to your list subscribers by name (make sure you get the name when they opt in) and by using personal pronouns like "I," "you," "we," and so on. Share personal anecdotes and stories that reveal a bit of who you are as a person; doing so will make you look sincere and genuine.
4. Don't sell directly from the e-mail message.
If you want to sell something to someone via the written word, you will at some point have to include a call to action. However, it is crucial that you not include the call to action directly in your e-mail copy. If you do so, you'll run the risk of being perceived as a spammer. Instead, what you should do is include a link (or several links embedded at various points throughout the message) to a landing page or sales page where the person can read your sales pitch through and make the order. It requires some discipline to not cave to the temptation to include that call to action directly in your e-mails, but it will pay off in the end (as a side note, you can consider the invitation to click the landing page link the "call to action" for the purposes of the e-mail copy itself).
5. Use relatively short form copy when writing to your list.
Okay, I know that the question of short vs. long form copy is a contentious one here (and anywhere else IM topics are discussed), but I think there is a very simple reason to always keep e-mail copy to less than, say, 600 words unless you absolutely need to make it longer. The reason is that you want people on your list to read your e-mail messages repeatedly, and if you keep sending out 2000 word sales letters, you will bore your audience and get marked as spam. To keep people reading every week, you need to keep it short and sweet. Leave the long form copy for the sales letters you link to inside each e-mail.
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As I said in the intro, the above is hardly the be all and end all of e-mail copywriting, but it is a start, and I do think these points capture the essence of what makes e-mail copy different from website copy. If you have any e-mail copywriting ideas of your own, feel free to add them to this thread.
1. Be informative.
If you got people onto your list by offering a free report on subject "x," the best way to keep them as newsletter readers is to continue to offer valuable information about "x." The distinction between copywriting and content marketing is blurred in the realm of e-mail. Frank Kern says it is better to come across as a friend and advisor than a salesman, and there is no better way to do that than to deliver a couple installments of a value-adding newsletter BEFORE you go in with a sales pitch. Give before you take.
2. Take advantage of repetition to build familiarity.
People rarely buy the first time they see an ad. Usually, it multiple impressions for a product or idea to grow on them. After repeated impressions, they finally buy. Use this principle to your advantage in e-mail copy by sending out messages regularly and at regular intervals.
3. Create a warm and friendly vibe.
Being personable and friendly creates trust. Create a warm and friendly vibe by referring to your list subscribers by name (make sure you get the name when they opt in) and by using personal pronouns like "I," "you," "we," and so on. Share personal anecdotes and stories that reveal a bit of who you are as a person; doing so will make you look sincere and genuine.
4. Don't sell directly from the e-mail message.
If you want to sell something to someone via the written word, you will at some point have to include a call to action. However, it is crucial that you not include the call to action directly in your e-mail copy. If you do so, you'll run the risk of being perceived as a spammer. Instead, what you should do is include a link (or several links embedded at various points throughout the message) to a landing page or sales page where the person can read your sales pitch through and make the order. It requires some discipline to not cave to the temptation to include that call to action directly in your e-mails, but it will pay off in the end (as a side note, you can consider the invitation to click the landing page link the "call to action" for the purposes of the e-mail copy itself).
5. Use relatively short form copy when writing to your list.
Okay, I know that the question of short vs. long form copy is a contentious one here (and anywhere else IM topics are discussed), but I think there is a very simple reason to always keep e-mail copy to less than, say, 600 words unless you absolutely need to make it longer. The reason is that you want people on your list to read your e-mail messages repeatedly, and if you keep sending out 2000 word sales letters, you will bore your audience and get marked as spam. To keep people reading every week, you need to keep it short and sweet. Leave the long form copy for the sales letters you link to inside each e-mail.
.................................................. .................................................. .............................................
As I said in the intro, the above is hardly the be all and end all of e-mail copywriting, but it is a start, and I do think these points capture the essence of what makes e-mail copy different from website copy. If you have any e-mail copywriting ideas of your own, feel free to add them to this thread.
I guess, here goes the fee first, fancy sig later after that, I'll have to wait then... .)