WWYO? Email Marketing Made Easy.
WWYO: What Would You Open?
How many times have you found yourself waking up in the morning - eyes barely taking in the light of day (or darkness of morning, depending on how ambitious you are), grab your phone and open your inbox, only to find all 529 emails you received while you were exploring the Land of Nod are spammy junk?
How many of those do you open?
Yet many businesses, like mine, rely on email marketing to spread the word about the amazingness that is their product/class/expertise/business etc.
So how do we craft an email that gives value and respect to its recipients, while also getting them to open it and actually engage with its content?
Here are a few tips to get you started writing better content that gives value instead of frying the brain cells of your would-be recipients.
Acknowledge Your Readers’ Right To Choose
You can see sleaze coming from a mile away, yes? So can your readers. Write from a place that acknowledges their ability to choose to read what you have to say vs the other 528 emails sent that evening.
Literally give the reader the right to say, “no”. I know that may sound scary but, it works, it’s respectful, and it’s true.
Saying something simple like, “Thank you for taking the time to read this. I know there are many more emails you could have chosen to read today.”, affirms the reader's right to choose, and adds value to you.
When you take this approach you’ve just given the recipient a virtual high-five and told them what an amazing human they are for choosing you. Everyone loves affirmation. This way, you've been honest, understanding, and given them a gold star
all in one.
Short And Sweet Content Wins Every Time
Attention spans online are …. Squirrel!... Wait, what was I saying? You get my point. Email marketing, like any other online content needs to be short and sweet. Make it real, give it tone & purpose, and end it.
I know it’s tough as a business owner to keep content short. You feel like, if this is my only shot to get in front of this customer, I want to tell them everything. The problem with that is, you’ll lose them in the first 3 seconds.
Trust me, keep it short and simple. Leave them wanting more and give a clear call to action on how they can get more. Little, bite-sized pieces of content will win over long dry emails, every time.
WWYO in 50 Characters or Less
The subject line, much like a headline, is incredibly important. Keep your subject line to a maximum of 50 characters or less for best results.
In addition, don’t worry that you’re automatically sent to the spam folder if you’re using words such as free or act now. If your value to your recipient really is that you’re giving them something for free or a limited time, it’s okay to say so.
However, never, ever, ever, mislead with false promises. If you’re giving something free, it better be free. If you’re opening up a deal for 24 hours, end it in 24 hours. There
is no better way to lose the trust of your recipient, and the integrity of your business than to craft a subject line that doesn’t deliver truth and value in the body of the email.
Finally, Be Personal
Whenever possible, use your recipients name in the subject line and throughout the content. We all want to be seen as individuals.
No one wants to feel like they're simply one of thousands, with no regard for who they really are or what they really want.
Adding a personal touch with their name is a great way to reinforce that you’re a real person (even if you’re a huge business), and you value their individuality.
In the end, I love my work and am great at it because I love words - like I love my children (just kidding – you can calm down, I love my children more).
Use words to your advantage. Don’t settle to download the latest template-never thinking about what you’re actually asking your readers to suffer through.
Take time. Craft something that converts - or hire a professional, but also reeks of authenticity and truth.
You’ll feel good about it, your business will grow, and you’ll attract customers and clients with the same integrity and standards you have.
Happy marketing!
