Email copywriting is a valuable marketing skill, and currently, one of the most in demand.
It would be hard to find a company that doesn’t understand the importance of email marketing. However, without the right copywriting tools, insights or resources, it can seem like a challenge to put into action.
Luckily, with a clear understanding of the anatomy of a great email, how to craft one effectively and a list of top tips – email copywriting gets much easier and your efforts can become more impactful.
With this guide at your fingertips, you can feel confident to communicate with and nurture prospects better, boost website traffic and improve your overall conversion rates.
We run through everything you need to know about effective email copywriting to smash your targeted. Let’s get into it!
What is email copywriting?
Email copywriting is a marketing strategy that specifically targets audiences using an email format. It allows you to communicate directly with people who already know about your business and are part of your brand’s subscriber list (straight into their inbox).
Much like SEO copywriting, email copywriting boasts a range of unique features and elements that don’t apply to many other copywriting contexts.
Some of the core features of a marketing email include a subject line, body copy, signature and clickthrough link that directs readers to another digital destination.
While these are the main components you need to tick off – in many cases you may also need to incorporate preview text, visual materials, personalisation, social sharing links and engagement drivers.
Along with a set of specific features, email also has a unique set of copywriting best practices. For example, to avoid spam trigger words, write engaging email subject lines and encourage click throughs.
Why does email copywriting matter?
There are a whole host of reasons why email copywriting is such an important marketing tool.
Using email copywriting skills, you can advertise a product or service directly to the people you want to purchase it. Without a mediator. And in most cases, without payment.
You can also use personalisation tokens e.g. First Name, Company Name and Job Title to create a stronger bond with your audience than is possible with other advertising formats, increasing your conversion potential.
Automated email campaigns, in particular, play a key role in most successful marketing campaigns. Purely because they offer scalable and efficient way to stay in contact with your clients and customers in the long-term.
Whether you’re sending welcome emails, promotional emails, informative emails, or even cold emails advertising your brand, your campaigns keep you connected with both existing and prospective customers.
How does email copywriting boost sales?
Email copywriting can play a key role in boosting sales at your business. This is because emails provide an easy way to reach a highly engaged target audience with actionable language and relevant content.
By sharing your offer via email, you can speak to potential customers instantly, providing helpful content that addresses common pain points and promotes interest in your business. When you write email copy, you’re talking directly to consumers, usually in a second-person voice.
Regular emails help you build relationships that will promote brand loyalty and continued professional growth. As a business owner, email marketing should be a key component of your ongoing development strategy!
5 top tips to help you write effective email copy
If you’re still unsure of how to create compelling email copy, you’re not alone. While producing effective email content can be a challenge, it’s worth taking the time to invest in.
The more you work to grow your email list and enhance your email copywriting ability, the more effectively you’ll be able to communicate with clients and customers, no matter where they are or why they care about your brand. And more outstanding your results will be.
Ready to give email marketing a try? Here are our top 5 email copywriting tips to help you on your way!
1. Start out strong
First, it’s important to hook your readers with a great email subject line! Subject lines are essential, as these are the first piece of information readers see when marketing emails arrive in their inbox.
When you write a subject line, you need to think about how to capture a reader’s interest and their desire to learn more instantaneously. In marketing emails, short subject lines that offer great value are the key to success.
Great subject line copy can help to improve email open and response rates. This relates to the conversation rates you achieve with each new email you send.
2. Write for your audience
The next thing to remember is the importance of writing for your target audience. Whatever your business offers, your customers should be at the heart of the decisions you make and the solutions you provide.
When writing a marketing email, it can be helpful to imagine you’re speaking to an existing or potential customer. What do you want your recipient to know about your brand? How does your business solve problems for that recipient? And how can you show the reader that you’re trustworthy?
By keeping these things in mind, you can maintain a clear brand voice and a strong sense of purpose that informs all your email content.
3. Use clear headlines
When producing email copy, it’s always a good idea to use clear headlines. These should offer insight into the information that’s still to come in the body of the email. Providing relevant information early on can help you demonstrate the value of your content.
As you start work on email outreach, get to the point of just what you want to say. Before readers start reading the body copy of your email, they need to be captivated by the headline, which should succinctly suggest what your email is about.
Similar to a subject line, headlines allow you to quickly communicate the most important components of your message. When an email recipient wants to know more, they’ll be compelled to keep scrolling and read the rest of your content.
4. Focus on clarity and concision
In email marketing copywriting, clarity is essential! Clear communication is the only way to convince consumers of your brand values and purpose. Your email copy needs to be clear and easy to understand at all times.
When producing email copy, it’s a good idea to think about your email structure. How can you most efficiently share your message without taking up too much space in the body of the email? Unlike a blog post or landing page, an email campaign needs to be as brief as possible.
As you work to writing succinct marketing emails, remember that you have various communication techniques at your disposal. Instead of just relying on written text, try adding in images and other visual assets, as well as buttons that link to other web pages.
5. Feature a call to action
Finally, every good marketing email should include a compelling call to action! This is your chance to tell email clients what they should do next. It’s the best way to boost engagement and drive sales conversions!
In emails, a call to action doesn’t have to be complicated. Common calls to action may include an instruction to enter a competition, respond to an email, visit a website, or make a purchase. As you write, think about what you want readers to do after they’ve read your email.
Commonly, email campaigns include a link to a business website or shopping page. If you decide to include this too, remember to keep track of the click-through rate you achieve, which in email copywriting refers to the amount of people who navigate to your site from your email.
If it’s sales your trying to achieve through your email, our direct response copywriting guide will be super helpful in guiding you towards your goals.
Email marketing mistakes you should avoid
Equally as important as email copywriting tips is our list of email copywriting mistakes you should avoid! By steering clear of these common challenges, you can set yourself up for success and become a better email copywriter.
1. Avoid spelling mistakes
The first mistake to avoid is spelling errors! Spelling and grammar mistakes can stand in the way of your business growth, making you look unprepared and unprofessional.
Good email copywriting should be proofread before it goes live. This means you can catch any errors before they reach consumers, ensuring that you always put your best foot forward in email communications.
2. Don’t use industry jargon
Next, it’s usually best to avoid using industry jargon. These are words and phrases specific to your industry that may be too complex or unfamiliar to many of your email subscribers.
In some cases, industry jargon can make readers feel excluded from written content in addition to failing to communicate meaning. Jargon may pose a threat to accessibility, so when it doubt, it’s best to stick to your brand voice and save jargon for the office.
3. Avoid formatting errors
One of the key struggles of email marketing is the potential for formatting to go wrong! It’s important that you know how to avoid these style and design errors.
Some formatting errors may affect click-through links or images. Others might change how your emails appear when opened on mobile devices. By using the preview text option and sending a demo email, you can catch these problems and correct them before you send.
4. Don’t be spammy
Another key challenge of email copywriting is that your emails could end up in spam. Spam filters are designed to catch potentially spammy or harmful content and remove it from recipient inboxes.
Certain words and phrases may be more likely to be attributed as spam. Likewise, some subject line strategies or image additions could place your content at risk. Always try to limit spammy behaviour. Preview text, and send a trial email to check everything is in working order.
5. Avoid schedule problems
Last but not least, it’s a good idea to avoid scheduling problems as possible. This means choosing and sticking to a consistent and reasonable email marketing timeline.
Try to avoid sending marketing emails too frequently or not frequently enough. When you strike the perfect balance and send just enough emails, you’ll help clients remember your brand and keep them wanting to hear more.
You can also use a tool like Hubspot or Zoho to schedule your emails in advance, helping you to avoid schedule problems!
Best examples of email copywriting
Looking for a great example of email copy that makes an impact? There are plenty of amazing examples available to prove just how effective good email copywriting can be.
We recommend subscribing to the Plann email list. Regular email updates from the brand include actionable tips and information that directly target a clear audience niche in a second-person voice.
Communicating clearly, succinctly, and engagingly, these emails use power words in an attention-grabbing subject line to illustrate the value contained in the email itself. Subscribers gain access to fresh and helpful tips, and all emails get straight to the point of communication without wasting the reader’s time.
Throughout Plann’s email content, calls to action appear frequently, both breaking up the text and giving readers an action they can respond to. This is an effective way of prioritising engagement and helping readers take the next step in the buyer’s journey.
Which email marketing service is the best?
Looking beyond email copywriting tips, you need make sure you’re using the best email marketing service to send your emails out into the world!
There are a number of email service providers that can allow you to send emails easily. In fact, some systems also give you options to store subscriber details, send cold emails, and even use a email template. Other services may also include tools for checking email performance and other statistics.
The best email marketing service for you will depend on your own goals and what you need from your service provider. However, some popular choices with great features include the systems offered by MailChimp, Klaviyo, and HubSpot.
Looking for an easier way to get compelling content?
If you’re still feeling unsure about the art of email copywriting, don’t worry! You don’t have to write content on your own.
At Prozely, we have a team of skilled email copywriters who can help you achieve your email marketing goals. Find out more about the Prozely process by getting in touch to start working with a freelance copywriter today.
