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Your Business in Mind
How to Write Effective E-Mail that Sells

Marketing your products or services to your customers and prospects through e-mail is not the same as writing a business letter. Because the Internet began as a way for people to communicate with each other, e-mail is expected to be conversational, concise, and genuine. When done right, it can be a very successful way of selling your products and building relationships.

Here are five tips to writing an effective marketing e-mail:

• The most important – and most difficult part of any e-mail is the subject line (you can’t sell them anything if they don’t open the e-mail). Make it catchy and to-the-point, but don’t over-promise. Keep it 40 characters or less if possible so it can be read without opening the e-mail (test it by sending it to yourself). A compelling offer makes the best subject line. Asking a question that addresses the pain point/benefit can be effective as well.
• Make the offer in the first paragraph – that may be the only paragraph they “screen” through the preview pane. Discounts or special offers with a firm expiration date work well in grabbing attention and prompting action. If appropriate for your business, online coupons are a sure-fire way of getting the customer/prospect to open the e-mail and try something new.
• Since people tend to skim e-mail after the first paragraph, short and/or bulleted paragraphs work best, with “active voice” headings throughout that sum up the benefits of your offer or your product/service. As a general rule, do not write beyond one screen length so people do not have to scroll down (they may give up).
• Be conversational, genuine, real. Establish a rapport. Find the “unique voice” of your company and consistently write in that voice. Be interesting and not overly technical. Know your audience and their challenges. Ask yourself: is this relevant to my audience? Have I made it compelling enough to read all the way through, then take action?
• Include a phone number and a URL, if possible, so your audience can respond in the way that’s most convenient for them.

If you don’t remember anything else, remember this: Get their attention, give them a compelling offer, and get out quickly.

Note: This brief article does not cover the legal aspects of sending e-mail to a mailing list. However, you should familiarize yourself with guidelines regarding SPAM, opt-ins and opt-outs, etc.

Sources: “Net Words: Creating High-Impact Online Copy,” by Nick Usborne, “Effective E-Mail Marketing, A Complete Guide to Creating Successful Campaigns,” by Herschell Gordon Lewis; and a Direct Marketing Association Seminar “Comprehensive E-mail Marketing Strategies,” by Karen Talavera.

Joyce Ethridge
Sage Software

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