According to research, 293.6 billion emails were sent in 2019. You read that right, BILLION. After the crazy year that was 2020, and people working remotely more than ever, it’s safe to say email inboxes that were already overcrowded are increasingly becoming more so. As such, your eDM content needs to shine in order to cut through the clutter and encourage a user to not only open it, but engage with the content. Here, we share 10 tips for writing on-brand, fabulous eDM content to get you noticed.
1. Don’t say anything unless you have something interesting to say
We all know the old saying, if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. The same goes for being interesting. Your readers don’t want to open an email that provides no value to them. Make sure you have a clear understanding of the value you are providing to your reader before you hit the send button, as a boring email is going to stop your reader from opening emails from you in the future.
2. Consider your sender
Always consider who it is you are sending your eDM to. If someone is only in the awareness stage of your pipeline, they are unlikely to find value in an eDM that is written as though they are a frequent customer. Similarly, you want to speak to them in a style that is appropriate. Your eDM needs to be friendly, conversational and slightly educational in order to create value.
3. If the subject line isn’t sparking joy, it needs to go
Convincing people that your email is worth opening is essential. As such, email subject lines need to be straightforward, intriguing and specific. Make sure your email subject is giving your reader a preview of what they will be reading inside and the benefit they will get from giving you their time.
For example:
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Make sure your eDM content is aligned to your subject line so as not to confuse your reader, and by doing so you will keep your audience engaged and interested.
4. Be personal, but not creepy
“Dear customer, do we have an offer for you!” Uh, no thanks. “Dear Kevin, do we have an offer for you!” So much better! Using the name of your reader helps to create trust and rapport. However, don’t overdo it. Using the name, business or any other personal information from your reader too often can come across as creepy and set you up to look like a potential stalker.
5. Keep it short and sharp
It can be easy to get carried away with your eDM content- if someone is going to open your email you want to tell them everything right? Wrong! The goal of an eDM is to encourage your subscribers to click through to your website, social media, or YouTube channel. You should have one clear objective, and therefore present only one message and related call to action. Your eDM should tempt your subscriber by offering up a small snapshot of information to make them want to learn more.
For example, if your business is offering a new service, you could explain the benefits of the service in two to three sentences, and guide them to visit your website for more information. You wouldn’t then include a list of every other service you offer, as it would confuse your customer.
6. Make a call to action
Aside from the subject line, the call to action is the most important element of your eDM. This is where you put your intentions out there to the world. That is, what do you want the sender to do with the information you’re giving them? Make sure you remove any reasons for the reader to hesitate by creating a sense of urgency and making it clear how they will benefit from taking action.
7. Link, link, link!
Although you will usually have a call to action front and center on your eDMs, there are many other ways that a reader can engage with your business. By including links throughout your eDM, you are encouraging them to engage and interact with you in more ways. These can include links to blog posts, social media accounts, YouTube videos, and campaign or competition landing pages. This can help you to build a stronger relationship with your readers, as it can often take prospective customers or clients several interactions with your brand before they will commit to a purchase.
Important to note- only ever link to your own content.
8. Give a reward for reading
Make sure people feel like they have been rewarded for reading your email. This doesn’t always have to be with a deal or discount, it can simply be a useful tip, market insight, or link to other relevant content.
9. Test your emails before you send them!
We cannot say this enough. So many times eDMs have been sent out and include broken links, incorrect image sizes and formatting issues. Avoid this from happening by sending out test emails first and double checking that everything is working the way it should.
10. Don’t harass your database
A really important last tip- just because you can email your database doesn’t mean that you should. Understand how often your audience wants to hear from you (weekly, fortnightly, monthly etc.) and stick with it. Don’t start harassing your database every day with offers and information that has no value to the reader and is just downright annoying.
Need help writing or creating your next eDM? Contact us now for a chat.
