Writing emails seems like the easiest thing in the world. Anyone can do it, right? Well, while everyone who’s computer literate can send an email, not everybody can write email that don’t end up in the trash. Writing an email is easy; coming up with an email that is actually opened and read, that’s the hard part. An email can make or break what your stand for, your personal brand, even your sales. Email is just like any other piece of technology: used the right way, it can yield great results.
Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to write an email to someone you don’t know? You’re afraid of being rejected. Who isn’t? You worry about everything: the subject line, the from address, the opening of the email, the body and the closing. We’ve all been there. You’ve crafted a well-thought email. You’ve come up with a catchy(or so it seems) subject line. You double check for spelling, phrasing and other possible mistakes. After a short period of contemplation and admiration for your creation, you hit send. That’s the easy part. You then check your email stats; the open and click-through rates are lower than you expected, much to your chagrin. This is the hard part. Needless to say, you’re disappointed.
The good things is, you have a choice. You can either complain about it, or do something about it. Crafting an email that is actually read and opened is like a marathon; you have to put in the work, persevere through time tough times and never give up. Writing an email that gets noticed is an art and, like every art, it takes time, deliberate practice and patience to become good at it. What should you keep in mind when writing emails? Below are some tips that might come in handy when you craft your emails.
Be useful, promise something good
When writing an email, make sure to make the reader know what is it that you’re offering. If what you’re offering really cures their pain, make it known right from the start. Even if you’re not selling anything, provide something of value to the recipients of that email. It can be a tip to save money on something, a good short story, life hacks – anything that makes your readers’ day. Before you can sell something to anyone , you need to establish a personal connection with people. They need to know that you’re not just another faceless corporation looking for a quick buck. Be honest, authentic and never take people’s attention for granted. Attention is earned, not given.
Keep it short
Do you know that wonderful feeling of reading a novel in your mailbox? Neither do we. Sending long emails is one of the best ways to ensure that they never get opened or read – no matter how useful or well-though they might be. No one likes to waste time reading emails that are too long. Even the best crafted email gets boring after a while. Keep the email short and concise. Don’t use words that are difficult to understand. Remember, you’re not writing a thesis on astrophysics; you’re just trying to grab your readers’ attention. Your email has to be short and on the point.
Add a personal touch
This one is tricky. On one hand, you can write a friendly email and people might take an offence. On the other hand, a formal email can make people feel unappreciated. When writing an email, try to strike a balance; neither too personal, nor too cold and distant. You’re writing to get noticed. You want readers to trust you, to like you. You can achieve that by adding a personal touch to your emails. For example, unless you don’t know them at all, don’t address to people with “Mr or Mrs.” You can address them by their first name instead. Use your name. Be human. People will appreciate that.
Experiment with the subject line
It goes without saying that the subject line has to be catchy. How do you write an eye-catching subject line in the first place? While there’s no magic formula to writing a great subject line, practice is key. Experiment with subject lines. Dare to be unique. Tinker with puns and one-liners, but without being offensive, or too pushy. Look at open and click-through rates and see if you can improve your subject lines. There’s always room for improvement, always- no matter how catchy your subject lines might be. You can always write better subject lines. There’s no such thing as the perfect subject line. You’re always improving.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions in your email. After all, that’s how people get to know each other, that’s how companies and people connect. Don’t make your greeting automatic. Greetings have to be warm and friendly. You can use best regards, kind regards, greetings from sunny California, and so on. Be concise and clear. Write short sentences. Keep experimenting. See what works and what doesn’t, and act accordingly. Writing emails that get opened and read is great; sending them from one single place is priceless. In Flexie CRM, you can write all emails you want from one single place. What’s even more amazing, you can easily send emails to records directly from their profile.
Writing emails that actually get noticed may take time and patience, but it’s totally worth it. Mastering the art of writing emails is like investing with compound interest: your benefits only grow with time. Ready?
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