The Dos and Don'ts of Email Marketing Copy

In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, email remains an essential communication tool when it comes to engaging with your audience. Crafting effective email marketing copy, however, requires skill. You need to strike a balance between being persuasive and respecting your recipients' inboxes. In other words: no sending ridiculously long emails several times a week. In this article, I'll go over the dos and don'ts of email marketing copy to help you achieve better results from your email campaigns.

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Think about how many emails you receive on a daily/weekly basis. How many do you swipe to delete without even opening? I’m guessing quite a few of them. That’s probably because the subject line was boring and didn’t convince you to open it. Time is valuable so people will only open emails if they believe reading it will give them value. Make sure your subject lines describe the content inside in an engaging way.

Personalisation is the key to connecting with your audience. Address your subscribers by their first names and tailor your email content to their preferences and behaviours whenever possible. Yes, this can take a little longer to get set up, but it's 100% worth it. Personalised emails have been shown to have significantly higher open and click-through rates.

Who else hates it when the first line starts with "Hope this email finds you well." Please, get a little more creative.

Every email should have a clear and compelling call to action (CTA). Whether it's "Shop Now," "Subscribe Today," or "Learn More," your CTA should be prominently displayed and drive recipients to take the desired action with confidence.

Segmentation allows you to send targeted messages to different groups within your email list. Tailoring your content to the specific interests and needs of each segment improves engagement and conversion rates.

Trust is vital in email marketing. Be transparent about who you are, why the recipient is receiving the email, and what they can expect from you. Honesty builds credibility and fosters positive relationships.

A/B testing involves sending two versions of an email to different groups of recipients to see which one performs better. Use this technique to refine your email content, subject lines, and CTAs over time. Continuous optimisation is the key to success in email marketing.

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Avoid overwhelming your recipients with too much information in a single email. Keep your messages concise and focused. Start with a short intro, and break the body information up into bullet points or short sentences to keep the reader interested. If you have a lot to say, consider splitting it into a series of emails.

A significant portion of email opens happens on mobile devices. Ensure that your emails are mobile-friendly. Use responsive design, large fonts, and easily clickable buttons to enhance the mobile user experience.

Failing to test your email campaigns and analyse performance metrics is a huge missed opportunity. Use email marketing software to track open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. The data can then be used to refine your email strategy.

We've all received unwanted emails at times, which is not only aggravating but can really put you off the company sending them. Only send emails to recipients who have explicitly opted in to receive them. Sending unsolicited emails not only damages your reputation but can also lead to legal issues. Respect your subscribers' privacy.

Having an impossible-to-find unsubscribe button, or even worse: a non-existent one, will drive your audience mad. Make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe from your emails. A clear and hassle-free unsubscribe process not only keeps you compliant with email regulations but also helps you maintain a positive brand image.

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Overall, successful email marketing copy strikes a balance between persuasion and respect for the recipient. Aim to be personable, keep the emails short and sweet, and end with a convincing CTA.

By following these dos and don'ts, you can create email campaigns that engage your audience, encourage trust, and drive conversions.