how to write marketing emails

So you’ve started an email list and people are beginning to sign up, but what should you send to those who have been generous enough to hand over their precious email address? Just what do you need to know when you think about how to write marketing emails? And even more so, what should you send them that they would actually like to Open their emails? (Hands up who has dozens of unopened emails cluttering their inbox). Email has so much power yet so much negativity surrounding it. Spam, Pushy Sales and plain old overwhelm! It can have the power to inspire or to make you feel negative about all the things you “should be doing” but never get done. It can be a minefield. Yet I have the nerve to actually suggest you should join in this noise?!? Why?? Well, because it is still one of the best-performing ways to nurture and to convert your audience into buyers. And it can be done without you committing a lot of time on it. The truth is email can be done without being sleezy or spammy or without selling your soul. Here I share some tips to help you not only feel more confident in writing your emails but to feel like you are contributing something.

Some Basic Principles

No. 1 Believe in yourself and what you offer

Does your product or service fulfil a need your audience has? Will it make their life better, easier or make them feel better about themselves? Do you genuinely solve a problem? If you answered yes to any of these questions, why should you feel bad about giving your audience a chance to experience those benefits? You’ve done the hard work in creating something, to making a contribution no matter how small it may be in your mind. So take yourself out of the mindset of that you are pushing something on someone and switch it to you are giving them an opportunity.

No. 2 Write your Emails as if you are Speaking to one Person

Hopefully by now you will have your ideal customer in mind (if not, check out this Post).  When you have someone in mind, write your emails as if you are writing directly to that ONE person. Speak in a way that will appeal to them. Address their concerns, their needs and show that you understand them.

No. 3 Focus on Providing Value

Instead of just thinking about how to get them to click on that link or to see that special you are currently running, try to think about a way to provide value to your email audience. Make it about more than just your products or services. Make it about the story behind them. Give Tips and Advice. Provide extra incentives, freebies or specials. Make them feel privileged that they have become an insider into your business.

No. 4 Be Consistent

Consistency is also very important. After you have welcomed people on board your list try to send emails on a regular basis – whether you choose to do this weekly, fortnightly or monthly it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that they become use to hearing from you and even bettter maybe look forward to receiving your emails.

No. 5 Don’t let “Unsubscribes” get you Down

There will always be a proportion of people who sign up, get your freebie and decide then unsubscribe. Or after awhile decide that perhaps you aren’t for them. And that’s OK! If you are writing emails specifically with your target customer in mind, then likely that person was not your ideal audience member and weren’t going to buy anyway. So, you don’t need to stress too much about them when you are creating a strategy about how to write marketing emails. Instead be confident in the knowledge that those people who remain on your list are those who want to be there and want to hear from you.

So what should you send?

Obviously, this depends on your brand, your products/services and your industry, but there are plenty of things you can send through to your list that aren’t just “latest news”. Back at the beginning of this post series I introduced 4 different types of Email Sequences you would likely want to use in your business. Here’s a quick recap: Onboarding / Welcome Series: A series of 3 to 5 emails that you send to anyone new to your list. The purpose is to introduce them to your brand, what you are about and perhaps lead them to their first sale. Most importantly, it gets them used to rec Sales / Promotions: A specific set of emails you create when you create a new launch or campaign. This doesn’t want to be overdone but there will definitely be times through the year when you will throw in those extra few emails to let subscribers know what new opportunities you have for them. Regular Updates: These are what are generally associated as newsletters. Your regular updates. But it doesn’t need to feel like a newsletter, instead more of a touching base. Follow Ups: An often missed email opportunity but an important one. These emails are those you send AFTER someone buys from you. It shows that you value their custom and either want to provide more value in terms of extra tips or feedback. If you have a consumable product or offer a regular service this can also include reminders when it’s next likely they will need to buy. To get started on your email sequences, click the image below to download your free sequences planner. What you send in each of these sequences will differ. But here are a few ideas.

If you are trying to Lead to a Sale…

This mostly applies to the Welcome Series or Promotional Series of Emails. In these instances a great formula to follow is to:

1. Provide a Freebie (either your opt-in or a new piece of content or tip)
2. Appeal to the Emotion – How can you relate to your audience that will make them want to purchase on an emotional level?
3. Appeal to the Logical – How can you convince your audience logically that the purchase will benefit them in some way?
4. Appeal to the Fear of Missing Out – Provide a deadline to your offer or mention what will happen if they don’t purchase

Again, this doesn’t need to be sleezy. It can be all shared from a personal perspective or a genuine offer of help.

For your Regular Emails…

There are two core components of when you consider how to write marketing emails. First is a short introduction or letter to your subscribers. Say hello, and create a personal introduction to whatever it is you want to talk about that week. Ideas include:

• A story you want to share
• Some behind the scenes gossip
• A new lesson you have learnt
• Some tips or advice
• A great tool or resources you have discovered

This should then always logically into a soft “call to action”. While this call to action can be a “buy now”, it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) always be. Here are a few other ideas:

• Ask for them to click through to read a new blog post or other content
• Ask them to sign up for a free webinar or workshop
• Ask for a follow on one or more of your social media accounts or to join a group
• Ask for feedback
• Offer them another freebie download.

If in doubt, Think for a minute, what emails do you open? Which ones do you enjoy reading? This will give you a hint of what you might want to include in your own emails. Some of the best examples of regular emails are those that offer something of value for free every month. For example, a free monthly workout plan or challenge. Or a new recipe to try. Or a monthly planner or tip sheet focused around a certain topic. Creating things like this give people an incentive to stay on your list and open your emails. If you build a relationship with your regular emails by offering value without asking much in return, when you do choose to send that promoational email announcing your new product or latest sale people will be more inclined to open and to respond. Remember, your email list is all about nurturing your audience and showing you value them.

Creating a Subject Line that attracts Opens

I couldn’t complete a blog post about how to write marketing emails without mentioning the all important subject line. No matter how good the content of your emails, it won’t get clicked on unless they are attracted by your subject line. So you need to make it enticing! One great tip, especially for the first email in a Welcome Series or a Promotional series is to actually use the persons name in the subject itself. People are definitely more inclined to open when they see this. Apart from those, there a few ways you can angle your subject line:

• Focus on the Benefit they will get from opening the email, whether its a freebie or quick solution.
• Make it Action Orientated such as “How to do X in 3 steps”
• Make it Personal (e.g. Here’s How I did X)
• Ask a Question
• Introduce your Story
• Spark Curiosity (e.g. What you didn’t know about X)

Most importantly make sure you deliver what you promise in your subject line. To ensure you have something effective try to come up with a few different options each time and then pick the one that you think will appeal more to your audience.   Email doesn’t need to be a negative thing, by using these tips when you think about how to write marketing emails I hope you can see that it can actually add significant value to your audience’s experience with your business.